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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-13-093 - ION (Rapid Transit) Corridor Streetscape Design Priorities REPORT TO:Community & Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: September 9, 2013 SUBMITTED BY: Alain Pinard, Director of Planning PREPARED BY: Janine Oosterveld, Manager, Site Development & Customer Service (519-741-2200 ext. 7076) Heather Holbrook, Senior Planner, Urban Design (519-741-2200 ext. 7324) WARD(S) INVOLVED: Wards 3, 9 & 10 DATE OF REPORT: September 1, 2013 REPORT NO.: CSD-13-093 SUBJECT: ION (RAPID TRANSIT) CORRIDOR STREETSCAPE DESIGN PRIORITIES RECOMMENDATION: That the ION (Rapid Transit) Corridor streetscape design priorities identified in Report CSD-13-093 be endorsed. BACKGROUND: As one of the most significant physical changes to the city’s built form in the foreseeable future, the ION corridor reconstruction provides an opportunity to demonstrate excellence and innovation in community building through high quality urban design. The streetscapes that carry the ION alignment are integral parts of the public realm and transportation network. Vibrant and walkable environments support redevelopment and intensification. High quality streetscapes will help the Region and City achieve our shared objectives of creating great places and promoting transit ridership along the alignment. To date, the Request for Proposals (RFP) process for the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain (DBFOM) contract process has focused primarily on the underground and functional aspects of the RFP. The City has worked with our partners at the Region to establish a cost sharing agreement regarding underground infrastructure improvements and has incorporated functional specifications in the RFP process through this collaboration. Engineering staff will provide an update on the underground infrastructure coordination under separate cover. In recent months, Regional and City staff have been working together regarding the above- grade design of the ION system. Much like the underground considerations, the City and Region are exploring opportunities to incorporate surface design specifications in the RFP where necessary and appropriate. Through this collaborative process, the Region’s Rapid Transit team has incorporated City design standards and feedback where possible. However, there are some streetscape considerations that may not be feasible within the size of the ION right-of-way or within the scope and/or budget of the DBFOM contract. The purpose of this report is to advise Council of the streetscape design priorities City staff has identified and to seek endorsement of these priorities so that they continue to be a prominent part of our ongoing discussions with the Region regarding the ION corridor reconstruction. With this endorsement, staff would request 8 - 1 that these streetscape priorities be incorporated as much possible in the RFP contract, and that the manner in which the proposals address these items be given strong consideration. REPORT: Community Perspective Streetscape design and the place-making opportunities associated with higher order transit have been prominent components of the community engagement to date, starting with Regional Growth Management Strategy (RGMS) and the Rapid Transit Environmental Assessment process. More recently, the community has provided significant input during the development of the Region’s Central Transit Corridor Community Building Strategy (CBS). The CBS document, currently in draft form, envisions what the built environment around the ION system could look like in the future, and identifies opportunities to create great places and stimulate investment throughout the City and Region. The City has been a partner in the CBS process and staff is supportive of the goals and opportunities identified in the CBS. The streetscape priorities identified through consultation with Regional staff and detailed in this report are consistent with the CBS. Inclusion of these priorities in the RFP would put the City in the best position to realize the visions and opportunities identified through the CBS process. Process of Coordination Over the past several months, staff has been working with the Region’s Rapid Transit team to identify opportunities to refine the preliminary functional design plans and design specifications in the RFP. The purpose of this work has been to explore streetscape opportunities along the ION corridor, with particular emphasis on aligning the ION contract specifications with the City’s urban design, transportation planning and parks and trails framework. The Rapid Transit team has incorporated a number of design modifications to the preliminary functional design plans as a result of this collaborative approach. For example, impacts to Speakers’ Corner have been minimized, ION Station Stops (the platform area) will be designed to include seating, accent lighting, signage and opportunities for public art; where streetscape furnishings currently exist they will be replaced in kind; and a generous boulevard will be provided near the King Street grade separation to create a comfortable pedestrian realm in this area. Staff is encouraged by the progress made through discussions with the Rapid Transit team and appreciate the Region’s commitment to coordination. The Rapid Transit team has advised that an opportunity exists to incorporate final changes by addendum to the RFP in November of this year. Decisions regarding what will, and will not, be within the scope of the final RFP must be made by the end of September. Given this timing, staff is updating Council now on the status of the above-grade design discussions and providing an update on the streetscape priorities that staff has identified that have not been fully resolved to date. It is important that Council appreciate that this update is based on preliminary drawings that are by no means final. The functional design plans of which staff has been reviewing and providing feedback are essentially preliminary designs that the proponents will use as a foundation for their RFP submissions. The successful proponent (Project Co.) will refine and/or develop final design plans for construction and the Region can request that these plans incorporate elements from the other submissions. Streetscape Priorities The following is a high level overview of the streetscape priorities that City staff identified in the review of the preliminary functional design plans in the RFP. More details about some of these priorities are contained in the supporting appendices. 