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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021.4.20 GT PacketAGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 4/20/2021 Meeting Type: Work Session Staff Contact/Dept.: Molly Markarian/DPW Staff Phone No: 541.726.4611 MAIN STREET GOVERNANCE TEAM (GT) Estimated Time: 90 Minutes ITEM TITLE: MAIN STREET SAFETY PROJECT ACTION REQUESTED: Review draft solution toolbox and recommendations and community feedback and respond to discussion questions detailed in Attachment 2 to inform preparation of a draft Facility Plan this summer. ISSUE STATEMENT: Since the November 2020 email update to the Main Street Governance Team, the Main Street Safety Project team has developed and sought feedback from advisory bodies and the broader community on comprehensive safety solutions for Main Street. The purpose of this Work Session is to: discuss the draft solution ‘toolbox’ and recommendations; and seek Governance Team feedback to inform development of the Main Street Facility Plan. ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Briefing Memo Attachment 2: Discussion Questions Attachment 3: Outreach Summary Attachment 4: Draft Meeting Slideshow DISCUSSION: At their July 30, 2019 meeting, the Governance Team (GT) provided feedback on the framework for evaluating possible infrastructure solutions to improve safety for Main Street. In response to feedback from the City’s GT representatives following the fall 2019 review of initial safety concepts, the project team made process adjustments to capture more in-depth community feedback on each of the possible infrastructure elements prior to developing comprehensive safety solutions. With that, the project timeline was pushed out and planned community engagement delayed. Soon after launching the second major round of community engagement for the Main Street Safety Project, COVID-19 rapidly changed the way many of us work, live, and interact with each other. In consultation with the City’s GT representatives, the project team re-evaluated the planned approach for addressing continued community concerns with traffic safety on Main Street. With these adjustments, the project team then developed comprehensive safety solutions, shaped by community input to date, as shared with the Governance Team in a November 30, 2020 email update. The project team has continued to provide opportunities for interested and affected parties to provide meaningful input to the Facility Plan. Attachment 3 outlines outreach activities completed to date, including seeking feedback this winter on the comprehensive safety solutions from project advisory committees, business and property owners, focus groups and civic groups, and the broader community. As presented in Attachment 4, staff will review the solution toolbox and community feedback in more detail during the meeting. Staff will also seek Governance Team input on the discussion questions outlined in Attachment 2 to inform the development of a draft Facility Plan in summer 2021. M E M O R A N D U M Main Street Governance Team Date: 4/13/2021 To: Main Street Governance Team From: Molly Markarian, City of Springfield BRIEFING Subject: Main Street Safety Project Update MEMORANDUM ISSUE: Since the November 2020 email update to the Main Street Governance Team, the Main Street Safety Project team has developed and sought feedback from advisory bodies and the broader community on comprehensive safety solutions for Main Street. The purpose of this Work Session is to: discuss the draft solution ‘toolbox’ and recommendations; and seek Governance Team feedback to inform development of the Main Street Facility Plan. BACKGROUND: Project Purpose Statement: Springfield’s Main Street is consistently ranked as one of the most unsafe city streets in Oregon based on the severity and frequency of traffic crashes. ODOT and the City of Springfield must address this problem to save lives, reduce injuries, and lessen property damage due to crashes. The purpose of the Main Street Safety Project Planning Phase is to select infrastructure solutions that will make Main Street safer for people walking, biking, driving, and taking transit. The selected safety improvements will provide for the movement of goods and people, support the economic viability of the corridor, accommodate current bus service and future transit solutions, and complement traffic safety education and enforcement. Safety Solution Reasons: The Main Street Safety Project is recommending changes to Main Street to help improve safety and address the specific type of crashes that occur on Main Street. Data shows that nearly 80% of crashes on the corridor are rear-end and turning movement crashes, and the primary causes of these crashes are failure to yield right-of-way and following too closely. With this in mind, ODOT programmed $3.9 million to construct raised center median treatments on nearly five miles of Main Street from 20th Street to 72nd Street in 2016. Community Engagement: The Main Street Governance Team formally kicked off the Facility Plan process in June 2018. The project team established methods and tools to engage property owners, businesses, and the traveling public in a planning process to develop and document how to address the safety problems on Main Street with a design concept that provides for the access needs of corridor businesses and accommodates current bus service and future transit improvements. Over the past two plus years, the project team has been refining recommended solutions based on community input, technical analysis, and City Council feedback. Attachment 3 outlines outreach completed to date to share information and gather input regarding the needs and issues of key stakeholders