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HomeMy WebLinkAboutboard of directors itemsOFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMUNICATION DECEMBER 6, 2011 AGENDA Subject Action Required Approved By Master Street Plan amendment to replace Ordinance Sections 4 & 5 (Bicycle Resolution Plan) Approval Information Report Submitted By: Planning and Development Bruce Moore SYNOPSIS To Repeal and replace Chapters 4 & 5 of the Master Street Plan (Bicycle Plan) to Clarify Class I as Bike Path, Class II as Bike Lane and Class III as Bike Route, as well as adopting a new bike map. FISCAL IMPACT None RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends approval. At the November 3, 2011 meeting for the Little Rock Planning Commission, they recommended approved by a vote of 9 for, 0 against and 2 absent. CITIZEN The Bike Friendly Community Committee working with PARTICIPATION various bicycle groups developed the revisions. The draft map and changes to text were posted on the City website. Notices were sent to over 200 Neighborhood Associations and Development contacts. The Little Rock Planning Commission discussed the issue at their October 20, 2011 Informal Meeting and held a public hearing at their November 3, 2011 meeting BACKGROUND City Staff asked the Little Rock Bike Friendly Community Committee (BFCC) to review the bicycle portion for the Master Street Plan. In 2009, they agreed to a review the City of Little Rock's Master Bicycle Plan. After several meetings of putting lines on maps based on routes that various individuals actually rode, a consensus map was created of routes. Feedback and open discussions by the sub -committee resulted in a final recommendation. The recommended map was reviewed by City Staff (Public Works, Parks and Planning Departments). It was also shared with the Plans Committee of the Little Rock Planning Commission. Comments were returned to the BFCC for their consideration. The BFCC then revised the map based on these comments and has asked that the City adopt it. At the October 20, 2011 Informal meeting of the Planning Commission, representatives of the BFCC reviewed the proposal with the Commission. Section 4 of the Master Street Plan is the text of the Bicycle Plan. The only change proposed is to clarify and strengthen the names for each class of bikeway. Through out the text changes are made to these designations — Bike Path, Bike Lane, Bike Route. The current Bike Plan has many Class I Bike Paths both along roadways and in independent rights-of-way. The proposed map has Bike Paths as recommended by the Parks Master Plan: along the Arkansas River, Fourche Creek, through the ridges to the west -along Rahling Road/West Loop, and along Fourche Bayou. A few Bike Paths remain along major Arterial streets: Chenal Parkway, Cantrell Road, west of I-430 or as connectors. Both the current and proposed maps have a network of Class III Bike Routes north of Interstate 630. With a more dispersed traffic system Bike Routes are a safe option due to lower volumes and speeds of vehicles. In the west and southwest sections of the jurisdiction, the predominance is for Class II Bike Lanes. Since Arterials must be used in these sections, and with little other options for either vehicles or bicycles, volumes and speeds are likely to be high. Thus a separate lane on the roadway is recommended for the safety of the bicycling community. 2 FILE NO.: MSP11-01 Name: Master Street Plan Amendment — Replacing the Bicycle sections Location: Entire Jurisdiction of the City Request: To make some minor wording changes and adopt a new map for Bicycle Paths, Lanes and Routes Source: Bike Friendly Community Committee of the City of Little Rock STAFF REPORT: City Staff asked the Little Rock Bike Friendly Community Committee to review the bicycle portion for the Master Street Plan. In 2009, they agreed to a review the City of Little Rock's Master Bicycle Plan. In 2010 a sub -committee was formed to work on development of a new map for bicycle routes within the Little Rock Planning jurisdiction. After several meetings of putting lines on maps based on routes that various individuals actually rode, a consensus map was created of routes. Sub -committee members shared the map with other biking groups. Feedback and open discussions by the sub -committee resulted in a recommendation to the Bike Friendly Community Committee. The recommended map was reviewed by City Staff (Public Works, Parks and Planning Departments). It was also shared with the Plans Committee of the Little Rock Planning Commission. Comments were returned to the Bike Friendly Community Committee for their consideration. The Bike Friendly Community Committee then revised the map based on these comments and has asked that the City adopt it as the City's Master Bike Plan. At the October 20, 2011 Informal meeting of the Planning Commission, representatives of the Bike Friendly Community Committee reviewed the proposal with the Commission. Section 4 of the Master Street Plan is the text of the Bicycle Plan. The only change proposed is to clarify and strengthen the names for each class of bikeway. A Class I Bikeway is a Bike Path (since it is a separate facility). A Class II bikeway is a Bike Lane (since it is a portion of the pavement used for bicycles only). A Class III Bikeway is a Bike Route (since it is a shared facility with a sign indicating it is a