I3. Correspondence to Commissionerswo City of Kalispell
Post Office Box 1997 - Kalispell, Montana 59903
Telephone: (406) 758-7701 Fax: (406) 758-7758
MONTANA
To: Mayor Johnson and City Council
From: Doug Russell, City Manager D/L
Re: Letter to County Commissioners
Meeting Date: October 16, 2017
BACKGROUND: The City of Kalispell has been working on the creation of a downtown plan
for several years. This effort has included 17 community meetings with an estimated 800 people
in attendance, 5 newsletters mailed to downtown stakeholders, and over a hundred community
surveys. Much of the input received was related to the character of the downtown and how
traffic interacts with the viability and community experience of the area.
In addition, MDT has performed a traffic count analysis of alternatives in areas related to the
County Courthouse Couplet. These reviews identified that traffic would increase by 8000
vehicles North of 4th street on Main Street, leading into the intersection of Highway 2 and
Highway 93 with a 4-lane design around the Courthouse. This alternative did not present a
solution of how to alleviate congestion at this intersection. Upon a City of Kalispell request,
MDT's engineers modeled an additional alternative. This alternative projected the ability to
divert pass -through traffic to the Eastern side of the community while preserving and enhancing
the character of the downtown district. Specifically, this alternative projected the traffic counts
leading into the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 93 would remain approximately the
same as they currently exist, thus providing a long-term answer for traffic management.
Additionally, staff has been reviewing case studies that support the concepts of the downtown
plan and feel the use of similar traffic design efforts could have a positive impact in Kalispell
without degrading connectivity, efficiency, or safety. One of these case studies is attached to this
memo for review.
At the last meeting, the City Council requested staff to draft a letter in response to the County
Commissions letter objecting to the City of Kalispell's plans as the City feels appropriate traffic
planning and design for the long term traffic needs and community benefit is essential and that
options are available for review that meet these interests. Rather than moving forward with the
implementation of a traffic plan that has potential harmful community impacts, the City of
Kalispell is requesting a review of the circumstances and case studies that represent options for
traffic management in Kalispell and around the Courthouse Couplet. A draft letter is attached to
this memo for consideration.
FISCAL IMPACT: There are no financial impacts with the consideration of this letter.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council review the attached letter,
amend it as desired, and authorize the Mayor to sign and submit it to the County Commissioners.
ATTACHMENTS:
Letter to County Commissioners
Case study on traffic design
CrTYOF City of Kalispell
�.
OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
..POW, - lid 201 First Avenue East
11101VTAN9 Kalispell, MT 59903
October 20, 2017
Flathead County Commissioners
800 South Main, Room 302
Kalispell, MT 59901
Flathead County Commissioners:
We have received your correspondence, dated August 7, 2017, regarding traffic planning for Main
Street in the City of Kalispell.
Traffic on Main Street presents a challenge for the community. However, it is not a technical
problem. Unfortunately, when approaching an issue with an assumption that it is a technical
problem, the quick answer is to apply a technical solution, possibly ignoring external impacts and
outcomes. We view this issue as an adaptive problem requiring an adaptive solution. This requires
people being willing to sit at the table, challenge assumptions, consider different perspectives,
modify previous beliefs, and broaden the vision to include long-term impacts to the situation.
Your letter reports that you "concur" with the statistics in the study completed by MDT. The
statistics are not in question, but rather are the basis for concern and conversely, opportunity. Of
concern is the negative impact the statistics say would have on the businesses and character of
Downtown Kalispell. Of concern is the projected increase of over 8,000 vehicles at the intersection
of Highway 2 and Highway 93, as summarized in the Traffic Report for the Kalispell Courthouse
Couplet; for which there is no proposed solution. However, these statistics also offer opportunity to
realize long-term options satisfying mutual interests, including enhancing the transportation system
to carry traffic loads well into the future, avoiding that respective congestion. These statistics also
support case studies that demonstrate effective traffic patterns with alternative road design (please
see the case study of Edgewater Drive in Orlando, Florida). We are pleased that you "concur" with
the statistics as they demonstrate the need for finding a long-term community solution.
