Waco Downtown Transportation Study › transit › pdf › TAC...WACO DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION STUDY...

Waco Downtown Transportation StudyTechnical Memorandum 1

April 10, 2014

Prepared for: City of Waco

Technical Advisory Committee

Michael TownesVice President, Transit Market Leader

CDM Smith

WACO DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION STUDY

Agenda

• Introductions• Purpose of Meeting• Study Overview• Where We Are• Brief Overview of TM1• Public Outreach• Discussion


Purpose of Meeting

• Brief Overview of TM1• Discuss Upcoming Public Outreach• Next Steps• Discussion


Study Overview

• Recommend improvements to improve connectivity in Greater Downtown Waco for all modes of transportation.

• Identify areas ripe for economic development which support public transportation.

• Identify high‐level improvements that increase livability and urban character in the Greater Downtown area.


Where We Are

Task Downtown Transportation Study Elements

1 Review Relevant Plans/Purpose

2 Study Area Description – Land Use, Population

3 Existing Conditions/Circulation:RoadwayBike/PedTransitEconomic Development

4 Develop Alternatives for Greater Waco DowntownRoadwayBike/PedTransitEconomic Development

5 Recommendations – Draft/Final Report


Technical Memorandum 1 – Brief Overview

• Purpose of Study

• Study Area Limits o Greater Downtown



• Review of Previous Studies

• Relationship with Current Studies• Waco Comprehensive Plan Update• Upjohn Institute Study



• Existing Conditionso Downtown population – 25,800o Daytime population – 35,000o Highest density

o Near Bayloro West side of DT



• Existing Conditionso Employment Densityo Highest density

o Near Bayloro Core DT area

• Livable community opportunities



• Existing Conditionso Land Use patterns

o NE Quadranto SE Quadranto SW Quadranto NW Quadrant



• Existing Conditions – Major Rdwayso I‐35o US 84, US 77 Businesso Lake Brazos Pkwy, Herring Ave, o Washington Ave, Franklin Ave, o University Parks Drive, o 4th St, 5th St, 17th St, 18th St.



• Existing Conditionso Direction of Travel ‐ Pairso 17th St/18th Sto 4th St/5th Sto Franklin Ave/Washington Ave



• Existing Conditions ‐AADT Volumes o I‐35 – 93,000o Waco Dr – 22,000o S University Parks Dr – 20,000o 18th St/17 St. – 20,000o Majority of Rdwys – 2,500‐10,000



• Existing Conditions ‐ LOSo Majority – A, B, Co LOS D ‐ I‐35o LOS E ‐Waco Drive, MLK Jr.o LOS F ‐ 4th St/12th St



• Volume/Capacityo Majority – less than 50% of capacityo US84/Waco Drive – 80% of capacity

o Potential to accommodate more



High Frequency Crash LocationsRank No. of Crashes Location 1 111 I‐35 and 18th St 2 71 Franklin Ave and 18th St 3 68 Franklin Ave and 17th St 4 63 I‐35 N Frontage Rd and 5th St 5 37 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 5th St 6 36 I‐35 N Frontage Rd and S University Parks Dr 7 35 US 77 Bus. (La Salle Ave) and S University Parks Dr 8 34 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 18th St 9 31 Burnett Ave and 18th St 10 29 I‐35 N Frontage Rd and S MLK Jr Blvd (Lake Brazos Pkwy) 11 27 Herring Ave and 4th St 12 26 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 9th St 13 25 Wood Ave and 18th St 14 24 US 84 (Waco Dr) and Garrison St 15 23 Gurley Ave and 18th St 16 22 Herring Ave and 18th St 17 21 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 15th St 18 20 Bosque Blvd and 4th St 19 19 Colcord St and 4th St 20 17 US 84 (Waco Dr) and 6th St



• Bicycle/Pedestrian Crashes



• Existing Conditions – Sidewalkso Generally available ‐ DTo Eastside DT – more gaps



• Existing Conditions – Bike Laneso 4th St: I‐35 SB Frtg Rd to Jeffersono 5th St: Barron Ave to Cleveland Aveo Washington: Univ Parks Dr. to 5th Sto Bagby: Univ Parks Dr. to 4th St, Bayloro 3rd St: Dutton to W. Bagby, Bayloro 5th St: Dutton to ML Daniel Espl, Bayloro 7th St: ML Daniel Espl to Speight, Bayloro Speight: 3rd to 4th, Baylor