bicycle route). Through out the text changes are made to these designations — Bike Path, Bike Lane, Bike Route. The current Bike Plan has many Class I Bikeways (Bike Paths) both along roadways and in independent rights-of-way. The proposed map keeps the `existing' Bike Paths. It also has Bike Paths proposed as recommended by the Parks Master Plan: along the Arkansas River, Fourche Creek, through the ridges to the west -along Rahling Road/West Loop, and along Fourche Bayou. A few FILE NO.: MSP11-01 (Cont. Bike Paths remain along major Arterial streets: Chenal Parkway, Cantrell Road, west of 1-430 or as connectors. Both the current and proposed maps have a network of Class III Bikeways, Bike Routes north of Interstate 630. This section of Little Rock has a grid street network that allows for more connections. With a more dispersed traffic system Bike Routes are a safer option due to volumes and speeds of vehicles being somewhat less. In the west and southwest section of the jurisdiction, the predominance is for Class II bikeways, Bike Lanes. This is due in part to the lack of connecting roadways. Since Arterials must be used in these sections, and with little other options for either vehicles or bicycles, volumes and speeds are likely to be high. Thus a separate lane on the roadway is recommended for the safety of the bicycling community. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the Ordinance Amendment contact list and all Neighborhood Associations. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (NOVEMBER 3, 2011) The item was placed on the consent agenda for approval. By a vote of 9 for and 0 against with 2 absent, the consent agenda was approved. 2 I ORDINANCE NO. 2 3 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE MASTER 4 STREET PLAN (ORDINANCE 20, 117) FOR THE 5 LITTLE ROCK PLANNING AREA (MSP11-01) 6 REPEALING AND REPLACING SECTIONS 4 AND 5 7 (BICYCLE PLAN); AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 8 9 WHEREAS, Act 186 of the 1957 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas 10 authorizes cities to prepare and adopt a Master Street Plan (MSP); and 11 12 WHEREAS, the City of Little Rock is in need of an up-to-date 13 comprehensive street plan for adoption as a statement of intent concerning the growth 14 and function of its street and highway pattern; and as a means of securing for the City 15 and its citizens the benefits of an official plan; and 16 17 WHEREAS, the bicycle portions of the MSP (Sections 4 and 5) have been 18 updated and reviewed by appropriate Staff, and 19 20 WHEREAS, the public health, welfare and safety of the citizens of Little 21 Rock will be protected, promoted and benefited by the adoption of this Ordinance. 22 23 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF 24 DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS. 25 26 SECTION 1. "Section 4: Bicycle Plan" of the Master Street Plan is repealed 27 and replaced with the attached text as shown in `Attachment A'. 28 29 SECTION 2. "Section 5: Bicycle Plan Maps" of the Master Street Plan is 30 repealed and replaced with the attached map. 31 I SECTION 3. The following is added to "Section 6: Glossary" of the Master 2 Street Plan: 3 4 Class I Bike Path: A route designed for the sole use of bicycles that is 5 physically separated from vehicular lanes. 6 Class I (with road) Physically separated but within the road 7 right-of-way. 8 Class I (without road) Physically separated but within its own 9 easement or not associated with a road. 10 11 Class II Bike Lanes: A route designated by a printed strips separating the 12 bikeway from motor vehicle traffic and intended for the sole use by bicycles. 13 Additional pavement markings and signage is required. 14 15 Class III Bike Route: A route designated with only signage for bicycle use. 16 These routes use the existing vehicular area, with no physical separation. 17 18 Shared Facilities: All streets, unless otherwise stated (interstate freeways for 19 example), should be considered "shared facilities" because bicycles are 20 classified as vehicular which may be ridden on public roadways. Shared 21 facilities have no pavement markings or signage. Oxy 23 SECTION 4. A copy of this ordinance together with text, maps and graphics 24 referred to herein shall be filed in the Office of the Recorder of Pulaski County as 25 required by Act 186 of 1957 of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas. 26 27 SECTION 5. Severability. In the event any section, subsection, subdivision, 28 paragraph, subparagraph, item, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this ordinance is 29 declared or adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration or 30 adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of this ordinance, as if such 31 invalid or unconstitutional provision were not originally a part of this ordinance. [Page 2 of 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 SECTION 6. Repealer. All ordinances, resolutions, bylaws, and other matters inconsistent with this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency. PASSED: ATTEST: City of Little Rock Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: City Attorney H H H APPROVED: Mayor [Page 3 of 31 (ATTACHMENT A) SECTION 4: BICYCLE PLAN INTRODUCTION It is the City's intention to provide bicycle accessibility throughout Little Rock. This can be accomplished with the