MDT has acknowledged they desire to establish a steering committee to find solutions for Main
Street. Your letter requests the City of Kalispell abandon our plans and essentially defer to MDT.
Our request is that you join us at the table as part of this steering committee, offering input and
perspective in a collaborative manner to best accomplish mutual goals.
Sincerely,
Mark Johnson on behalf of the Kalispell City Council
Mayor- City of Kalispell
www.kalispell.com
A Safer Street through Lane Reduction
Redevelopment
Strategies
}} State Department of
Transportation funding
)? Lane reduction to im-
prove pedestrian and bike
access and safety
Results and
Lessons Learned
}i Road reconfigurations
such as lane reductions
that deemphasize the
automobile, as well as
reduced vehicle speeds
and traffic volumes, make
the road safer for all types
of users.
?} Because of the road
restriping, total collisions
decreased by 40 percent,
and injury rates de-
creased by 71 percent.
}} Slowing traffic and im-
proving the pedestrian
and bike experience
improved property values
and the performance of
local businesses along the
corridor.
20 BUILDING HEALTHY CORRIDORS
Streets have ptayed a major rote in the
development of College Park, a neighborhood ad-
jacent to downtown Orlando, Florida. The neigh-
borhood's Princeton, Harvard, and Yale streets
influenced the naming of the city's first subdivision
and eventually the naming of the neighborhood.
Beginning in 1999, local stakeholders gave
College Park a new identity by transforming Edge-
water Drive, its main street. The four -lane road
was extremely unsafe; it carried more than 20,000
speeding motorists per day, and it experienced
crashes nearly every three days and injuries every
nine days. Because the road also contained limited
space for sidewalks, bike lanes, and streetscape,
the city of Orlando implemented a lane reduc-
tion —or "road diet" —to regain space for pedes-
trians and bicyclists.
Since the projects implementation, Edgewater
Drive has become a noticeably healthier and safer
street. Traffic speeds and the number of crashes
i�
Ir
ERRIS
ING
'ta�i>E5
5c
".letAO � fi
have been reduced, and both the volume and satis-
faction of pedestrians and bicyclists have increased.
The project emerged from a neighborhood
improvement plan called the Neighborhood Hori-
zon Plan and from anticipation surrounding the
resurfacing of Edgewater Drive in 2001. Hoping to
maximize the opportunity, the city —in collabora-
tion with neighborhood stakeholders —formulated
a vision, set of goals, and plan for the redevelop-
ment of a 1.5-mile stretch of Edgewater between
Par Street and Lakeview Street.
The goals emphasized the vision of the corridor
as a vibrant, pedestrian -oriented commercial
district with reduced incidents of speeding, im-
proved bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and an
enhanced streetscape. To achieve the goals, the
city and the Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT) negotiated plans for a road diet in con-
junction with regularly scheduled maintenance.
This approach required removing one vehicle lane
_ V5
and reconfiguring the road through lane restrip-
ing; these changes were funded by FDOT and
required the state of Florida to transfer control of
the street to the city.
After gaining control of Edgewater Drive,
the city of Orlando initiated the project. Before
committing to permanent improvements, the city
implemented a temporary lane reduction, using
tape to restripe the road, and then performed a
before -and -after analysis that looked at crash and
injury rates, vehicle speeds, traffic volumes, on -
street parking, travel times, and bicyclist volumes.
The analysis showed that those indicators were
improved by the lane reduction, and the tape was
replaced with permanent striping in December
2002. Ultimately, the city converted four lanes to
three; the road now has one travel lane in each
direction and a center, two-way turn lane. The
city also added bike lanes in both directions and
widened on -street parking.