8 - 2 (1) Pedestrian-scaled lighting Pedestrian-scaled lighting is lower level lighting specifically designed to illuminate sidewalks and other pedestrian environments. It is invaluable for creating a safe and hospitable public realm and improving the sense of safety and security for pedestrians. There are many styles of pedestrian-scaled lighting, including the ornamental poles throughout Downtown Kitchener. The Region has committed to replacing ornamental lighting where it currently exists but does not plan to introduce new pedestrian-scaled lighting along the alignment. In the interest of cost efficiencies, staff are not recommending ornamental light poles but rather implementing roadway poles with the option of mid-pole pedestrian-scaled luminaire attachments. A conservative estimate for a mid-pole luminaire upgrade to the roadway poles is $7,000 per pole. The priority for pedestrian-scaled lighting areas are those that will be focal points for pedestrian activity; the areas within about a block or two of the ION Station Stop platforms. The preliminary estimated cost for implementation of pedestrian-scaled lighting in these focused areas is about $700,000. More information about pedestrian-scaled lighting is contained in Appendix A to this report. (2) Enhanced pedestrian crossings In areas where pedestrian volumes are expected to be very high (particularly at crossings leading to/from the ION Station Stops), staff recommends that crosswalks be delineated with alternate materials to give higher priority to pedestrians and transit riders. Such treatment of crosswalks can also contribute to wayfinding and sense of place. The City’s recommended design standard is streetprint XD which is a colour impressed surface treatment applied over the roadway asphalt surface. It is a highly durable treatment. The baseline design standard for all crosswalks in the RFP is painted ladder crossings. The estimated upfront cost of the streetprint XD treatment is $280/sq m compared to $20/ sq m for painted ladder crossings. The preliminary estimated cost for implementation of streetprint XD at priority crosswalks is about $77,000 per crosswalk on average (a total of approximately $1M for all of the priority crosswalks identified by staff). More information about streetprint XD is contained in Appendix B to this report. (3) Hydro substation integration A total of seven hydro substations are necessary to provide power to the ION system and must be located in close proximity to station platforms at regular intervals along the route. Substations are not typical considerations in road reconstruction projects. The City, therefore, does not have guidelines or standards in place for their design. The City will require Site Plan Control for each substation along the alignment. If untreated, the basic design of substations could have negative impacts on the quality of the streetscape in immediate proximity to ION stations and may also deter future investment in these areas. The Region has indicated that they intend to implement architectural and/or landscaping treatments to help integrate the substations in their surrounding built environment and minimize impacts to future redevelopment potential. The opportunity exists for the Region to demonstrate excellence and innovation in community building through high quality urban design of the substations. Staff will continue to work with the Rapid Transit team with the goal of context-sensitive design treatments, particularly focusing on the six substations in the built-up area. More information about substations is contained in Appendix C to this report. (4) Sidewalks Sidewalks are necessary to provide clear, unobstructed pedestrian connections to and from transit platforms along the full length of the alignment. It is expected that the introduction of the ION system will generate more foot traffic. As such, widening sidewalks wherever possible is important. The absolute minimum acceptable size of sidewalk in Kitchener is 1.5 metres of unobstructed clearway to support barrier free inclusivity. Areas of higher pedestrian activity warrant consideration for wider sidewalk widths. A minimum of 1.8 metres is considered the 8 - 3 appropriate minimum size of sidewalk in these high activity areas. Region of Waterloo Context- sensitive Road Corridor Design Guidelines recommends 2.1 metre sidewalks along roads anticipated to carry rapid transit. The functional plans include sidewalks on both sides of all roads except for the south/west side of Courtland Avenue. The width of sidewalk varies slightly along the alignment. The baseline design standard in the RFP is 1.5 metres. In many instances, there is sufficient room in the right of way to accommodate wider sidewalks than what is currently proposed. Wider sidewalks would provide an opportunity to enhance walkability and the pedestrian realm, and should be considered a key to the future success of the ION system. (5) Cycling infrastructure The ION alignment travels along