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HomeMy WebLinkAboutstaff reportApril 27, 2017 ITEM NO.: 28 FILE NO.: MSP17-01 Name: Master Street Plan Amendment, adding a Class II, Bike Lane and Class III, Bike Route (on E. 6th E 9th College, and 17th Street). Location: East 6th Street between Sherman Street & Shall Avenue; East 9th Street between Mc.Math & College Street; College Street, between E. V1 & E. 17th Street; E.17M Street between Barber & College Street. Re nest: Proposing Class II, Bike Lane on E. 6th Street between Sherman & Collins Street and on 9th Street between Mc.Math & Barber Street. Proposing Class III, Bike Route on E. 6th Street between Collins Street and Shall Ave., on 9th Street between Barber & College Street, on College Street between E. 17th & E. 9th Street, on E. 17th Street between Barber and College Street. Source: City of Little Rock PROPOSAL 1 REQUEST: The amendment to the Master Street Plan amendment is to add a Class Bike II Lane on E. 6th Street between Sherman & Collins Street and on 9th Street between Mc.Math Ave. & Barber Street and to add a Bikeway Class III on E. 6th Street between Collins Street and Shall Avenue, on 9th Street between Barber & College Street, then along College Street between E. 17th & E. 9th Street, then along E. 17th Street between Barber and College Street. To connect the Bicycle Routes and Lanes on 6th and 9th Street on the Bike Plan on Master Street Plan and to provide safer movement for the cyclists and pedestrians Class II Bike Lanes and Class III Bicycle Routes proposed on the above mentioned Collector Roads. CURRENT MASTER STREET PLAN: E. 6th, E. 9th College, and E. 17th Streets are all Collector Roads. These roads designed to connect traffic from Local Streets to Arterials or to activity centers, with the secondary function of providing access to adjoining property. Right of way is 60' unless otherwise stated and the design speed for a Collector is 30 mph. There is a Class III Bike Route between Cumberland and Sherman Street on E. 6th Street and there is a Class III Bicycle Route along World Street and Shall Avenue, then along E. 6th Street to the east side of Union Pacific Railroad. There April 27, 2017 ITEM NO.: 15 (Cont.) FILE NO.: MSP17-01 is a Class II Bike Lane on E. 9th Street from Main Street to Mc.Math Avenue and a Class III Bicycle Route on E. 17th Street from Main Street to Barber Street, then along Barber Street to E. Roosevelt Road. There is not any bicycle routes or lanes on College Street currently. Class II Lanes on Collector roads should use the existing paved area. This would mean that in commercial areas with a Class II Bike 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. Accommodations can be made for automobile parking between the bike lane and curb where street parking is required. Class III Bicycle 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 sharrows painted on the street.) HISTORIC DISTRICTS MacArthur Park Historic District is to the west of 1-30 surrounded from East Capitol Avenue to the E. 15th Street to the south. Only west edge portion of E. 6th Street (360 feet) and of E. 9th Street (170 feet) is within the Historic District. As a method of insuring quality development in the area, design guidelines have been established for the repair, maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of structures located within the Mac Arthur Park Historic District. Generally, if exterior work is proposed, the Little Rock Historic District Commission must review the requested proposal. CITY RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLAN: There are three plans encompassing the amendment area; Downtown Framework Plan for the Future (2009), Downtown Neighborhood Plans for the Future (2006), and East of 1-30 Study (2005). ANALYSIS: The area around and east of Interstate 30 has been changing over the last ten to fifteen years. With the River Market area, the development of the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library and Park, the Heifer International Center Headquarters and development of brew pubs the character of the area is changing. Currently much of the area east of College to Bond is predominantly E April 27, 2017 ITEM NO.: 15 Cont. FILE NO.: MSP17-01 industrial. West of College, north of 9th Street has some remnants for the former industrial mixed with new uses of office and commercial. South of 9th Street is a small residential neighborhood (Hanger Hill Neighborhood) with a large area of cemeteries and two schools future to the south. The roads where the amendment is requested are E. 6th E 9th College, and E. 17th Streets of which 90 percent is east of 1-30. The Highway Department has been studying the redesign of Interstate 30 through the downtown area (30 Crossing project). Interstate 30 may be widened as part of this and interchange designs will be modified. With the changes in use and redevelopment of the areas