Because of this project, College Park's main
street has become a thriving corridor. Safety
greatly improved after the project: total collisions
dropped by 40 percent, injury rates declined 71
percent, and traffic counts briefly dropped 12 per-
cent before returning to original levels. Pedestrian
counts increased by 23 percent, bicycling activity
by 30 percent, and on -street parking —which
buffers the sidewalks from automobile traffic —by
41 percent.
In addition, the corridor has gained 77 new
businesses and an additional 560 jobs since 2008.
OPPOSITE: Edgewater Drive
has become substantially safer;
because of new designated bike
lanes, cyclists are no longer
forced to compete with vehicles.
(Gus Castro)
LEFT: The restriping of Edgewater
Drive reduced automobile travel
by one lane, added bike lanes,
and widened on -street parking.
(Gus Castro)
BELOW TOP: Before, Edgewater
Drive's four wide lanes limited the
street's capacity for bike lanes
and sidewalks, making the corri-
dor unsafe for and unattractive to
pedestrians and bicyclists.
(Gus Castro)
BOTTOM: After, the corridor's
road diet and emphasis on alter-
nate modes of travel have calmed
traffic, increased pedestrian
activity, and greatly improved
the neighborhood's streetscape.
(Gus Castro)
The value of property adjacent to Edgewater and
within a half mile of the corridor rose 80 percent
and 70 percent, respectively.
Such positive results have gained national atten-
tion and satisfied local stakeholders, who made
no requests to restore Edgewater to a four -lane
road when it was resurfaced in 2012.
CHAPTER 2 REINVENTING CORRIDORS 21
Edgewater Drive Before & After Re -Striping Results
Prepared by
City of Orlando - Transportation Planning Bureau 11/1102
INTRODUCTION
Edgewater Drive is a north -south roadway that
carries approximately 20,000 Average Daily Trips
per day. The roadway serves as College Park's
Main Street while accommodating some through
traffic. The limit of this evaluation is from Par Street
to Lakeview Street in College Park.
Neighborhood Horizon Plan
In 1999 over forty College Park neighborhood
volunteers participated in workshops with the City of
Orlando to formulate an official plan for the
neighborhood. The plan is intended to be used as a
"blueprint" for planning future neighborhood
improvement projects. The plan is College Park's
"Neighborhood Horizon Plan" which was approved
by The College Park Neighborhood Association
(CPNA) and accepted by the Orlando City Council in
January 2000.
The Horizon Plan � i L I R L-
identified 74 major C AR
tasks, which the
volunteers would like
to see implemented
to improve the
neighborhood. Many
of the 74 tasks
related to Edgewater Drive. One of the ' 4
tasks was to transfer
jurisdiction and
maintenance of Edgewater Drive from Princeton St.
to Par St. from the Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT) to the City of Orlando. The
City already had jurisdiction of Edgewater Drive from
Colonial Drive to Princeton Street. The transfer of
jurisdiction to the City was viewed as important by
the neighborhood because then the City could better
implement improvement to the Edgewater Drive
corridor as defined in the Neighborhood Horizon
Plan without having to coordinate with FDOT. The
Horizon Plan identified improvements such as new
enhanced crosswalks with pavers at various points
of crossing, underground utilities, and potential for
new traffic lights, safer parking, bicycle lanes and
wider sidewalks. The Horizon Plan Vision was to
reinvent Edgewater Drive into a vibrant, pedestrian -
friendly commercial district with cafes and shops.