use of the existing street network, with additional bicycle paths and lanes where necessary for safety and continuity. In addition to the existing street network, the City of Little Rock has adopted a network of routes to be specially designated for bicycle use. This Plan provides a system of Classes, (see table below). It is the purpose of the City of Little Rock to review these routes on a regular basis to determine the need of upgrading the routes and to review the need for additional routes. The decision to upgrade the routes will be based on usage, safety and speed and volume of motorized vehicular traffic. The City of Little Rock also intends to implement Class I (without road) Bike Paths in phases. A Class I (without road) Bike Path may be opened and built to a reduced standard (paving surface). If a Class I route is built to less than the standard, the actual standards of these "Development Paths" will be designated on the plan map. Any Class I (without road) Bike Path must be reviewed and approved by the City of Little Rock Parks Department, The City is using the phasing process in an attempt to speed the process of implementation. Over time the Development Paths may be upgraded to full bike path standards. Class I (road) Bike Path must be included in the review of new streets by the Public Works Department. BICYCLE FACILITIES SHARED FACILITIES Bicycles are legally classified as vehicles, which may be ridden on public roadways. Therefore, any facilities designed for the sole use of bicycles must allow the bicyclists to emulate vehicle drivers. Bicycles have the right to share all city streets. Thus, all streets, unless otherwise stated, should be considered "Shared Facilities". On Shared Facilities, the bicyclist shares the normal vehicle travel lanes with motorized vehicles. Where bicycle travel is significant or high volume and high-speed vehicular traffic is present, additional bicycle facilities are recommended. CLASS I AND CLASS II DIFFERENTIATED: Bicycle only facilities are of two types: Bike Paths and Bike Lanes. A bicycle path is a physically separate, bicycle -only facility. A bicycle lane is a specifically designated area on a street for the sole use of bicycles. CLASS I (WITH ROAD OR WITHOUT ROAD) BIKE PATHS Class I bikeways or "Bike Paths" are constructed and designed for the exclusive use of bicyclists. These paths are completely separated from motor vehicle traffic. Bike Paths are the safest for prevention of accidents with motorized vehicles. [Page 1 of 5] The main advantage of a Class I Bike Path is the total separation between automobile traffic and bicyclists. It is, in essence, a road for bicyclists designed to accommodate speeds of up to 35 MPH with sharp turns and meandering pathways avoided whenever possible. Class I Bike Path should be used when motor vehicle traffic volumes or speeds are too high for Class II Bike Lanes. Class I (without road) Bike Paths -are also necessary when connections need to be made where no roadways exist (such as following a creek bed). While Class I Bike Paths are the safest and provide enjoyable rides, they are the most costly to construct and maintain. A reliable and continuing maintenance program is essential to the continued use and safety of the Bike element of the Master Street Plan. Design of Class I (non - road or road) Bike Paths must be done with care to insure safe intersections avoiding bicycle - motor vehicle accidents. CLASS II BIKE LANES Class II Bike Lanes consist of a paved area both sides of a roadway with a painted stripe separating the bikeway from motor vehicle traffic. A Class II Bike Lane is used for safety reasons where mixing of bicycle and motorized vehicles is unsafe for both. These routes may either be a smooth paved shoulder or a section of the paved roadway. Class II Bike Lanes require minimal construction and are likely to be located on higher volume and vehicular traffic major roadways. Class II Lanes on collector roads should use the existing paved area. This would mean that in commercial areas with a Class II Lane, only two traffic lanes would be allowed, except at intersections. Only a painted line on the street separates bicyclists from motorists, additional pavement markings and signage are required. Class II Bike Lanes are easier to maintain and allow for maximum design flexibility. Accommodations can be made for automobile parking between the bike lane and curb where street parking is required. In order to accommodate parking on new (improved) roads additional ROW and paving will be required if parking is included. When space is limited, parking may have to be restricted to one side of the street. CLASS III BICYCLE ROUTES Class III Bicycle Routes have only special signage, These routes use the existing vehicular area with no physical separation. Generally, Class III Bicycle Routes are local streets or higher class streets when speeds are less than 30 miles per hour and volumes less than half design volume. Since there is no additional area, Class III Bicycle Routes have no additional maintenance requirements (except for signage). The main disadvantage of Class III Bicycle Routes is that they provide the bicyclists with minimal protection from vehicular traffic. Safety concerns make shared facilities insufficient for high speed streets with heavy traffic. CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS: Class I Bicycle