and the broader community related to this planning effort. Implementation: As noted in Attachment 4, the Main Street Facility Plan will be the work product that pulls together analysis, public outreach and design concepts developed during this Planning Phase. Once adopted, the Facility Plan will serve as a design framework to guide future design and construction of safety improvements on the corridor. Based on previous transportation revenue for this region, the revenue that we can expect for any given funding cycle will not be able to fund design and construction of Facility Plan recommendations for the entire corridor. Thus, all solutions will be designed and constructed in phases over the next five to twenty years, or beyond. Given funding timelines, the soonest an intersection and/or segment in the first phase of implementation could go to design would be 2024 (construction in 2025). Corridor Project History: Several City of Springfield, ODOT, and partner agency initiatives are in process or have been recently completed on the Main Street corridor. Collectively referred to as ‘Our Main Street MEMORANDUM 4/14/2021 Page 2 Springfield’, a brief overview of each of these Main Street projects is included below: • ODOT Safety Study - ODOT’s 2011 Pedestrian Safety Study analyzed existing and future travel conditions with a pedestrian focus, documented safety problems for pedestrians, and identified improvement concepts. • Main Street Pedestrian Crossing Project – Following the 2011 Pedestrian Safety Study, the City and ODOT have installed seven pedestrian crossing improvements on Main Street at 35th, 41st, 44th, 48th, 51st, Chapman Lane, and 66th. • Main Street Corridor Vision Plan – Phase I identified the community’s preferred future for land use and transportation on Main Street between 10th Street and 69th Streets. Phase II will update zoning and development regulations to support incremental redevelopment to achieve the pattern, mix, and intensity of uses envisioned in the Plan endorsed by Springfield City Council in 2015. • SmartTrips Main Street – A comprehensive individual household and business outreach program aimed at increasing biking, walking, use of public transit, and ridesharing through education, incentives, and community outreach and event, SmartTrips moved down the Main Street Corridor from 28th Street to east of 75th Street in three phases from 2014 – 2016. • Education & Enforcement – Since 2014, the City has produced a series of safety educational videos, created safety informational cards, distributed materials through multiple channels including social media posts, and hosted or participated in traffic safety programs and events. The Police Department seeks grants annually to support increased traffic patrols to enforce speed, seatbelt, and impaired and distracted driving laws. Enforcement is citywide with an emphasis on streets that would benefit from additional patrols, including Main Street. • Main-McVay Transit Study Phases 1 & 2 – Phase 1 (2014-15) identified and evaluated the most appropriate and promising transit options for the Main Street-McVay Highway. Phase II (2016, 2019-present) is focused on design specifics to inform the decision-making process and determine the community’s choice for a preferred transit solution. In 2016, the transit study was temporarily paused to coordinate planning and community engagement with the Main Street Safety Project. In July 2019, the Main Street Governance Team recommended removing the EmX transit mode choice and moving Enhanced Corridor and No-Change options forward for further analysis. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Review draft solution toolbox and recommendations and community feedback and respond to discussion questions detailed in Attachment 2 to inform preparation of a draft Facility Plan this summer. Governance Team Main Street Safety Project April 20, 2021 Discussion Questions • Do the toolbox recommendations meet your expectations and direction? • Does the toolbox have enough tools to address safety for all of Main Street? • Are we missing something? • Do we need to change something about any of the individual elements? • Do we need to add special considerations or conditions for how to phase safety upgrades? • What other outreach should we pursue? • Which additional groups should we reach out to for feedback? Outreach Activity Summary: Fall 2018 – Winter 2021 Page 1 of 2 Main Street Safety Project The project’s Community Engagement Plan, adopted in September 2018, describes activities the City and ODOT will implement to assure that interested and affected parties have adequate opportunities to provide meaningful input to the Facility Plan. Below is a summary of the outreach completed to date: Advisory Committees: The project team engaged several advisory bodies to provide input on goals, objectives, and design solutions at key stages in the project. • Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) – 5 meetings held to date o Comprised of 13 key stakeholders representing various interests from within and along the Main Street corridor and broader community. • Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) – 8 meetings held to date o Comprised of 32 members representing key partner agencies, including School District #19, Willamalane, SUB, NW Natural, Century Link, DLCD, LTD, ODOT and City. Business and Property Owners: Mailers were sent to business and property owners on the corridor during each of three major rounds of engagement. • Fall 2018 – Introductory letter with fact sheet mailed to business on the corridor and property owners within a ¼ mile of the corridor (906 recipients). o Hand delivered 50 letters to businesses for which staff did not have an