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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBike Board presentation materials1 Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: John Van Delinder, Street Superintendent Debbie Arkell, Public Service Director SUBJECT: Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board (BABAB) List of Recommended Bike Lanes and Bike Boulevards MEETING DATE: February 6, 2012 AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Special Presentation RECOMMENDATION: Listen to presentation from Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board and provide comments to the Board and staff. BACKGROUND: Article III A. of the Bylaws of the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board (BABAB) says the board shall provide advice and recommendations to the City Commission on matters before the City Commission which may have an impact on bicycling, insofar as it may relate to usage of public streets and other public ways by bicycles. The board has put together a list of recommended bike lanes to be installed on arterials and collectors. A list has also been created for local streets. These local improvements are also called bike boulevards when only pavement markings are used. Examples of promoting bike friendliness would be “sharrows”, closing streets to cars but not bikes and stop sign repositioning to promote through traffic for bikes as well as cars. Attached is the list that BABAB compiled after considering comments from the board and staff. Their top three projects are: 1. Stripe bike lanes on South 23rd Avenue, from College Street to Main Street, which will require the removal of on-street parking; 2. Stripe bike lanes on North 11th Avenue, from Mendenhall Street to Durston Road, which should not require the removal of on-street parking; and 3. Stripe bike lanes on South Willson Avenue from Kagy Boulevard to Main Street, which would keep parking but reduce vehicle lanes to 10-feet. This will likely need Montana Department of Transportation review and approval because Willson Avenue is an Urban Route and the design would be non-standard. The total price for these three projects is $84,300, and the Board recommends they be completed as funds become available. 2 Also attached is Chapter 5 from the Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update) outlining recommended bicycle facility improvements. When possible these bicycle improvements should be done during maintenance activities such as a mill and overlay or chip seal. If it is feasible, these improvements could be done on their own as funding is available. UNRESOLVED ISSUES: Funding. ALTERNATIVES: Wait for development or complete reconstruction of streets. FISCAL EFFECTS: Currently $25,000 is budgeted in the Street Operations for such improvements. Additional money could be budgeted but this would require an increase in Street Maintenance Fees, or a reduction in other maintenance activities. Report compiled on: January 28th, 2012 Attachments: BABAB Priority List Bike Counts Sharrow Example Bicycle Facility Improvements from Transportation Plan: Chapter 5 BABAB PROPOSED BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENT PRESENTATION TO CITY COMMISSION FEBRUARY 6, 2012 A. Introduction • To put together the priority list and recommendations, BABAB used the 2011 city bike count data, BABAB knowledge of bike use and needs, and recommendations from the Greater Bozeman Area Transportation Plan (2007 Update). • For each street, BABAB provides the justification for its priority listing and a recommendation on how to make the street more bicycle friendly • Priority streets are divided into two categories: Bicycle Boulevards and Bicycle Lanes I. Bike Lanes- These streets, with modifications, have the ability to include bike lanes on one or both sides of the street. Examples of modifications to create bike lanes are: • Stripe bike lanes down both sides of street • Remove parking from one or both sides of street II. Bicycle Boulevard- These streets are often too narrow to include formal bicycle lanes, therefore require other ways to promote bicycle friendliness. Examples are: • Stop signs switched to create through streets • Sharrows • Blocking entry to cars, but not bikes (such as Cleveland and 7th ) I. Bike Lanes 1. 23rd • So much use already for commuters going from Main Street over to Babcock Avenue – College to Main • Easy to do • High use in the bike counts • Modifications are recommend in transportation plan Engineering Staff Comments: S. 23rd: $15,500 This would involve require removal of parking. A southbound bike lane appears feasible from Main to College. A northbound bike lane appears feasible from College to the approach into Albertsons. I don’t see a way to safely transition the bike lane to be left of the right turn only lane at Main Street. This estimate assumes mostly epoxy paint for the bike lane lines (some plastic near Main Street) and plastic bike symbols. 