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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-14-061 - Downtown Cycling Network Improvements Staff Rep►�►r I r Infrastruc�ture5ervrresDepartment wvwuukitchenerra REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: June 23, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: Justin Readman, Director of Transportation Services, 519-741-2200, extension 7038 PREPARED BY: Josh Joseph, Transportation Demand Management Coordinator, 519-741-2200, extension 7152 WARD(S) INVOLVED: Wards 9 & 10 DATE OF REPORT: June 6, 2014 REPORT NO.: INS 14-061 SUBJECT: Downtown Cycling Network Improvements RECOMMENDATIONS: That the existing bicycle lane on Queen Street between St.George Street and Courtland Avenue be removed; and, That Queen Street between Courtland Avenue and Lancaster Street, Courtland Avenue West/Jubilee Drive/Park Street between Queen Street and Victoria Street, Joseph Street between Victoria Street and Queen Street, and Gaukel Street betweekn Joseph Street and King Street be added to the sharrow network; and, That Henry Street between Victoria Street and Jubilee Drive, and College Street between Ahrens Street and King Street be added to the signed bike route network; and That the cycling infrastructure improvements outlined within this report be installed as per `Appendix A'; and further, That the Uniform Traffic By-law be amended accordingly. BACKGROUND: Kitchener's Cycling Master Plan identifies a number of key objectives to attract new cyclists, strengthen bicycle policies, create a bikeway network on city streets, increase bicycle parking, expand programs to support cycling, increase funding for bicycle facilities, and create a sustainable culture of cycling development. Cycling offers a variety of benefits to individuals, communities, and the environment, including healthier and active lifestyles, reduced traffic congestion and parking demand, and improved air quality. In 2013, the City of Kitchener became one of the first municipalities in Ontario to encourage a single-file approach amongst cyclists and motorists in a downtown urban environment through 13 - 1 the installation of sharrows. Sharrows are road markings, represented as a bicycle with two chevrons, which remind motorists and cyclists to be courteous and share the road. Sharrows, improved signage, and other physical treatments help to create a bicycle priority street that can improve visibility of cyclists and encourage motorists and cyclists to share the road safely. The City of Kitchener's Cycling Master Plan recommends creating a network of bicycle priority streets in Downtown Kitchener due to narrow traffic lanes, frequent blocks, wide sidewalks, high pedestrian traffic, and low traffic speeds. As the network is implemented, new opportunities or constraints may be identified and alternative routes should be sought to connect destinations, fill gaps and bridge barriers. As such, the recommended bikeway network is somewhat of a living document that guides the actions and decisions of the City and allows a bike system to grow over time. In January 2014 staff presented a five year cycling implementation strategy within the Cycling Master Plan Update Report (INS-14-002). Within report INS-14-002 staff were directed to undergo a public consultation process and seek council approval prior to implementation of any newly identified bicycle facilities (i.e. bicycle facilities not previously identified within the cycling master plan). REPORT: A useful framework for improving road safety, from a public health approach, places an emphasis on the three Es — integrating education, enforcement and engineering. The education of drivers and cylists, the enforcement of the rules of the road, and engineering enhacements form a systemic and integrated approach to road safety. Sharing the road safely does not rely on engineering alone and must be tied with appropriate education and enforcement, described in further detail below. uuuu ouuuuduuuuuuuuuuu ouuuouu Engineering In the three Es model, engineering refers to physical infrastructure improvements, including sharrows, bicycle lanes, signage, and other bikeway improvements. Installing sharrows and/or 13 - 2 bike route signage, where appropriate, satisfies the engineering component and increases the presence and visibility of cycling in Downtown Kitchener. It is important to note that the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) recently published their cycling facilities manual (Book 18), which states: Unless cycling is specifically restricted, all roadways are considered to be shared roadways where both motorists and cyclists share the same vehicular travel lane. Sharrows are an optional treatment and context specific. They are used on streets where dedicated bicycle lanes are desirable but are not feasible due to physical or other constraints. The maximum suitable traffic speed is 50 km/h for single file. Sharrows should be applied in the centre of the lane where lane widths are less than 4 metres wide. Within the downtown area sharrows are the most appropriate bicycle infrastructure type given the existing constraints (narrow asphalt widths) within the roadway network. Through consultation with the Kitchener Cycling Advisory Committee a number of additional streets were identified for inclusion within the downtown cycling network. Part of the consideration for the expansion within downtown includes connectivity of significant cycling generators/ destinations. These include: shops and restaurants, existing and planned multi-residential buildings, employement clustsers, cultural