• Walkability:o Avg walking time (w/out zoo) – 22 min.o Avg walking time w/ zoo – 26 min.o Avg walking time – urban core =



• Wayfinding – 3 signso I‐35/Univ Parks Dr gatewayo I‐35 frontage road, west sideo Herring Ave./5th St gateway

o All clear, visible, readableo Designs styles do not matcho Do not have travel distances



• Parking• On‐Street Parking

• Marked in core area• Unmarked predominant on streets

collector or above• No parking – busier arterial streets

– Herring, Bosque, Franklin, Speight– Waco Dr, Bagby, MLK, Univ Parks



• Surface Parking Lots• Multitude

• Parking Garages• 6 garages – Downtown

o Amer Amicable Life Ins, 5th & Washingtono City of Waco, 4th & Franklin – only public garageo Waco ISD, 5th & Franklino Baylor Univ office building, 8th & Columbuso Compass Bank, 10th & Washingtono Baylor Univ Clifton Robinson , Univ Parks/w of I‐35

• 5 garages – Baylor Campus



• Waco Transit Systemo 9 routes operate from DTo 60 minute serviceo M‐F, 5a‐7p; Sat 6a‐8po 1M+ trips in FY2012o 3,300 avg daily tripso Base fare $1.50o Flagstop System

‐

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1,000,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012


WTS Daily Boardings/Highest Activity Bus Stops

Stop Cross Street On Off8th Mary 868 733Dutton St 5th 104 113Sanderson Farms 55 6Richland Mall 45 31University Park Dr. I‐35 42 40Kohl's 39 39McLennan Community College 37 34Wooded Acres H‐E‐B Grocery Store 35 12Washington 3rd 33 98New Road Walmart 27 22New Road Memorial 24 14Central Texas Market Place 18 17Campus Dr. Scott Circle 14 10Interstate Highway 35 Wal‐Mart 14 1012th Primrose Dr 13 2State Highway 6 Fwy. Providence 12 9Bosque Blvd Panda Express 12 4Primrose Dr. Robinson Rd 10 10Jack Kultgen 6th 10 1Garden Dr. Old Robinson Rd 10 019th Meridian 10 1Austin 13th 10 9




Summary:Key Issues/Challenges

1. Traffic on most roadways in Greater Downtown Waco fall within a daily traffic of 2,500 to 10,000. The exception areas include parts of 17th Street, South University Parks Blvd and Loop 484, each recording between 10,000 and 20,000 vehicles per day.

2. One‐way traffic flow design is confusing in areas of the downtown due to complex changing from one‐way to two‐way, especially for those unfamiliar with the downtown area. The one‐way patterns require drivers to make circuitous navigation to their destination.3. The one‐way traffic patterns detract from the pedestrian and bicycle environment by inducing traffic to travel at higher speeds in the same direction.

4. The one‐way to two‐way existing street transitions are awkward with atypical one‐way street spacing b/t the one‐way couplet sts.

5. Pedestrian facilities are lacking on the east side of Greater Downtown Waco. Existing sidewalks within the urban core need upgraded. 6. Sufficient parking is available in Greater Downtown Waco; however signage to ‘Free Parking’ is inadequate, which may lead to the perception of no parking available in the busier corridors.

7. The general bicycle environment—some bicycle facilities, one‐way streets, and wide street cross sections—is uninviting for casual bicyclists, resulting in limited use of bicycles downtown or bicyclists using the sidewalk.

8. Larger block size in the outer areas of Greater Downtown Waco limit the number of paths pedestrians and bicyclists have in downtown, potentially contributing to longer travel times.9. The Brazos River is a barrier from between east and west sides of Greater Downtown Waco.10. There is inadequate wayfinding signage for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.11. The majority of WTS bus stops are not signed, making it difficult for pedestrians to know where to catch the bus in some areas ofdowntown.12. The street network must be capable of supporting Baylor University special events.13. The uses planned for Greater Downtown Waco require good pedestrian facilities, both within the core areas and connecting to other portions of the downtown.14. Existing WTS transit service is every 60 minutes, which does not provide frequent service to attract riders with other vehicle options.15. WTS Route 7 – East Waco has a unique nomenclature using (Route 7 – East Waco (even) and Route 7 –East Waco (odd), which is not easily understood and should be revisited.



