The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutStudy Session Agenda Packet 01-27-14SPECIAL STUDY SESSION AGENDA CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 W. 29 1h Ave. Wheat Ridge CO January 27, 2014 Upon adjournment from City Council Meeting Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by the City of Wheat Ridge. Call Heather Geyer, Administrative Services Director at 303-235-2826 at least one week in advance of a meeting if you are interested in participating and need inclusion assistance. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS APPROVALOFAGENDA .L 38th Avenue Corridor Final Design -r +-e tn I. ~~A_, ... _ r City of • --~Wheat&__dge ~OMMUNilY DEVELOPMENT TO: THROUGH: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Memorandum Mayor and City Council Patrick Goff, City Manager J Kenneth Johnstone, AICP, Community Development Director~ Scott Brink, PE , Public Works Director January 17 , 2014 (for January 27 Study Session) 38th A venue Corridor Plan -analysis of bike lanes and next steps on conceptual streetscape design alternatives Introduction/Background At the December 17 , 2013 City Council study session, staff provided a general update on the status of the 38th Avenue Corridor Plan implementation. The update included a presentation from staff and our design consultant, Entelechy, regarding the conceptual streetscape design alternatives. Entelechy 's recommendations included two design alternatives pertaining to the types of furniture , lighting, etc. and two alternatives for the actual streetscape improvements, with Alternative A having more flexibility in the how landscaping, seating areas , etc. are installed and programmed , and Alternative B having more fixed components for these features . The alternatives presented were the result of the design process in volving the public and adjacent private property owners that has occurred over the past several years. Staff requested input from City Council on each ofthe two design alternatives , as well as input on the design theme for the furniture , lighting, etc. After discussion at the meeting City Council pro vided consensus direction for staff to come back to City Council with a scope of work to finalize a preferred streetscape design that would address the following: • Extend the scope of the streetscape project further east toward Newland • Further consider incorporation of a civic space, potentially in the area at WR5-8 that is considered "The Green" • Move forward with a blend of the two design themes and design alternatives , with an emphasis on Alternative A , which maintains more flexibility in the design • Consider options for enhancing the bike facilities included in the streetscape project, including integration into north/south bike routes in and out of the 38th Avenue corridor Since that meeting, staff has developed , for City Council 's consideration, conceptual designs to add potential bike facilities along 38th and an analysis of how such bike facilities would impact the alternatives previously presented. We have also drafted a preliminary scope of work with Entelechy to finalize a preferred conceptual design , if so directed by City Council. 38th Ave Corridor Update January 27,2014 Page2 Description of streetscape components and analysis of bike lanes History of planning and streetscape design process During the development of the 38th Avenue Corridor Plan in 2011 , the public process was very focused on what specific streetscape components should be prioritized in a preferred "main street" road section. The traffic analysis concluded that it would be technically feasible to acconunodate the necessary vehicular capacity of the roadway with a 3-lane road section. Even with a 3-lane road section, the additional right of way available for non-vehicular purposes would still be fairly limited. The planning process made the assumption that with limited right of way width (typical width is either 63 feet or 75 feet , inclusive of easements), tradeoffs would be necessary among amenities such as sidewalks, on-street parking, bike lanes , landscaping, etc. During the public workshop s, participants were asked to prioriti z e the following : I) bike lanes , 2) sidewalks/amenity zones, and 3) on-street parking. There was certainly interest in providing all of these components and priorities varied; however, on balance, the highest