Re -Striping Project History
The previous 4-lane configuration of Edgewater
Drive did not provide sufficient room for wider
sidewalks, bicycle lanes, streetscape and other
Horizon Plan tasks. The Horizon Plan identified that
the only way to eventually have wider more walkable
sidewalks and a more pedestrian friendly
commercial district was to eliminate one vehicle
lane. The FDOT had budgeted for Edgewater Drive
to be resurfaced in 2001/02. CPNA formally
requested the City pursue looking at re -striping of
Edgewater Drive from 4-lanes to 3 while it was being
resurfaced. This change would immediately allow
for wider parallel parking and bike lanes along
Edgewater Drive. The concept had been
successfully implemented in other cities with positive
results including less speeding, reduced crash rates
and increased bicycle and pedestrian activity. City
Staff examined the possibility of re -striping to three
lanes and presented the results at two advertised
public meetings on April 11 and June 20 of 2001
with a combined attendance of over 100 people. The
public meetings encouraged community input and
neighbors brought issues for the City to study
further, but overall the consensus at the meetings
was that the public liked the 3-lane concept. As a
result of the public meetings, the City agreed to
examine several Measures of Effectiveness in the
Before & After Conditions. They are the basis for
much of the Before and After Evaluation.
CITY OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & After Re -Striping Results
BEFORE & AFTER EVALUATION
A series of Before and After Evaluations were
conducted in order to assess the project's impact.
Evaluations were completed in addition to the
Measures of Effectiveness that were established at
the beginning of the study. A summary of the Before
and After Evaluations and Results is as follows:
Crash & Injury Data
In order to assess the project's impact on safety,
crash and injury rates were calculated for the overall
corridor. Crash reports for the last three complete
years of 1999 through 2001 were reviewed and
average crash and injury rates and frequencies were
calculated. The after evaluation consisted of
reviewing the available four complete months of
crash data in order to determine the crash and injury
rates and frequencies. The Crash and Injury rates
were calculated based on the number of million
vehicle miles of travel on the corridor. A summary
showing the significant reduction in crashes and
injuries is shown in the following Tables.
Crash & Injury Rate Comparison
Statistic
Crash Rate (per MVM)3
Before'
12.6
After 2
8.4
% Change'
-34%
Injury Rate (per MVM)
3.6
1.2
-68%
Notes:
1. Before represents an average of Years 1999, 2000 & 2001
2. After represents four months (annualized)
3. MVM = Million Vehicle Miles
Frequency of Crashes & Injuries
Statistic
Crash Occurring Every
_ Days
Before'
2.5
After2
4.2
Injury Occurring Every
_ Days
8.9
30.4
Notes:
1. Before represents an average of Years 1999, 2000 & 2001
2. After represents four months (annualized)
Speeding Analysis
Traffic Counts measuring the speed of vehicles was
collected at three locations along the corridor in the
before and after conditions. All traffic counts were
collected during typical Fall weekdays (excluding
Monday & Friday). The locations represent the
northern end, middle section and the southern end
speeds. The percentage of vehicles traveling at
excessive speeds (Over 36 MPH) showed a
reduction in all three segments. However, the
northern and southern segments show the greatest
reductions.
Edgewater Dr - Speeding Analysis
at 35.0%
c
y 25.0%
d 20.0%
M 15.0%
d
c 10.0%
c 5.0%
d
0 0.0%
aBefore After Before After Before After
North End I Middle I South End
Keeping vehicle speeds low is critical to pedestrian
safety because the chance of a pedestrian surviving
a crash decreases sharply as a vehicle's speed
increases. A study by the United Kingdom
Department of Transportation showed that a
pedestrian has an 85% chance of survival if struck
by a vehicle traveling at 20 MPH. The study also
showed that the chance of pedestrian survival drops
to 15% when the vehicle is traveling at 40 MPH.
CITY OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & After Re -Striping Results
Edgewater Drive Traffic Volumes
Machine Traffic Counts measuring the volume of
traffic on Edgewater Drive was conducted at eleven
locations. Nine of the locations are between
Lakeview St. and Par St. A summary of the Daily
Traffic Volumes at the locations is shown in the
following Table.
The After Daily Traffic Counts showed an average
reduction of 12% in the study area between Par St.
and Lakeview St.