destinations and significant transit nodes and stops. Within the table below, the streets highlighted in bold have been identified as important cycling connections within the downtown that were not previously identified in the Cycling Master Plan. The additional streets contained within the table below were previously approved, through the adoption of the cycling master plan. All of the street segments within the table are also displayed in the map attached as Appendix A. Residents along the newly identified streets were circulated a letter in May and asked for their feedback. A summary of the responses is outlined within the community engagement section of this report. Street Cycling From To Infrastructure Queen Street(1.6 Sharrows and bike Courtland Avenue Lancaster Street km) route signage David Street(0.7 km) Bike route signage Iron Horse Trail Joseph Street Courtland Avenue Sharrows and bike West/Jubilee Drive/ route signage Queen Street Victoria Street Park Street 1.0 km Henry Street 0.3 km Bike route signage Victoria Street Jubilee Drive Joseph Street Sharrows and bike Victoria Street Queen Street 0.8km route signage Gaukel Street Sharrows and bike Joseph Street King Street 0.2km route signage Water Street* (0.2km Sharrows and bike Jubilee Drive Joseph Street + 0.3km) route signage King Street Weber Street Young Street (0.45 Bike route signage King Street Maynard Avenue km) College Street(0.45 Bike route signage King Street Ahrens Street km 13 - 3 Street Cycling From To Infrastructure Church Street 0.5 Bike route si na a Queen Street Cedar Street Cedar Street(0.25km) Sharrows and bike Duke Street Charles Street route si na e Cedar Street 0.4km Bike route si na a Courtland Avenue Charles Street Duke Street (0.4km) Sharrows and bike Frederick Street Cedar Street route si na e * Water Street consists of bike lanes and bike boxes from Joseph Street to King Street as part of planned reconstruction work, and sharrows from Jubilee to Joseph and King to Weber. The 2013 reconstruction of Queen Street between Charles Street and Courtland Avenue allowed for the installation of cycling lanes for a short segment between St. George Street and Courtland Avenue. City staff have received concern from members of the public and the Kitchener Cycling Advisory Committee that the segment of bicycle lanes along this section is too short and creates an unsafe situation where cyclists are required to share the road immediately before and after this segment. Staff propose removing this short length of cycling lanes and install sharrows along this segment. Education BikeKitchener promotes and fosters a sustainable cycling culture among Kitchener residents of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Whether residents are looking for information on cycling routes, safety tips, promotional events or upcoming projects, BikeKitchener provides information, resources, and support to those interested in cycling. A variety of events and initiatives are underway to educate cyclists and motorists about rules of the road, sharrows, and the importance of sharing the road, including: • Bike Month events and activities: As part of Bike Month, BikeKitchener is hosting a variety of community events and activities including BikeFest, the Kitchener Bike Challenge, community bike rides, bike fix-it demos, free bicycle safety checkovers, a 2014 bike map with cycling tips and resources, and a new cycling education video available on the City of Kitchener's YouTube Channel. • Thumbs Up Waterloo Region Campaign: During this year's bike month in June, a road safety campaign called Thumbs Up Waterloo Region is being launched through a community partnership between the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, the Region of Waterloo, Waterloo Cycling Club, Waterloo Regional Police Services and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The campaign includes radio advertisements encouraging motorists to share the road, a social media strategy with prize giveaways, and a special 16-page insert in The Record highlighting cycling safety information and events in Waterloo Region. • Downtown Bicycle Ambassadors: BikeKitchener has partnered with the Downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Area (BIA) to hire four ambassadors who are members of Community Access Bikeshare and are responsible for demonstrating positive cycling behaviour and distribute educational materials to cyclists and motorists on sharing the road. 13 - 4 Enforcement Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS) has been a strong partner in improving road safety for motorists and cyclists by participating in the Thumbs Up Waterloo Region Campaign. A collaborative relationship is being developed with WRPS and bicycle patrol officers will receive information on the sharrows and will play an active role in fostering a positive relationship between cyclists and motorists in Downtown Kitchener. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy Kitchener's Cycling Master Plan emphasizes the importance of establishing a Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy to monitor progress, evaluate deficiencies and strengths, and report on strategic actions and objectives. In order to achieve this, staff have invested in Traffic Engineering Software (TES), new traffic counters and is collecting information through surveys and other means. Data collection throughout the implementation of the cycling master plan and transportation demand management is imperative to gauge quantifiable successes. Serving in part as a performance measurement program, TES can monitor progress towards planning goals in addition to contributing towards a performance measurement framework that is tied to the cycling master plan's strategic framework. Combined with other data collection opportunities, like the cycling survey, Staff and the Cycling Advisory Committee are able to work towards more efficient prioritization of programming and infrastructure improvements. As cultural and behavioural changes do not happen overnight, it is imperative that cycling studies are conducted to analyse trends in cyclist and motorist behaviour over time. Cycling studies are currently underway and staff are pursuing the installation of permanent inductive loops that measure cyclist ridership and direction. Should Council endorse the recommendations within this report, all proposed cycling infrastructure measures are expected to be installed in 2014. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The cycling initiatives outlined in this report align with many elements of the City of Kitchener's Strategic Plan, including: • Leadership and Engagement: The City of Kitchener is taking an active leadership role by investing in cycling and engaging the public to better understand how to encourage people to ride bicycles to work, school, and other activities. • Quality of Life: Promoting and encouraging cycling will lead to an improvement in quality of life through reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality, and providing residents with more opportunities for physical activity. • Environment: Cycling is a sustainable mode of transportation that emits zero greenhouse gas emissions. By supporting cycling, the City of Kitchener is taking an active role in becoming more environmentally friendly. 13 - 5 • Diversity: The City of Kitchener is committed to providing residents with equitable access to the social, economic, and cultural fabric of civic life. Cycling as a mode of transportation provides current and future residents of Kitchener with an affordable and accessible means of transportation. • Development: The Strategic Plan specifically mentions supporting transportation alternatives and developing communities that are safe and connected. Cycling is a sustainable transportation alternative that complements and supports people-friendly development. • Dynamic Downtown: The City of Kitchener's vision for a vital and lively Downtown will rely on more residents traveling by foot, bicycle, or public transportation. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The cost for the installation of approximately 4.35 km of sharrows and signage plus 2.9 km of bike route signage identified within this report will be approximately $77,000 and will be taken from the cycling budget. This cost includes the installation of signs and the painting of cycling symbols. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Kitchener's Cycling Master Plan was strongly guided by public input through consultation with the Cycling Advisory Committee, stakeholders, and members of the public at various cycling tours, stakeholder workshops, and consultation events. The City of Kitchener Cycling Advisory Committee is a citizen-based committee that provides advice to council and staff on the design, development and delivery of bicycle policies, programs and facilities to promote and enhance cycling in the city. The Cycling Advisory Committee will continue to act as a prominent voice in the community for cycling related issues and solutions and will continue to work with members of the public, staff and Council towards these goals. At the June 10th meeting of the Cycling Advisory Committee, the following motion was passed to support the implementation plan for the downtown cycling network: That the City of Kitchener Cycling Advisory Committee accept recommendations from city staff on the Downtown Cycling Network. The Cycling Advisory Committee also requests additional education and enforcement initiatives to educate cyclists and motorists about the sharrows and sharing the road. Two public information sessions were hosted (May 31St at the Kitchener Market and June 1St at BikeFest) to encourage residents to provide feedback on the downtown cycling network. A letter was also distributed to residents on streets that were not previously identified in the cycling master plan and a summary of the comments received are provided below: • In regards to Queen Street, concerns were raised regarding the high truck volumes and increased traffic congestion. Traffic is expected to decrease in this area when the Margaret Avenue bridge is reopened and construction on the library and parking garage finishes. Queen Street is an important component of the cycling network that connects destinations including significant employment areas, Kitchener Public Library, Vogelsang Green, Iron Horse Trail connections, and planned future bikeshare station locations. 13 - 6 • High bus traffic volumes were noted on Gaukel Street, however, given the narrow road width, the safest position for a cyclist is in the centre of a traffic lane that is less than 4.0 metres wide. • Concerns were raised over the installation of sharrows on Henry Street and given the short connection and low traffic volumes, only bicycle route signage is being proposed. • Emphasis on the need for improved education and enforcement for motorists and cyclists in Downtown Kitchener to encourage sharing the road safely. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services Department 13 - 7 Appendix A — Recommended Cycling Infrastructure Improvements A' J„ a " V� r � ul nnay n r �i Sharrows and bike route signage Bike route signage 13 - 8