2. N. 11th • Commuter route for students Avenue – Mendenhall to Durston • High use corridor • Currently not dangerous but uncomfortable for bikers • Connector to the High School Engineering Staff Comments: N. 11th: $14,500 Bike lanes appear to be feasible from Mendenhall to Durston. From Mendenhall to Main there is simply no room. The northbound bike lane would have to be ended before the intersection at Durston, or it could possibly be overlapped on the left side of the right turn only lane as was done on College at S. 19th. Parking could be maintained, and there would be room for two lines for the bike lane. Vehicle lanes would be 10 feet wide. This estimate assumes mostly epoxy paint for the bike lane lines (some plastic near Durston) and plastic bike symbols. 3. Willson Avenue – Main Street to Kagy • We recommend Willson Avenue to be a priority bike lane project. The street should include bike lanes on both sides of the street. • The reasons for this recommendation are that this is a major commuter route, a north/south connector and the city is planning curb replacement in 2012, making it an appropriate time to work on the bike lanes and “bulb-outs” if funding is available. Engineering Staff Comments: S. Willson: $54,300 Bike lanes would be a tight fit on Willson from Kagy to Main. To allow for minimum 10 foot vehicle lanes and keep parking, only a single line could be done to designate an 11-foot bike/parking lane (like on Peach) on each side. Overlapping of the bike lanes with vehicle turn lanes would be required on some sections between Olive and Main; we may need to get MDT review of this as Willson is an urban route and this would be non-standard. The best option if bike lanes are done may be to not designate them between Olive and Main. This option assumes mostly epoxy paint for the bike lanes (plastic between Olive and Main, and some plastic near Kagy), plastic bike symbols, and the non-MUTCD bike/parking signs like on Peach. Some obliteration of existing plastic lines near Kagy will be required. II. Bicycle Boulevards 1. Koch Street – 23rd Justification: to Willson • Major E/W connector on south side of Main • Recommended in the transportation plan as a bicycle boulevard • Already a signed bike route • Continuous through street already exists for route from 8th to 19 • Ties into 23 th • Safer to ride than Olive rd • Bike Count: not evaluated • Has good flow due to existing right-of-way on street Recommendation: • Sharrows on both side of street 2. Lamme Street – 11th Justification: to Broadway • Closest to Main on the North side • Major E/W connector- high school on West end, Hawthorne on East end • Existing signed bike route • Bike Count: Ranked second lowest for streets, with a total of 139 (at Lamme and Grant) • Listed in transportation plan as a potential bicycle boulevard Recommendation: • Sharrows on both sides of street 3. Peach Street (Rouse to Broadway) Justification: • Will almost finish the bicycle friendly route from the west end of the city to the east (Ferguson to Broadway) • NURB has completed a street development proposal, BABAB wish to follow their recommendations/suggestions • Bike Count: In bottom three for street use, with a total of 172 (at Rouse and Peach) Recommendation: • Sharrows on both sides of street 4. Olive Street – 11th Justification: to Wallace • Closest east/west bikable route to Main Street (Note: we consider Main Street too dangerous to bike in its current configuration) • Closest street south of main which connects from the library to 11 • Commonly used by bikes th • Narrow street with parking on both sides, road bed needs work-rough, a lot of traffic moving onto and off street due high levels of side-street use • Lesser priority because difficult to solve • Bike Count Values: not evaluated Recommendation: • Sharrows on both sides of street • Repave to make street more smooth 5. Wa llace Ave. – L Street to Library Entrance Justification: • Suggested in transportation plan as a bicycle boulevard • Makes key N/S connection between Gallagator Trail and the Story Mill Spur Trail • Bike Count: not evaluated Recommendation: • Sharrows on both sides of street 6. Black Ave. – Tamarack to College Justification: • Connects everything from the Fairgrounds to the Gallagator Trail • Bike Count: not evaluated Recommendation: • Sharrows on both sides of street 7. Grand Avenue – Main to Grant Justification: • existing bike route • slower paced alternative to Willson Recommendation: • repave for smoother surface • adding sharrows