Paths may have an initial construction phase with a lesser standard. These routes should be designated "Development Routes". Any Development Route must be constructed with industrial sand or screening of 100% crushed material or compacted soil. Off- road (large wheel) or mountain bikes will be recommended for these paths. In all cases the path must be constructed so it will properly drain. [Page 2 of 51 Class I Bicycle Paths should be constructed to be permanent. Proper drainage is important to prevent standing water on the route. Construction should be of 2" flexible paving on a compacted 4" gravel base or 4" flexible paving on compacted or undisturbed suitable soil. A sloped surface of 1/4" in 1 foot will allow for drainage. Paths should be constructed at least 10 feet from large trees to minimize root damage to paths and decrease the possibility of a cyclist/tree collision. For safety, separate paths should not run immediately parallel and adjacent to streets. A one way bike path, while not recommended should be minimum of 5 feet wide, and a two way path should be at least 10.0 feet wide with a stripe down the middle to separate the two lanes. For Class I Bicycle Paths, non -road, routes where pedestrian traffic is expected, separate lanes 4 feet wide should be constructed for their use. Class I Bicycle Paths build as part of an arterial will require an additional 10 feet of right-of-way (5 -foot each side for one-way path) or an easement in which the path is placed. The required sidewalk along these streets can be incorporated into the bike path. The result would be a 9 -foot wide path on each side of the road. A four -foot section of the path should be marked for pedestrian use. Class II Bicycle Lanes should be of the same construction as the streets on which they are constructed. The minimum width is 6 feet from back of curb. If roadway shoulders are used for Bicycle Lanes, the shoulder should be 5 feet wide. This width should discourage vehicular traffic use and keep the path free of debris. Class III Bicycle Routes are part of the street. No additional construction is required, The AASHTO "Guide for Development of Bicycle Facilities", (1991) is the recognized standard for bikeway design and should be utilized by bikeway designers, If on -street parking is desired, additional ROW and paving will be required, subject to Traffic Engineering approval. 2. Two one-way 5 feet each side, one two-way 10 feet one side [Page 3 of 51 Class III Class II (1) Class I With (2) Road Class 1 Without Road e.g. RAHLING ROAD R -O -W No additional No additional 10 feet additional No additional Paving No additional No additional 9 feet (4 feet for pedestrians) 10 to 13 feet If on -street parking is desired, additional ROW and paving will be required, subject to Traffic Engineering approval. 2. Two one-way 5 feet each side, one two-way 10 feet one side [Page 3 of 51 DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS Class I All Others(non-road) Design speed 35 MPH Maximum grade 10, Minimum clearance vertical 8 ft. lateral 1 ft. Sight distance street intersection 100 ft. bike intersection 30 ft. Horizontal curves (between reverse curves) 200 ft. Horizontal radius 100 ft. (at centerline) ' For no more than 500 feet *Use associated street standards SIGNAGE AND MARKING: Signage for Bicycle Paths consists of pole mounted signs and painted graphics on the roadways. Pole mounted signs include: usual traffic signs; bike route signs indicating the degree of difficulty of the Bicycle Path; signs giving Bicycle Path designations; bicycle bus stop and color coded signs to aid bicyclists in following routes. Bike crossing signs should be used to alert motorists to the presence of bicyclists. All classes of Bicycle Routes should be signed. Signs and graphics painted on the pavement may vary depending upon the class of a particular Bicycle Route. Class I Bicycle Paths utilized by bicycles and/or pedestrians should have a solid or dashed 4" wide yellow or white line separating the various use lanes. Intersections should be appropriately striped to warn motorists to be aware of bicyclists. Class II Bicycle Lanes require 8" wide, solid or dashed, yellow or white striping to denote the bike lane. Additional striping may be needed at intersections. Class I and II bicycle routes should be marked with on street bicycle graphics in white paint with directional arrows directing the flow of bicycle traffic. Class III Bicycle Routes may be marked with on street bicycle graphics as described above. For Class II Bicycle Lanes at intersections where it is necessary for bikes to merge with automobile traffic due to right turn lanes, the bike [Page 4 of 5] lane should resume on the other side of the intersection. Rating bicycle routes as to degree of difficulty and using color coded signage to designate them is helpful for cyclists. The bicycle routes can be color coded as black for difficult, red for moderate, and blue for a minimal level of difficulty. Marking specific routes with street graphics is important to keep cyclists aware of what direction they are traveling. East -west routes are designated with even numbers, with north - south routes designated with odd numbers. The most important aspect of signage is that it remain consistent from bicycle route to bicycle route. This will reduce confusion for and aid those using of bicycle routes. [Page 5 of 51