Edgewater Drive - Daily Traffic Volume Comparison
Before
After
ChangeLocation
Change%
Edgewater Dr N/of Par St
27,684
25,126
-2,558
-9%
Edgewater Dr N/of Preston St
21,034
21,326
292
1%
Edgewater Dr S/of Preston St
23,440
20,836
-2,604
-11%
Edgewater Dr N/of Clayton St
19,342
15,890
-3,452
-18%
Edgewater Dr N/of Winter Park St
22,488
19,651
-2,837
-13%
Edgewater Dr N/of Smith St
22,761
20,515
-2,246
-10%
Edgewater Dr Sfof Stetson St
18,681
15,997
-2,684
-14%
Edgewater Dr S/of Shady Lane Dr
18,811
15,898
-2,913
-15%
Edgewater Dr S/of Oak St
18,384
16,135
-2,249
-12%
Edgewater Dr N/of Lake Adair By
19,566
16,930
-2,636
-13%
Average (Par St. to Lakeview St)
20,501
18,131
-2,370
-12%
Edgewater Dr S/of Lakeview St
8,119
7,156
-963
-12°lo
Parallel & Sidestreet Traffic Volumes
Machine Traffic Counts measuring the volume of
traffic on neighborhood streets that are both parallel
and sidestreets to Edgewater Drive were conducted.
The list of streets that were counted is based on
requests received from the Public during the Public
Involvement Process. Overall there was a four
percent reduction on neighborhood streets. This is
likely the result of fewer vehicles using the area as a
cut -through and additional traffic calming measures
being implemented in the neighborhood.
The only streets that showed a noticeable increase
are Westmoreland Drive near Princeton/Smith and
Bryn Mawr Street near Reading Drive. A summary
of the Daily Traffic Volumes at the locations is shown
in a Table on the following page.
Crrl OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & After Re -Striping Results
Parallel & Sidestreet Daily Traffic Volume Comparison
Bryn Mawr St E/of Reading Dr
1,751
2,042
291
17%
Bryn Mawr St W/of Reading Dr
1,675
2,026
351
21 %
Bryn Mawr St E/of Westmoreland Dr
1,190
1,251
61
5%d
Clayton St E/of Edgewater Dr
453
461
8
2%
Elizabeth St S/of Bryn Mawr St
1,562
1,658
96
6%
Formosa Av N/of New Hampshire St
1,698
1,468
-230
-14%
Formosa Av N/of Princeton St
2,351
2,312
-39
-2%
Formosa Av S/of Par St
3,556
3,333
-223
-6%
Formosa Av S/of Princeton St
1,824
1,607
-217
-12%
Golfview St E/of Westmoreland Dr
2,307
2,058
-249
-11%
Golfview St W/of Westmoreland Dr
2,680
2,135
-545
-20%
Harrison Av N/of Winter Park St
965
691
-274
-28%
Harrison Av S/of Par St
1,369
1,180
-189
-14%
Hazel St E/of Edgewater Dr
1,160
1,290
130
11 %
Ivanhoe By S/of Desoto Cr
1,372
1,459
87
6%
Ivanhoe Rd S/of Princeton St
431
364
-67
-16%
Lakeview St E/of Edgewater Dr
8,015
7,583
-432
-5%
Lakeview St E/of Poinsetta Av
8,466
8,078
-388
-5%
New Hampshire St E/of Garda Tr
1,204
1,260
56
5%
New Hampshire St W/of Cornell Av
3,014
2,446
-568
-19%
Par St W/of Formosa Av
8,979
8,892
-87
-1 %
Par St W/of Harrison Av
9,487
9,804
317
3%
Poinsetta Av N/of Shady Lane Dr
1,512
1,540
28
2%
Preston St W/of Edgewater Dr
1,327
1,261
-66
-5%
Princeton St E/of Westmoreland Dr
9,136
8,475
-661
-7%
Princeton St W/of Princeton Ct
27,047
25,237
-1,810
-7%
Princeton St W/of Westmoreland Dr
8,886
7,725
-1,161
-13%
Shady Lane Dr W/of Edgewater Dr
795
890
95
12%
Smith St W/of Edgewater Dr
7,766
7,530
-236
-3%
Vassar St E/of Reading Dr
830
950
120
14%
Vassar St W/of Reading Dr
735
870
135
18%
Westmoreland Dr N/of Lake Adair By
2,574
1,664
-910
-35%
Westmoreland Dr S/of Princeton St
2,677
3,225
548
20%fl
Westmoreland Dr S/of Vassar St
1,802
2,358
556
31%
Winter Park St E/of Formosa Av
3,683
3,635
-48
-1 %
Winter Park St W/of Formosa Av
2,927
2,762
-165
-6%
Winter Park St W/of Harrison Av
1,912
1,952
40
2%
Total
l 39,1181
133,472
-5,646
4%
