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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComments-DBIP-040821-FINALRail, Transit and Planning Division Phone: (406) 444–3423 Fax: (406) 444–7671 An Equal Opportunity Employer Toll–free: (800) 714–7296 TTY: (800) 335–7592 Web Page: www.mdt.mt.gov April 8, 2021 Joey Staszcuk, P.E, PTOE Sr Engineer Sanderson Stewart 106 East Babcock, Suite L1 Bozeman, MT 59715 Subject: MDT Comments Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan Joey, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has completed review of the Downtown Bozeman Partnership transportation study. MDT offers a meeting to discuss the plan proposed and our comments as schedules allow. A number of the comments below include urban facilities currently under the City of Bozeman’s maintenance jurisdiction. Wherever applicable, MDT calls out comments related to the Urban system as informational. Please note the following: 1. The proposed changes to Main Street are not consistent with standards for an NH system route. 2. Traffic Comments. a. Overall- the plan does not provide operational analysis to support what is being proposed. Further analysis is recommended. b. The signals recommended at Black / Mendenhall and Black / Babcock “to promote lower speeds” would need to meet MUTCD warrants and be justified by more than a desire to promote lower speeds. The lower speeds would be on Mendenhall and Babcock, since Black, at these locations, is stop controlled. Providing a one-way couplet designed to take through traffic off Main Street, and then making it less efficient by adding traffic signals, seems counter-productive, especially when coupled with proposed lane reductions on Main Street. (This comment is informational as Mendenhall and Babcock fall under the City-wide maintenance agreement with MDT.) c. Black and Main signal is also proposed as a scramble phase for pedestrian crossings. A scramble phase does not benefit the bicycle traffic, as they are expected to behave as a motor vehicle at this location. What increased pedestrian traffic unique to this intersection justifies the addition of a scramble phase? i. Babcock Street 2-way cycle track: Some of these comments are recognized in passing at the end of the portion of the report, but no solutions or recommendations are made. At a minimum, they should be better highlighted and brought to the attention of the reader in a manner that stresses their importance. ii. Is this a cycle track, or a two-way bike lane? Cycle tracks are typically elevated slightly to discern between the travel lanes and sidewalk. 2701 Prospect PO Box 201001 Helena MT 59620-1001 Montana Department of Transportation Malcolm “Mack” Long, Director Greg Gianforte, Governor Rail, Transit and Planning Division Phone: (406) 444–3423 Fax: (406) 444–7671 An Equal Opportunity Employer Toll–free: (800) 714–7296 TTY: (800) 335–7592 Web Page: www.mdt.mt.gov iii. Right turning traffic off Babcock would be expected to yield to oncoming bicycle traffic. It will be difficult to provide enough signing that a driver, during peak hour traffic, will be able to recognize and act accordingly if a cyclist is approaching them at a 20 mph speed. iv. If the Black / Babcock intersection is to be signalized, how would the traffic control devices address the counter-flow cycle traffic? Bike signal heads are very limited by FHWA guidance and may not be applicable here. That would cause a situation where the cyclists have to either stop every time and behave like a pedestrian, or there would be the potential for through bike traffic and opposing through vehicular traffic to both assume they have the right-of-way. v. “Bike specific intersection striping is outlined in NACTO to maximize visibility of bicyclists and increase driver awareness” and a reference to Figure 5 are not applicable to the cycle track configuration proposed. This section of NACTO is for conventional bicycle lanes going on the right side of traffic in the same direction as traffic flow, operating with the signal phasing. vi. Figure C1.1 at the end of the report shows a 4-6’ two-way cycle track and a 2’ buffer zone. This is unacceptable and will not be functional at this width. d. Main Street conversion to three lanes: i. Two eleven-foot lanes and a 9.5’ TWLTL are characterized as “narrower than minimum MDT lane widths”. This is an NH facility, and the design vehicle would very likely not be able to use the TWLTL. 14’ TWLTL is the standard width for NH routes. ii. What effect would left turn off-tracking have on the intersection design, existing curb faces at the intersections, and pedestrian areas? iii. The example shown on page 7 of shifting centerline block-by-block would make snow removal difficult, considering the need to push to the center. iv. Back-in angle parking will further congest Main Street if the additional through lane is removed, thereby causing all through traffic to stop while the driver wishing to park completes their maneuver. This coupled with other issues, for example the proposed street width, may reduce the level of service on Main Street to an unacceptable condition for its functional classification as a principal arterial. e. Mendenhall Street (Informational comments; City should be consulted): i. Putting sharrows only on one of the lanes may send the wrong message to both the driver and the cyclist. For the cyclist, it may be perceived that they need to make both left and right turns from this lane, causing them to cut in front of adjacent traffic. Drivers may not believe that cyclists are allowed in the other lane. ii. A better solution may be the removal of sharrows all-together. iii. C3.1 and C3.2 show a marked and designated “BIKE LANE” within the driving lane, complete with green paint and sharrows. This is not allowed in the MUTCD, nor recommended in NACTO. Sharrows do not belong in bike ‘lanes’, and coincidental green paint in a through traffic lane is not