• Many opportunities for solutions1. Land use undergoing shift to vibrant, walkable, livable community planned for the future. Successful examples such as Brazos Commons, the new Baylor stadium, Heritage Quarters, and Tinsley Place are setting the stage for new developers.

2. Current downtown infrastructure will support increased mobility for all modes, including roadway, bicycle, pedestrian and transit. Right‐of‐way constraints are not generally prevalent in the downtown area and will work in the favor of implementing new designs to accommodate all modes.

3. The existing WTS transit service operates at 60 minute headways. To encourage more citizens and visitors to use WTS, frequent and convenient service must operate to/from primary activity centers.

4. Roadway capacity and traffic volumes on adjacent streets to the existing one‐way corridors support the conversion from one‐way to two‐way conversions.

5. The core urban area enjoys good quality sidewalks with 12 foot widths, access ramps, good connectivity, and a generally pleasant environment with decorative brick treatments, landscaping, and shade. 6. Sidewalk compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is an issue in which the City is addressing, as evidenced by the many textured and colored access ramps having been retrofitted to sidewalks throughout the urban core. Other ADA requirements such as width, continuity, cross‐slope, and access to storefronts should also be examined in detail. As designated WTS bus stops are implemented to supplement the existing flag stop system, they must be fully ADA compliant. 7. The general lack of sidewalks on the east side of downtown Waco is evident. There is opportunity within the infrastructure to address these connections and to ensure all new facilities would be compliant with the ADA.8. Bicycle travel is accommodated in the current downtown area, but currently not widely visible. The grid street system provides convenient alternate paths so that riders can choose routes with less auto traffic. Challenges to the bicycle system will increase as the downtown develops and traffic volumes become more intense. Additional bicycle lanes between common destinations will be necessary to maintain the downtown area’s current pleasant and friendly feel. Extending the existing bicycle lanes to connect to the Baylor campus would also be beneficial. Bicycle racks and bicycle stations should be implemented to allow users to secure their bikes while still leaving plenty of sidewalk space for pedestrians. These amenities support the goals of increased bicycle use.



• Many opportunities for solutions

9. Wayfinding is important for all visitors to the downtown area for all transportation modes. Visitors need to be able to have confidence in the directions and distances of travel to activity centers and to convenient parking. The implementation of a consistent and convenient wayfinding system which conforms to the existing pleasant feel of Greater Downtown Waco is needed for the future. 10. Parking occupancy is relatively low for the downtown area. However, parking at particular activity centers, such as the shops on Franklin Ave and Austin Ave., anticipated parking near the Brazos Commons development, and for game days around the new Baylor McLane stadium may pose future challenges. Many surface parking lots are present in downtown, which could be used as shared lots. Parking demand for retail, restaurant, and church uses each have peaks at different times or days of the week. As the downtown develops and as parking in specific areas becomes more constrained, formal agreements to share parking at specific times, and to clearly post those times, will address future parking challenges.11. Safety is an issue of perception as well as of physical attributes. Street lighting, safely marked pathways, streetscape environment, and bright storefronts also contribute to the sense of safety.



• Next Steps:• Develop alternatives for Greater Downtown Waco

• Based upon goals, local input, stakeholders, baseline data, key issues

• Proposed Evaluation CriteriaEvaluation Criteria

A. Enhance Safety B. Improve Pedestrian MobilityC. Reduce Congestion D. Enhance Bicycle MobilityE. Enhance Transit Ridership F. Enhance AestheticsG. Consistent with Imagine Waco plan H. Ease of ImplementationI. Cost Feasibility


Public Outreach

• TAC Meeting: Thursday, April 10, 9a• Open House #1: Thursday April 10, 12‐130p• Open House #2: Thursday, April 10, 430‐630p• Subcommittee Debrief: Friday, April 11, 830‐10a

• Stakeholder Interviews: April 9‐11, 2014• One‐on‐one meetings• No more than 30 minutes• Questions sent to stakeholder ahead of time

Discussion

THANK YOU!

Michael Townes, CDM SmithCorinne Donahue, CDM Smith

Charlie Sullivan, CDM SmithWilliam Long, RJR

Waco Downtown Transportation Study › transit › pdf › TAC...WACO DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION STUDY...

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