priority was placed on sidewalks/amenity zones, followed by on-street parking and then bike lanes. Based on that public input, the conceptual street sections approved in the Corridor Plan included the following components : • 1 0-foot through travel lane in each direction • 11-foot shared center tum lane • 1 0-foot right tum lanes at certain higher volume intersections • 6-foot on-street parallel parking lane where right of way width could accommodate • 6-foot landscape/amenity zone • 8-foot sidewalk The dimensions for each of these components were given careful consideration. Travel lanes are shown at 10 feet in width and the center tum lane at 11 feet , which are the narrowest they can be from a traffic safety perspective. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recommend 10-to 12-foot wide travel lanes for urban collectors and arterials. An 8-foot sidewalk was detem1ined to be the minimum dimension that would promote the walkable pedestrian environment that was desired. This dimension can also provide greater opportunities for outdoor gathering and potentially outdoor seating areas , particularly when combined with the amenity zone (where appropriate) or additional outdoor space provided on private property. A 6-foot landscape/amenity zone is the minimum dimension that could support the installation and viability of street trees, which are a critical element of the design. These 6-and 8-foot dimensions are also consistent with the City's adopted Streetscape Design Manual. In addition , the 6-foot amenity zone is consistent with the previous streetscape project on 38th Avenue east of Harlan. Please refer to the attached graphic titled "Approved Corridor Plan Sections ." The conceptual street sections discussed above were the starting point for Entelechy's most recent design work, which was presented to City Council on December 17. 2 38 1h Ave Corridor Update January 27 , 2014 Page 3 Analysis ofbike lanes As requested by Council on December 17 , staffhas prepared two options that would incorporate on-street bike lanes on 38th Avenue between Upham and Pierce: Option 1 with a full width sidewalk and Option 2 with minimum width sidewalks. Both options rely on the following additional assumptions based on AASHTO , Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and City standards, including the adopted Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan: • vehicular lanes as noted previously • bike lanes on both sides of the street o 6-foot bike lanes when bike lane is between parking and vehicular travel lane o 4-foot bike lanes when bike lane is adjacent to a 2-foot gutter, which provides the needed additional 2 feet o These bike lane widths are consistent with the implementation plans that have been developed in the Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan o AASHTO states that 5 feet is the minimum width for a bike lane; however, a wider lane is recommended on roadways with a higher volume of vehicles and bikes and where parking lanes may have higher turnover • 2-foot minimum clear zones behind the road vertical curb ; this standard is maintained in all sections to avoid conflicts with appurtenances extending from moving vehicles, (including street maintenance vehicles) as well as allowing for the opening of car doors , where applicable Option 1 (refer to attached section view) • Maintains 8-foot sidewalk as recommended in the 38 1h Avenue Corridor Plan and Streetscape Design Manual • Landscape/ Amenity zone is eliminated in the wider section to maintain on-street parking • Landscape/ Amenity zone is reduced to 2 feet in the narrower section, which is not wide enough to include any permanent improvements and still be able to maintain a clear zone of 2 feet , as discussed above Option 2 (refer to attached section view) • Reduces sidewalk width to 5 feet , which matches the sidewalk width elsewhere on 38 1h Avenue. ADA requires a minimum sidewalk width of3 feet with 5-foot wide passing zones a minimum of every 200 feet. The City's adopted minimum sidewalk width for non-local streets is 6 feet. • Landscape/Amenity zone is provided at a width of either 5 feet or 3 feet in the respective cross sections. At 3 feet , some narrow vertical features such as pedestrian lighting and banner sign poles could be provided. In the 5-foot zone, small planters could be provided, as well as benches. Street trees could not