address and capturing the information for future mailings. • Summer 2019 – Letter describing the Key Principles for Access Management and opportunities for formal review mailed to adjacent business and property owners (616 recipients). o Two Collaborative Discussion meetings held with two participants as a result. • Winter 2021 – Postcard invitation to attend a Local Access Forum, watch an orientation video, and review forum materials mailed to adjacent business and property owners (612 recipients). o Two virtual forums held with approximately 13 participants as a result. o Project team reached out directly to various corridor businesses and residents to confirm they had received forum notification, and better understand their questions, concerns, and reasons for not attending. Feedback ranged from lack of interest, other priorities, online format, and general agency distrust. Title VI1 Communities: Focus groups were held with Spanish-speaking households, elderly and youth, persons with disabilities, and households in poverty during each of three major rounds of engagement. • Fall 2018 – Briarwood Senior Living, Catholic Community Services, Downtown Languages, and Willamalane Two50 Club. • Winter 2020 – Downtown Languages, and three other focus groups had to be rescheduled to due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time. • Winter 2021 – Timber Point Assisted Living, LCOG Disability Services Advisory Council, Downtown Languages. 1 Title VI Communities of Concern are defined by the Central Lane MPO as concentrations of one or more key socioeconomic factors. Outreach Activity Summary: Fall 2018 – Winter 2021 Page 2 of 2 Main Street Safety Project Broader Community: The project team has offered opportunities for engagement to the broader community through different mediums at key project milestones. E-Updates provided notice of upcoming meetings and online open houses, feedback summaries, and other key project information. • 17 E-Updates distributed to Interested Parties list (avg. of 806 recipients per e-update). Online Open Houses sought input on the project and were promoted via E-Updates, news releases, and social media posts; and cross promoted in Chamber of Commerce and InMotion newsletters and announced at LTD Strategic Planning Committee and LTD Board meetings. • Fall 2018 – Online Open House #1 (attracted 450 unique users and 177 participants provided comments). • Spring 2020 – Online Open House #2 (attracted 193 unique users and 63 participants provided comments) Community Group Presentations were made to five standing groups at key milestones. • Spring 2019 – Chamber Gov’t Issues Committee, Twin Rivers Rotary, Springfield Rotary, Springfield City Club and Springfield Board of Realtors. • Winter 2020/2021 – Chamber Gov’t Issues Committee, Twin Rivers Rotary, Springfield Rotary, Springfield City Club and Springfield Board of Realtors. Website provides all project information in one location and opportunities to communicate with the project team. • Members of the public have sent over 100 comments via email, phone, and in-person contact with the project team. • Feedback captured during Phases 1 and 2 of the Main-McVay Transit Study from business and property owners along Main Street has been considered and incorporated. MAIN STREET GOVERNANCE TEAM April 20, 2021 AGENDA Project Process •Purpose, timeline and milestones Draft Solution Toolbox and Recommendations •Toolbox elements •What we heard Discussion •Do toolbox recommendations meet expectations/direction? Next Steps PURPOSE STATEMENT PROJECT CONTEXT Winter/Spring 2021We’reHere PROJECT CONTEXT The Facility Plan: •Pulls together analysis, outreach and design concepts. •Expresses community values. •Designs a framework for the project. •Signals agencies to begin detailed design & construction. •Refines the Springfield Transportation System Plan. PROJECT CONTEXT Safety Increase the safety of Main Street for all users Business Community Support the viability of existing and future businesses Mobility Ensure people and goods travel efficiently and reliably through the corridor Transportation Choices Create a multimodal environment that connects people and destinations Vital Community Support the vitality of the community and its vision for Main Street Feasibility Develop a plan with a clear and achievable approach to implementation Community Priorities Goals & Objectives Evaluation Criteria Draft Recommendation PROJECT CONTEXT: Why are we doing this? PROJECT CONTEXT: Why are we doing this? Intersection Control Raised Medians Street Cross Sections Recommended Solutions RECOMMENDATION OVERVIEW Toolbox and (draft) Recommendations •Simplicity •Flexibility •Gradual change •Location-specific (not one size fits all) Simplicity STREET CROSS SECTIONS: Short-Term Recommendation Simplicity STREET CROSS SECTIONS: Long-Term Recommendation Simplicity STREET CROSS SECTIONS: Long-Term Recommendation Simplicity STREET CROSS SECTIONS: Long-Term Recommendation Simplicity Approximately Four Blocks: Active Transportation Enhanced STREET CROSS SECTIONS Simplicity RAISED MEDIAN FRAMEWORK Openings would allow left turns/U-turns in designated lanes. Mountable edges would allow emergency vehicles to cross when needed Simplicity RAISED MEDIAN FRAMEWORK •Raised medians can reduce crashes by 35%on Main Street (or 48% when combined with roundabouts) •Would add only 31 seconds of out-of-direction travel, on average Simplicity INTERSECTION CONTROL Divide intersections into tiers of need. Add roundabouts at intersections with the greatest need to: •Improve safety. •Reduce congestion. •Make U-turns easier with raised medians present. •Enable freight trucks to go the opposite direction without attempting U-turns. Roundabout designs would