several roadways that are identified as bike priority streets. Incorporation of dedicated or marked shared use cycling lanes may be needed on certain roadways to ensure continuity of the Regional and City cycling network, as identified in the Regional Active Transportation Master Plan (ATMP) and/or the City’s Cycling Master Plan. The functional plans do not identify any cycling facilities at this time. (6) Connectivity Opportunities exist to reinstate existing trails and to create new connections such as a connection over the King Street grade separation to the multimodal hub. Pedestrian connectivity to and from the ION alignment from the surrounding areas is necessary to support transit ridership. The functional plans identify crossings at most intersections to provide direct pedestrian connections to ION Station stop platforms. There are some locations, however, where pedestrian crossings could be added. The functional plans identify some trail network connections, though generally their installation is outside the scope of the RFP. (7) Streetscape furnishings and landscaping There are a few locations along the alignment where opportunities exist to introduce new streetscape furnishings and landscaping, such as public art, benches, bike racks, planters and/or street trees. These streetscape elements can help reinforce the design character of a district or neighbourhood and strengthen sense of place. Certain furnishings and landscaping features, such as seating areas and street trees can contribute to comfort and wellbeing of the pedestrians. The scope of the RFP includes direction to Project Co. to reinstate or replace all existing street furnishings and street trees. The functional plans have not been refined yet to the level of specifying where these elements are to be reinstated. It is staff’s understanding that the City will continue to have input as to the appropriate relocation of furnishings and landscaping. The scope of the RFP does not include the introduction of new streetscape furnishings in most locations,with the multimodal hub frontage along King Street West being the one exception. Staff continues to work with the Rapid Transit team to maximize opportunities for future streetscape improvements. Confirmation is also needed from the Region that the City will have permission to install streetscape features in these Regional Road rights of way in the future. Implementation Options Each of the above streetscape priorities are not specifically identified in the baseline design standards specified in the RFP document and/or preliminary functional design plans. That said, the functional design plans are preliminary and it is anticipated that they will continue to evolve in a positive way. The successful proponent (Project Co.) will ultimately be responsible for the final roadway design. Furthermore, the possibility exists that Project Co. will include some of the identified streetscape priorities as they develop the final design although not specifically directed to do so within the scope of the RFP. 8 - 4 The majority of the identified priorities are best implemented now in the context of the DBFOM contract, recognizing that there are some contexts where right of way size constraints will result in compromises to the optimal streetscape design. Some of the identified priorities (namely the inclusion of streetscape furnishings) may be implemented in the future where space permits, subject to the Region supporting City encroachments in Regional rights of way. It is noted that some of the identified priorities may not be feasible in the future depending on decisions that are made now. For example, once the curb locations are determined through the design contract, it would be difficult to retrofit the design of the roadway to accommodate cycling lanes or widen boulevards in favour of landscaping or sidewalks. As such, it is preferred that the Region incorporate streetscape priorities in the RFP specifications wherever possible. The Region has advised that the cities could guarantee that specific elements are included in the specifications by agreeing to pay for them. Such an agreement would have to be finalized within the next month or so. Staff will continue to work with the Region and will report back with specific proposals if feasible options emerge. However, staff is not recommending a cost sharing arrangement as part of this report for the following reasons: Given the unique nature of this project and all of the visuals that have been released to the public, it is unclear as to what constitutes a baseline feature and what is considered an enhancement. Staff also noted that the baseline design will continue to evolve with design refinements proposed by the Project Co. team once selected. The ION corridor through Kitchener includes Region of Waterloo and City of Kitchener roadways, but it is highly likely that all rights-of-way of the corridor will be owned by the Region by the time construction of the system is completed. An understanding of the City’s role in terms of permission to place features in the right-or-way and their maintenance implications still needs to be clarified. No funding has been allocated for this work in Kitchener’s Capital Forecast (10 years), Council has not received a lot of information on this topic in the past, and many details still need to be sorted out. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS Of the streetscape priorities that staff identified, the Rapid Transit team recently indicated that upfront funding commitments would be required for crosswalk delineation and/or pedestrian- scaled lighting if these specifications are to be included in the RFP. The costs implications for some of the other priorities still require clarification. Staff is not able to identify any available capital funding sources to contribute to the scope of the RFP contract at this time. Staff will report back on September 30th with more details, if a feasible option emerges. No funding commitments are associated with the recommendation of this report. Because street furnishings do not have to be incorporated in the context of the DBFOM contract, there is no urgency to sort out those details. Unlike the other streetscape priorities, there are potential sources of funding for street furnishings in Kitchener Capital Forecast, and the City of Kitchener has a history of funding streetscape improvements of this nature. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The establishment of the ION system provides a unique opportunity within the history of the City’s evolution to build upon its identity. Enhancing the public realm and supporting alternative 8 - 5 transportation options is in alignment with the Kitchener Strategic Plan in a number of ways, most fundamentally with the vision statement: Together, we will build an innovative, caring and vibrant Kitchener with safe and thriving neighbourhoods. As an element of “What We Know”, background to the Plan, a diverse transportation network is identified as being key to supporting growth while having regard for healthy citizens, economy and environment. The Plan notes that citizens are “demanding that more funding and resources be allocated toward making these options more appealing and available to everyone in our community.” Strategic priorities also focus on: the need for creative and interesting places as an economic driver and central to a healthy community; supporting intensification as both earth and people-friendly - ensuring walkability, connection, and green space; supporting transportation alternatives; and planning for safety and community; and, that a bold and vibrant downtown and safe and healthy neighbourhoods are tools - linked to community pride and economic opportunity. With six ION Station stops in the downtown, streetscape enhancements can further support walkability and intensification (“Feet on the street are critical to all downtown dreams and goals!”). With stops along Duke and Charles Streets, shifting focus to investment on these streets will further downtown strategic directives that expand the focus of downtown to both of these streets. Streetscape enhancements can further reinforce community identity as an innovative and vibrant place by making the pedestrian realm along the corridor a safe and comfortable place to be and travel through. Public investment can encourage private investment along the corridor that, together, creates thriving focal points within the community. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The community is informed of this report through the City’s standard practice of providing public access to Committee agendas and reports. The Region has also held a number of public consultations on the topic of rapid transit throughout the planning of the rapid transit corridor including the Environmental Assessment phase, Community Building Strategy and the ION Station Stop design concepts. This report follows the inform strategy of the Community engagement continuum- to provide the public with information to assist them in understanding how design considerations are being addressed in the ION RFP process. Attachments: Appendix A. Pedestrian-scaled lighting details Appendix B. Enhanced crosswalk treatment details Appendix C. Hydro substation details ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Michael May, Deputy CAO Community Services Department 8 - 6 APPENDIX A - Pedestrian-scaled lighting The functional design plans prepared by the Rapid Transit team do not show the location or style of lighting to be implemented by Project Co. As is the City’s expectation, the Rapid Transit team has assured staff that the RFP directs Project Co. to replace all existing roadway lights in kind (like for like), including pedestrian-scaled lighting in the downtown. Project Co. will be responsible for installing new low-level bollard-style lighting at the platform locations as shown in the Ion Stop Design Concepts. Unfortunately, the scope of the RFP does not give consideration to adding new pedestrian-scaled or decorative lighting beyond the ION platform areas. Staff provided design specifications for various light fixture types to the Region for consideration. The Region provided cost estimates to the City, should the City choose fund pedestrian-scaled lights along the alignment. Depending on the style, the cost per pole ranges from about $4,300 to $11,400. Figure 1. Existing pedestrian- Staff proposes to utilize roadway light poles that have the scaled lights on King Street West option of adding on a mid-pole arm attachment for pedestrian-scaled lighting (as depicted in Figure 2). In total, the estimated cost to the City to upgrade all the basic roadway poles to the design with a mid-arm pedestrian luminaire along the entire alignment would be $1.96M. To scope this request, the City requested that the Region approximate the number of roadway poles in the areas immediately around each platform area because these areas are the focal points for pedestrian activity. The Region advised that there are approximately 100 new roadway lights in these focused areas leading to/from ION Station stops, with the exact numbers to be determined through further design by Project Co. The cost to the City for implementing pedestrian-scaled lighting in these focus areas would be $4,000- $7,000 per pole but would only be feasible if Project Co. proposes LED fixtures rather than the Region’s standard of high pressure sodium fixtures. Confirmation would be required prior to proceeding with any funding commitments to support mid-pole pedestrian-scaled lighting. Confirmation