be provided as the minimum dimension to support viable tree growth has been found to be six feet. Enhancements to bike network Staff recognizes and fully agrees with City Council's desire to encourage cycling as a means of getting to and from Ridge at 38 . Whether or not City Council choo s es to implement a street section that includes an on-street bike lane, we have identified some options for enhancing the 3 38th Ave Corridor Update January 27 , 2014 Page4 bike network in and around Ridge at 38. Both 35th and 41 st avenues are identified as parallel bike routes in the City's Bike/Ped Master Plan. These routes could easily be extended to lead bicyclists into the Ridge at 38 district. Pierce Street is also a designated north south bike route, with bicycle improvements budgeted for 2014 . Wayfinding signage could be installed at minimal cost to assist bicyclists in navigating to the district from these designated bike routes. Bike parking and /or bike corrals will also be an essential component of the public streetscape improvement project as well as being encouraged on private property. As with vehicles and vehicular parking, the hope is that bicycle parking will allow cyclists to then explore the district on foot. The distance between Newland and Upham is generally considered to be a manageable walking distance. Please refer to the attachment titled Proposed Bicycle Routes. Next Steps-City Council Direction Staff requests direction from City Council on the options presented for adding bike lanes into the 38th A venue streetscape design . If the direction is to move forward with either Option 1 or 2 as presented , staff would suggest that City Council consider whether any additional public input should be planned, since this would be a modification from the approved plan and designs previously presented to the public. Based on Council 's direction, staff can finalize a scope of work with Entelechy addressing the items previously summarized in the "Introduction/Background" section of this memo. Staffhas received a preliminary scope of work and budget estimate from Entelechy to finalize the conceptual design for the 38th Avenue streetscape. February 10 would be the next available City Council meeting to take action on a contract extension with Entelechy . If it is Council's direction to incorporate bike lanes into the final concept design , staff will need to negotiate a revised contract with Entelechy that reflects that approach. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Cross-section diagrams 2 . Proposed Bicycle Routes 4 Approved Corridor Plan Section WAU< AMENITY PARICING E8 CENTER WB ZONE LANE LANE LANE r AMENITY ZONE PARKING AMENITY WAU< ZONE r AMENITY WAU< ZONE Attachment 1 Upham Street to High Court 8-foot sidewalk 6-foot amenity zone On-street par1<ing High Court to Pierce Street 8-foot sidewalk 6-foot amenity zone Bike Lanes Option 1-Full width sidewalk WALl( PAAKING BIKE LANE CENTER LANE WALl( 2' liKE E8 CENTER WB AMEHITY LANE LANE LANE LANE ZONE BIKE PAAKING LANE BIKE 2' WAU< LANE AloENTY ZONE WAU< Upham Street to High Court 8-foot sidewalk On-street parking Bike lanes High Court to Pierce Street 8-foot sidewalk 2-foot special paving Bike lanes Bike Lanes Option 2 -Minimum width sidewalk WALK PARKING = CENTER W8 LANE LANE AMENITY ZONE WALK liKE E8 CENTER W8 AMENITY LANE LANE LANE LANE ZONE liKE PARKING WALK LANE AMENITY ZONE liKE WALK LANE AMENITY ZONE Upham Street to High Court 5-foot sidewalk 3-foot amenity zone On-street parking Bike lanes High Court to Pierce Street 5-foot sidewalk 5-foot amenity zone Bike lanes ____ .. / ... VANC~ ST -fBS~f -~ 1 TElLERST SAU\.SBURY ST .r-- 1 PIERCE ST 1 'l 1 ~"·"-il t r ( : OTISST -s l lA"AR ST \.... J.CAASHALL Sl '-11 I~ . i:_ o<ENOAI.l Sf --~/ ··~ ; -~--..C, .... vs• ~ --GAAYS_T_..~..._, ....... ···' •......... r •• i -~ : FENTON ST e ........... ... + • • -~- FUHONST DEPEWST ""HASEST BENfON ST MARSHAL.LS .AMARST CJl -I ,.._._~.T l ·~ ~--~ i ~----~ NGAUSST a-..- -~ T 1 • HARLA ~ ST ______j ........................ ~-·-···· I fr====olr--: i( --- SHEA IA.N Cl ... z c ... :::D Attachment 2 ~ a "'0 0 C/1 l CD c. CD c;· '< ~ 0 ~ CD -I :X: ~.! :::0 ~ m 0 ~ S!. c -CD C/1 PIERCE ST J } ·-·-· I • • • • • m-u X .., -· 0 !:!!"0 -·o ::J (J) ... <Om :1:11 (J) 0.. =r(J) =-= D>=r ... ro m en -O..(D Cl ii)O.. ... :::~- CD ~ CD I • • • I • • N"U o-. ->.0 ~"0 ()~ -m "'Uo.. + c- ~ CD ii) ::J CD