allowed. iv. C3.4 shows bike lane extensions through the intersections. This is not allowed, as this is not a bike lane. Rail, Transit and Planning Division Phone: (406) 444–3423 Fax: (406) 444–7671 An Equal Opportunity Employer Toll–free: (800) 714–7296 TTY: (800) 335–7592 Web Page: www.mdt.mt.gov f. Signal operations. i. The detailed traffic analysis recommended above must include all lane and phasing changes that impact routes under MDT maintenance. Per the terms of the City -Wide maintenance agreement between MDT and the City of Bozeman, it appears the analysis should include City maintained facilities on the Urban System. The City and MDT should both have equal opportunity to review the document. ii. There are concerns with the proposed pedestrian scramble phase at the intersection of Main Street & Black Street. During the analysis, it will be necessary to keep in mind that this intersection currently runs in coordination with 12 other signals in downtown at a 75 or 85s cycle length dependent on time of day. A preliminary rough estimate for time needed to complete a diagonal crossing at this intersection is 31s. This time will need to come from somewhere and since 31s is such a significant portion of the existing cycle length, it could be anticipated that the cycle length would need to be increased substantially to continue to serve vehicular demand while providing a ped scramble. An increased cycle length will increase pedestrian delay at all signals in downtown Bozeman. With signalized intersections 300’ on either side of this location, queuing between signals during the scramble will become a factor to consider as well. iii. A three-lane section on Main Street is likely to drive requests for left turn phases at some (all?) locations. As noted below by various parties, a three-lane section (and ped scramble) has the potential to degrade traffic operations and increase travel times. A full analysis will be needed to review those impacts. 3. MDT reviewed the subject plans for consistency with the 2017 Bozeman Transportation Master Plan (TMP). The main takeaway is that there are no direct contradictions or incompatibilities between the TMP and Downtown Bozeman Improvement Plan (DBIP). Most of the recommendations from the DBIP simply do not have corresponding recommendations in the TMP. Please note the following detailed comments: a. Babcock Street (Informational comment; City should be consulted) i. The DBIP extends the length of the cycle track recommendation several additional blocks (8th Ave to Wallace Ave) rather than the shorter extent suggested in the TMP (Grand Ave to Wallace Ave) ii. The TMP recommends only a shared roadway (Sharrows) from 11th Ave to Grand Ave (no cycle track in this segment) b. Main St i. Reconfiguration of Main Street is not a recommendation found in the TMP. ii. The only slightly related recommended improvement on Main Street suggested in the TMP is the installation of a pedestrian hybrid beacon at the intersection of 3rd Ave and Main Street. c. Mendenhall St (Informational comment; City should be consulted) i. Reconfiguration of Mendenhall Street is not a recommendation found in the TMP. ii. The only slightly related recommended improvement on Mendenhall Street suggested in the TMP is the somewhat vague recommendation to “Complete streetscape improvements along Mendenhall Street to include curb bulb-outs, landscaping and crossing enhancements.” Rail, Transit and Planning Division Phone: (406) 444–3423 Fax: (406) 444–7671 An Equal Opportunity Employer Toll–free: (800) 714–7296 TTY: (800) 335–7592 Web Page: www.mdt.mt.gov 4. General comments. a. All MDT maintained route widths should meet MDT standards, where applicable. b. Any plan approvals to Urban facilities must be approved by the City of Bozeman per the terms of the City-wide agreement between MDT and the City of Bozeman. c. Trees must not block signal poles or luminaires. Ensure site triangles are not compromised. d. All signing needs to be in compliant with MUTCD. e. Angle parking length is too short for larger pickups and SUV’s. f. Babcock plans show 10-foot travel lane on page C1.1, proposed on page 3 shows 11 feet. Plans not constant. (Informational comment; City should be consulted) g. The Main Street typical section proposed is not conducive to transit stops and bus travel. h. Snow removal using the TWLTL may pose issues with functionality of the NH Route (Main Street). i. MDT notes that the proposal does not indicate any plans for public involvement or to solicit input from the City of Bozeman. MDT has concerns regarding safety for the travelling public centering around the Level of Service if these options are implemented. This proposal must be fully vetted in a public forum. As previously noted, MDT prefers to meet and discuss the proposed improvements shown in the Downtown Bozeman Partnership transportation plan. I can arrange a meeting as schedules allow. Please don’t hesitate to call me at 406-444-9416 Sincerely, Mike Tierney Planner - Policy, Program & Performance Analysis Bureau copies: Rob Stapley, Rail, Transit & Planning Division Administrator Dwane Kailey, P.E., Chief Engineer Bill Fogarty, Butte District Administrator Duane Liebel, P.E., Butte District Engineering Services Engineer Jim Skinner, Policy, Program, and Performance Analysis Bureau Chief Carol Strizich, Multimodal Planning Bureau Chief Kyle Demars, Bozeman Area Maintenance Chief Stan Brelin, P.E., Traffic Operations Engineer Ivan Ulberg, P.E., Traffic Design Engineering Section Supervisor Patricia Burke, P.E., Traffic Safety Section Supervisor Joe Zody, P.E., Traffic Operations and Analysis Unit Supervisor Katie Potts, Statewide and Urban Planning Supervisor Mitch Buthod, Transportation Planner Statewide and Urban Planning Carol Grell-Morris, MDT Legal Counsel Joe Walsh, District Projects Engineer Lee Alt, Butte District Traffic Engineer Karen Grosulak-McCord, Bike Ped Coordinator Matt Maze, ADA Coordinator