be location-specific, to be determined in the next phase. Simplicity COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Strategic Advisory Committee Focus Groups and Civic Groups Chamber of Commerce: Government Issues Committee City Club Board of Realtors Twin Rivers Rotary Springfield Rotary Club Downtown Languages LCOG Disability Services Advisory Council Timber Pointe Senior Living Local Access Forums Other Comment Feedback COMMUNITY FEEDBACK Common Themes Local Access Forums Focus/Civic Groups Broader Community Strategic Advisory Committee COMMUNITY FEEDBACK: Common Themes –Project & Process We largely heard people: •Are excited about the project •Understand the need •Appreciate the process and outreach efforts •Have questions about data, deliverables, stages, outcomes Some shared: •Frustration with project speed or outreach approach •Questions about cost and funding •Feedback about building in phases. COMMUNITY FEEDBACK: Common Themes -Toolbox & Recommendations We largely heard people: •Feel positive about the toolbox and recommendations •Believe roundabouts are good way to improve safety •Feel pairing roundabouts with medians is critical •Feel driving slightly further is worth saving lives •Favor sidewalk upgrades and more bike separation •Are concerned about access and site usage for residences and businesses •Have questions about elements and potential property impacts COMMUNITY FEEDBACK: Common Themes -Toolbox & Recommendations Some shared concerns about: •Not knowing how to walk or drive through roundabouts •The time needed for the public to learn how to safely navigate roundabouts •Out-of-direction travel due to medians •Freight delivery challenges due to medians •Whether phasing and design flexibility would minimize impacts COMMUNITY FEEDBACK: Common Themes -Other We largely heard: •Observations of behavior at pedestrian crossings •Desire to increase traffic enforcement for all •Desire to decrease posted speed limit, especially in eastern segment •An expressed need for improved lighting Some shared: •Hope for transit design integration •Questions about relocating utilities COMMUNITY FEEDBACK Common Themes Local Access Forums Focus/Civic Groups Broader Community Strategic Advisory Committee FEEDBACK RUMORS Project has evolved. Here is what the project is NOT: •It's not a Lane Transit District project •It's not EmX •It would not prevent all left turns •It would not need extensive new right-of-way •It's not one size fits all •It would not be built all at once FEEDBACK RUMORS It’s not a Lane Transit District project. •ODOT and Springfield are leading the Main Street Safety Project. •Main Street Safety Project is coordinating with Main-McVay Transit Study (LTD/City/ODOT project) to plan for transit elements. •LTD is an interested party and is providing input in order to continue providing transit service along Main Street, now and into the future. FEEDBACK RUMORS It’s not EmX. •Main-McVay Transit Study had considered EmX, which could have included dedicated, bus-only lanes on Main Street. •Main Street Governance Team formally removed EmX from consideration in July 2019. EmX is not part of this project. •Enhanced Corridor transit, which will consist of buses running along the current Route #11, stop amenity upgrades, and transit travel time improvements, will integrate into the Main Street Facility Plan. FEEDBACK RUMORS It would not prevent all left turns. •Main Street would have raised medians, but not continuously throughout the corridor. There would be gaps. •Some intersections would have left-turn/U-turn pockets. •Other intersections would have roundabouts that allow for all turning movements. •What’s more, raised medians would have mountable curbs so emergency vehicles could drive over them when needed. FEEDBACK RUMORS It would not need extensive new right-of-way. •Toolbox includes cross-section variations for location- specific constraints and property impacts. •Along most of Main Street, the proposed future street design would need four more feet on each side. •Narrowing the street in physically constrained locations will happen during the design phase. FEEDBACK RUMORS It’s not one size fits all. •The project would not involve the same street design and mix of elements throughout. For example: o 69th –72nd Streets: consider three-lane cross-section to help reduce speeds and serve as gateway treatment between rural and urban areas o 52nd Street –Bob Straub Parkway: Active Transportation Enhanced cross-section with raised cycle track and landscaped buffer •Toolbox also includes flexibility to modify each street segment during the design phase. FEEDBACK RUMORS It would not be built all at once. •Design and construction would occur in phases over the next 5 –20 years, as funding becomes available. •Phases are prioritized based on the project’s Goals and Objectives, including addressing the highest safety needs first. •Phasing enables people to see and experience results in early phases. •Phasing also allows community members to adjust to new street design gradually. DISCUSSION •Do the toolbox recommendations meet your expectations and direction? •Does the toolbox have enough tools to address safety for all ofMain Street? •Are we missing something? •Do we need to change something about any of the individual elements? •Do we need to add special considerations or conditions for how to phase safety upgrades? •What other outreach should we pursue? •Which additional groups should we reach out to for feedback? Spring Springfield City Council Summer Develop Draft Facility Plan Fall TAC, SAC, Public Outreach NEXT STEPS / NEXT MEETING THANK YOU! Contact Molly Markarian Project Manager info@ourmainstreetspringfield.org Comments Project Website www.mainstreetsafety.org