CFFN OF ORL.ANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & After Re -Striping Results
Parking Utilization
Parking Use Counts were completed for On -Street
Parking as well as Front & Rear Site -Related parking
along the corridor. The counts were completed in the
before and after conditions during am, mid -day and
pm periods. The after Front & Rear Site -Related
parking counts were generally consistent with the
before parking use counts. The average parking
utilization percentage for Front & Rear Site -Related
showed an increase from 38% to 43%.
The inventory of On -Street Parking changed from
the before condition to the after condition because
some spaces were eliminated based on a site
distance evaluation that was completed as a part of
the engineering plans for the resurfacing. The
change in inventory of the spaces was not related to
the reconfiguration from 4 lanes to 3. The inventory
would have changed regardless of the cross-section.
However it is important to note that the 3-lane cross
section does provide additional site distance for
sidestreet vehicles over the four lane section
because through vehicles have been shifted five feet
from the parked vehicles.
The results of the Before and After On -Street
Parking Utilization in the areas where the roadway
was converted to three lanes showed a significant
increase from a 29% utilization to 41 % utilization.
Much of the increase is likely due to the increased
comfort level for getting into and out of parked
vehicles along the roadway.
oy 45%
40%
u 35%
oo. 30%
o 25%
N 20%
d 0%
On -Street Parking Utilization -
Three Lane Sections of Edgewater Dr
Before After
Pedestrian & Bicycle Volumes
In order to help assess the project's impact on
bicycle and pedestrian activity, Before and After
Pedestrian and Bicycle Counts were conducted at
eighteen locations along the corridor for the seven
highest hours of the day. Both the Before & After
Counts were completed during a typical Fall
weekday (excluding Monday and Friday). The
following Tables summarize the totals of the counts
for all eighteen locations along the corridor.
Pedestrian Count Summary
Bicycle Count Summary
Direction
Before After
Change
I % Change
Northbound &
Souhbound
295 368
73
25°l°
Eastbound &
Westbound
80 118
38
48%
Total
375
486
111
30%
Both the Pedestrian and Bicycle Counts showed
significant increases from the Before to the After
Condition. The largest increase was seen in the
number of pedestrians traveling east -west or
crossing Edgewater Drive. This indicates that
pedestrians are finding it easier to cross using the 3-
lane section.
PITY OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & ,After Re -Striping Results
Corridor Travel Times
Travel, Time and Delay Studies were performed for
Edgewater Drive in the Fall of 2001 and 2002 as a
part of the Regional Computer Signal Systems
(RCCS) Project. Travel Time & Delay Studies were
performed during the am (7-9) and pm (4-6) peak
periods for both the Before (2001) and After (2002)
Conditions. The studies are completed by linking a
JAMAR TDC-8 Traffic Data Board to the axle of a
vehicle traveling the study corridor a minimum of ten
times each direction during the peak period. The
Traffic Data Board then records the measured delay,
travel times, and average speed of vehicles on the
corridor including stops and delay. The length of the
Corridor Studied for the RCCS Project was from
Dartmouth Street to Maury Road. This represents
the area where there are traffic signals in a greater
density. The results of the Travel Times in the
Before and After conditions is summarized in the
following Table.