of maintenance obligations would also be required prior to any funding commitments. Figure 2. Example of illumination levels without and with pedestrian-scaled lighting 8 - 7 APPENDIX B –Enhanced Crosswalk Treatments The Region’s scope of work specifies simple painted “ladder” crossings at all intersections (at a cost of approximately $20 / sq m). Both the CBS and ION Station Stop concepts (draft), prepared by the Region, illustrate the benefit of making intersections more prominent leading to the station (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Gaukel ION Station Stop Concept Staff identified the need to delineate crosswalks with alternate materials to give higher priority to pedestrians and transit riders in proximity to the stations where pedestrian traffic volumes are anticipated to be higher. Due to financial constraints, the Rapid Transit team indicated that this request cannot be accommodated within their budget as a standard design element. Staff’s request is that streetprint XD be used as the surface treatment (used for the pedestrian crossings in Belmont Village as shown in Figure 2). It is applied over the asphalt of the roadway allowing for colouring and impressions in the asphalt surface. This treatment is preferred over brick banding and other treatments because it is more durable and requires less maintenance in the long term. The estimated upfront cost of the streetprint XD treatment Figure 2. Example of streetprint XD treatment in Belmont 2 is $280/m, with the incremental cost Village 2 of $260mcurrently considered an upgrade. Given that the upfront cost of streetprint XD is significantly higher than the baseline cost of painted lines, staff focused on primary and secondary intersections along the alignment and 8 - 8 shortlisted only a few intersections. In total, the incremental estimated cost to implement intersection banding at priority intersections along the entire alignment in Kitchener would be approximately $1M. Of the priority intersections that the City identified, the majority of them are shown in the ION Stop Design Concepts as having improved surface treatments. At the time of report writing, the Rapid Transit team has not been able to confirm to what extent enhanced crossings to station platforms shown in the ION Stop Design Concepts have been incorporated into their standard specifications. Of the intersections that the City identified as priority intersections, there were only three that were not identified in the ION Stop Design concepts for crosswalk banding. Of primary importance to staff is the intersection of King and Victoria Streets given its prominence within the city and focal point for Downtown Kitchener. The estimated cost to implement streetprint XD intersection banding at this location is approximately $57,000. 8 - 9 8 - 10 Standard hydro substation baseline design parameters: (see Figure 1): Prefabricated metal box approximately 15m by 5m (50ft by 16ft) in size Surrounded by 3 m (10ft) of gravel and security fencing Must have sightlines to and be located within 15 m (50ft) of the rapid transit line Parallel orientation to the corridor is preferred from an engineering perspective Figure 1. Standard Substation Design *Note: Images above do not show the fencing that is required as part of the design. The Rapid Transit team confirmed that noise from the substations is minimal and assured the City that these structures will meet Ministry of the Environment standards for sensitive land uses. The substations generate heat but ventilation is part of the prefabricated design. With respect to vibration, the Rapid Transit team advised that they do not anticipate any vibration from the substations. Staff expressed concerns to the Rapid Transit team with respect to how unsightly the prefabricated designs can be. The Rapid Transit team committed to major or minor upgrades of all substations with the exception of the one situated along the Huron spur line. Upgrades will include dressing up the cladding of these units, and/or the perimeter fencing and landscaping to better integrate the substations into their respective context. Staff has requested that substations be set back from the sidewalk and positioned perpendicular to the corridor to allow for adequate landscape buffers and reduce visual impact on the streetscape. Cedar Street Substation Example. The hydro substation located at the northwest corner of Cedar Street and Charles Street is at a prominent location at the doorstep of the Cedar Street ION Stop and the gateway to the Market District for ION passengers. The Community Building Strategy (CBS) promotes creating a strong pedestrian connection along Cedar Street to the Market. The vision calls for “positioning development to contribute to walkability and placemaking” Figure 2, below, depicts redevelopment potential of this site over time which would not be possible with the hydro substation on the northwest corner of the intersection. The best case scenario in this location will be disguising the substation with context-sensitive cladding and landscaping. For example, it may be appropriate to wrap the building with a brick façade and wood or wrought iron fencing and low level landscaping to match the design character of the Market District. 8 - 11 Figure 2.Depiction of the Cedar Street ION Stop and Long Term Redevelopment Figure 3, below depicts how the proposed hydro substation would appear at the corner of Cedar and Charles Streets if the standard substation design was installed. Staff will continue to work with the Rapid Transit team and Project Co. through the Site Plan approval process toward context-sensitive placement and design of this facility. Current condition Future condition Figure 3. Standard Hydro Substation depiction at Cedar Street ION Station 8 - 12