along and east of Interstate 30, good pedestrian and bicycle connections are needed across the freeway. Staff believes traffic volumes on the 1-30 frontage roads and the pressure on the above mentioned streets will be more than today due to the completion of the 1-30 Crossing" project. This study helps focus attention on the need for bicycle facilities connecting downtown to the eastern parts of Little Rock beyond interstate 30. These two amendments are proposed to help improve the connection across the freeway for bicycles. It is hoped a side benefit will be a more protected pedestrian connection across the freeway with the Class II Bike Lanes separating the vehicles from pedestrians. Two Bike Plan additions are proposed one along 6th Street and the second along 9th Street then through the Hanger Hill Neighborhood to the south. The East 6th Street area is mostly built-up. The Land Use Plan shows Mixed Use Urban (MXU) along this portion of East 6th Street. This area is mostly occupied with residential west of the freeway with office and commercial buildings. The western most block is southern as Residential Medium (RM) use (Sherman and Ferry Street). It is mostly occupied with apartments. There is a large Industrial (1) use area to the southeast of East 6th Street & Shall Avenue. The second amendment area is shown as Mixed Use Urban (MXU) all along E. 9th Street, with Residential Medium Density (RM) along College Street south of 10th Street. 9th Street is a mix of businesses and a few houses with College Street mostly occupied with single family houses. Both to the south and north of East 17th Street is RM use and mostly occupied with single family houses. To the south of East 17th Street beyond the RM use is a Public Institutional use (magnet elementary school). The East 6th Street amendment connects to existing Class III Bike Routes currently on the Plan along 6th Street. West of Sherman (since 6th Street is one-way) Class III Routes are along 7th and 6th Streets to Cumberland, then follow 7th Street to the West. This is the eastern end of a downtown east -west bike facility some of which is a Class 11, Bike Lane on 7th Street and a Class III 3 April 27, 2017 ITEM NO.: 15 (Cont FILE NO.: MSP17-01 Bike Route in the Historic District. East of Shall Avenue a Class III Bike Route is also shown on the Plan continuing east toward the north end of the airport. This amendment proposes to add seven to eight blocks of bike facility to the Plan connecting these two routes currently on the Plan. Interstate 30 may be widened in the next few years and intersection designs will likely be modified. With the Changes in use and redevelopment of the areas along and east of Interstate 30 good pedestrian and bicycle connections are needed. Currently there is no connection between Class III Bike Routes on the east and west side of 1-30 via East 6th Street. This amendment proposes this connection. The actual crossing of the freeway is proposed as a Class II Bike Lane for safety reasons due to the higher volume of vehicles. The 9th Street/College Street amendment is proposed to continue the Class II Bike Lane on the Plan to the east crossing the freeway. Once the bicycle facility if safely across the freeway it is proposed to continue as a Class III Bike Route through the Hanger Hill Neighborhood joining to a Route south of the neighborhood that would continue either to the west or south. (Class II Bike lane is proposed between McMath and Barber Street, over 1-30, a Class III Bike Route from Barber to College Street on E. 9th Street, then on College Street to the south till E. 17th Street through the residential use, then from College to Barber on E. 17th Street to connect it with the current Class III Bike Route on East 17th Street to the west of 1-30.) Class II Bike Lanes over 1-30 are proposed on 6th and 9th Streets to connect the east and west sides of the freeway to provide safer movement for cyclists and pedestrians with the new design of the freeway through the downtown neighborhoods. Class III Bike Routes are proposed to serve the residential area (Hanger Hill) along College Street to the east side of 1-30 and to provide the connection through the bike routes between east and west of 1-30. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMENTS: Notices were sent to the following neighborhood associations: MacArthur Park Property Owners Association and Hanger Hill Neighborhood Association. Staff received three phone calls from the property owners and the residents of that area. Two of them shared their thoughts that the bicycles are slowing down the traffic in Little Rock. The other one was concerned about parking their car in front of their property on the street reserved for Class III Bike route. STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: Approval, the amendment will help assure safer connectivity for the neighborhoods east and west of Interstate 30. 0