Average Peak Period Travel Time (Minutes)
Edgewater Dr - Dartmouth St. to Maury Rd.
AM 7:00 - 9:00 PM 4:00 - 6:00
Direction Before After Before After
Northbound
Southbound
The am peak period only showed the average travel
time increase by approximately 50 seconds from 3
minutes and 20 seconds to 4 minutes and 10
seconds. The pm peak period travel time showed a
slight increase in the northbound direction by
approximately 10 seconds, while the southbound
direction showed a decrease in the travel time by 10
seconds.
Transit Use and Impacts on
Operations
Field measurement was conducted to estimate
average delay attributable to LYNX boardings in the
corridor. Service levels (60 minute headway),
routes, and equipment remain unchanged from the
"before" field measurement. The average bus
loading delay of 30 seconds at Lynx bus stops
remains accurate. There are 13 stops northbound
and 14 stops southbound between Par Street and
Lakeview Street, or approximately every two blocks.
All travel time delay studies reflect scheduled transit
service. Based on these findings the College Park
Neighborhood benefits from scheduled transit
service, with minimal loading delays, available at
short walking distances from all businesses in the
Edgewater Drive Study Area.
City staff will work with LYNX to re-evaluate bus stop
locations, especially those located immediately
beyond intersections that may affect intersection
traffic operations, prior to any future modifications to
re -striping.
Property Values
Residential and commercial property values for 2001
and 2002 were compared at the request of the
public to determine relative change in comparison
with Orange County, Florida. The residential
analysis compared approximately 4,600 residential
properties and 110 commercial properties within the
boundaries of the College Park Neighborhood,
Property values in both the College Park
Neighborhood area and Orange County reflected
annual growth at a rate of 8 - 10% for residential
properties and 1 - 2% for commercial properties.
Given the consistency with Orange County and a
positive change to property values, College Park
properties appear to be increasing in value in
response to broad market conditions.
CITY OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & After Re -Striping Results 6
COMMUNITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Survey Results and Comments
Resident and merchant feedback was an important
part of the project, with hundreds of responses in
both the before and after feedback surveys:
Number of Surveys Received
While scientifically structured random samples are
used to draw conclusions, the written feedback
survey forms helped in the evaluation of the way
residents and merchants felt before and after the
project. The 2001 Public Workshop focus groups
identified nine key Measures of Effectiveness. Six
measures were addressed by data collection and
analysis and the remaining three satisfaction
measures were addressed through resident and
merchant feedback forms, which included 8
feedback statements each.
Two of the satisfaction measures, pedestrian
comfort and parking comfort were taken from the
resident feedback survey, and increases reflected
the conclusions reached through data collection.
One satisfaction area, pedestrian comfort as
perceived by merchants, was marginally inconsistent
with resident responses and data collected through
the parking supply and utilization study.
Measures of Effectiveness
A result of the Before Public Involvement Effort was
establishing a set of measures the Public wanted
used as a part of determining the success of the re -
striping project. There was a positive result for each
of the measures except the merchant survey
measure for pedestrian comfort. A summary of the
measures and the result is included in the following
Table.
Measure Effectiveness
Did the Re -Striping
Accomplish
of
the
Objective?
Avoid Increasing Traffic On
Neighborhood Streets
YES
Reduce Speeding on
Edgewater Dr
YES
Increase Bicyclist Volumes
YES
Increase Pedestrian
Volumes
YES
Reduce Crashes
YES
Increase On -Street Parking
Use Rates
YES
Increase Pedestrian
Satisfaction (Residents)
YES
Increase Pedestrian
Satisfaction (Merchants)
NO
Increase Parking
Satisfaction (Residents)
YES
CITY OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & After Re -Striping Results
KEY ISSUES & SOLUTIONS
Village Center Transitions
The roadway currently transitions from a 3-lane
section to a 4-lane section and then back to a 3-lane
section in the Village Center area of Edgewater
Drive between Yale St. and Winter Park St. The
current configuration was proposed in an effort to
test the 3 lanes in parts of the corridor while trying to
minimize the potential for traffic diversion and
greater delays along the corridor.
However, many of the comments received are
concerning the current lane configuration in the
Village Center. The main comments concerning the
striping in the Village Center Area are as follows:
The merging at Yale St and Winter Park St
are uncomfortable and unexpected.
The signage of where the lanes change or
end is too small.
The bike lane does not carry through the
Village Center.
NB Merging Area Approaching Winter Park St
The proposed solution that will address these
comments is to extend the three -lane section into
the Village Center except between Princeton and
Smith Streets. This will result in eliminating merging
or confusion about which is the proper lane to be in
for through traffic. The need for the currently small
signage indicating where lanes end will no longer be
necessary. It will also extend the bike lane into the
Village Center. However, there will still be a two
hundred foot gap in the bike lane between Princeton
and Smith Streets. Edgewater Drive between
Princeton and Smith Streets needs to have one
through lane in each direction and one exclusive left
turn only lane. The left turn only lanes for each
direction is necessary to accommodate the queue of
northbound and southbound traffic desiring to turn
left at these intersections.
Par St to Preston St Merge
Several comments have been received concerning
the transition for southbound traffic to three lanes in
the Par St/Preston St area. The comments center
on not enough advance notification concerning the
right lane becoming a right turn only lane at the
Edgewater High School Entrance. Potential
solutions for this problem have been identified and
are still being refined. The Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT) maintains jurisdiction north of
Par Street. Many of the potential solutions involve
additional signage or striping changes in that part of
the roadway. Therefore, a preferred modification to
address this issue has not been determined.
Small Signage on SB Approach to Preston St
CITY OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive Before & .After Re -Striping Results 8
RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS
The City of Orlando realizes the important stature
streets hold in the life of a city or community and is
helping College Park towards achievement of the
community vision through this project. The corridor
analysis advocated by the Neighborhood Horizons
Plan looked at redesign opportunities to create a
pedestrian and bicycle friendly community -oriented
commercial corridor in a safe, quiet neighborhood.
The "Before and After" results document the public
safety improvements implemented in 2002 as a test
project, and recommends short-term and long-term
improvements to implement the Horizon Plan Vision:
Extend the three lanes into the Village
Center (except between Princeton & Smith)
Modifications heading southbound at Par St.
& Preston St.
Seek Grants & Funding Sources to Continue
Implementing the Edgewater Drive Vision
The first of these recommendations can be
implemented during the first half of 2003 by
extending the three lanes into the Village Center
(Except between Princeton & Smith) by removing
temporary roadway tape and re -striping the
roadway, bicycle lanes and parking areas to a 3-lane
section in the Village Center of Edgewater Drive.
Solutions for the Par Street to the Edgewater High
School area should be developed through a
collaborative process that includes Orange County
Public Schools, major property owners in that area,
and FDOT (as it relates to signing & pavement
marking changes needed north of Par Street).
Three alternatives for the area from north of Par
Street to the Edgewater High School are in
development.
The next steps proposed for this project include
receiving feedback on the Before & After Studies
from the Neighborhood and Merchants Associations
in November and December, then the development
of plans in January 2003 to implement additional re -
striping changes. Actual implementation of re -
striping changes & re -timing of traffic signals will be
implemented as soon as possible during the period
January - June 2003.
These recommendations will allow the City and the
Neighborhood and Merchants Associations to
continue seeking ways to implement the long-term
vision of the Neighborhood Horizons Plan by
seeking grants and other funding sources to
continue implementing the Edgewater Drive Vision.
C1111y OF ORLANDO - Edgewater Drive ►3ef'ore & Afier Re -Striping Results 9