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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda_YAB_10.01.2019Notice of Meeting for the Youth Adv isory B oard of the City of Georgetown October 1, 2019 at 6:30 P M at Georgetown Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Av e 78626 T he C ity of G eorgetown is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require as s is tance in partic ipating at a public meeting due to a disability, as defined under the ADA, reas onable as s is tance, adaptations , or ac commodations will be provided upon request. P leas e c ontact the C ity S ec retary's O ffic e, at leas t three (3) days prior to the sc heduled meeting date, at (512) 930-3652 or C ity Hall at 808 Martin Luther King Jr. S treet, G eorgetown, T X 78626 for additional information; T T Y users route through R elay Texas at 711. Regular Session (T his R egular S es s ion may, at any time, be rec es s ed to c onvene an Exec utive S es s ion for any purpose authorized by the O pen Meetings Act, Texas G overnment C ode 551.) A C all to O rder B R oll C all C P resentation on the G eorgetown Draft Bicycle Master P lan. R oy Miller, Jr., Transportation P lanning C oordinator / Interim Director of P ublic Works D Upc oming events for 2019/2020 - Arica Kolb, R ecreation S upervis or L egislativ e Regular Agenda E C ons ideration and possible action to approve minutes from the Augus t 6, 2019 Youth Advisory Board meeting Adjournment Adjournment Ce rtificate of Posting I, R obyn Densmore, C ity S ecretary for the C ity of G eorgetown, Texas, do hereby c ertify that this Notic e of Meeting was posted at C ity Hall, 808 Martin Luther King Jr. S treet, G eorgetown, T X 78626, a plac e readily acc es s ible to the general public as required by law, on the _____ day of _________________, 2019, at __________, and remained s o posted for at leas t 72 c ontinuous hours prec eding the s cheduled time of said meeting. __________________________________ R obyn Dens more, C ity S ec retary Page 1 of 25 City of Georgetown, Texas Youth Advisory Board October 1, 2019 S UB J E C T: C all to O rder IT E M S UMMARY: C all to O rder F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T: None S UB MIT T E D B Y: Arica Kolb Page 2 of 25 City of Georgetown, Texas Youth Advisory Board October 1, 2019 S UB J E C T: R oll C all IT E M S UMMARY: R oll C all F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T: R oll C all S UB MIT T E D B Y: Arica Keilers Page 3 of 25 City of Georgetown, Texas Youth Advisory Board October 1, 2019 S UB J E C T: P res entation on the G eorgetown Draft Bic yc le Mas ter P lan. R oy Miller, Jr., Trans portation P lanning C oordinator / Interim Direc tor of P ublic Works IT E M S UMMARY: S taff with inform the board of the G eorgetown Draft Bic yc le Mas ter P lan. F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T: None S UB MIT T E D B Y: Arica Kolb AT TAC H ME N T S: Description Type Executive Summary - Bike Mas ter Plan Cover Memo Page 4 of 25 1 Georgetown Bicycle Master Plan Page 5 of 25 2 City of Georgetown Bicycle Master Plan (Draft as of 7.29.2019) Page 6 of 25 Acknowledgements 3 CITY OF GEORGETOWN STAFF Public Works Octavio Garza, former Director Ray Miller, Jr., Transportation Planning Coordinator Ed Polasek, former Transportation Planning Coordinator Mady Akers, Data Analyst Planning Sofia Nelson, Director Nat Waggoner, Long Range Planning Communications Keith Hutchinson, Manager Library Eric Lashley, Director City Manager’s Office Jim Briggs, General Manager of Utilities UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN Project Manager Dr. Ming Zhang, AICP Project Assistant Evan Scott Project Team (2018) Chris Bischak Kyle Smith Liang Chen Louis Alcorn Madison Graham Nicole McGrath Paulina Urbanowicz Rachel Thomas Robert Davila Sydni Ligons Ziqi Liu Georgetown’s residents have offered incredible insight and local knowledge that proved invaluable in this plan’s creation, and the project team would like to extend its gratitude to each individual who participated in helping to produce a bicycle network that will serve the City for years to come. Page 7 of 25 Acknowledgements 4 ADVISORY SUPPORT City of Georgetown Kimberly Garrett, Director, Parks and Recreation Eric Nuner, Parks and Recreation Cari Miller, Manager, Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Roland Waits, Police Department Clay Shell, Fire Department Georgetown Independent School District Virginia Wade, Route Coordinator David Biesheuvel, Executive Director of Construction and Development Southwestern University Derek Timorian, Associate Dean of Student Life Jim Seals, Police Department William Dunn, Police Department TxDOT Bonnie Sherman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager John Peters, Assistant Area Engineer - Austin District Williamson County Randy Bell, Parks and Recreation Adam Boatright, Roads and Bridges Texas Transportation Institute Phil Lasley, Mobility Analysis Group Page 8 of 25 Table of Contents 5 Acknowledgements 3 Table of Contents 5 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 10 Executive Summary 11 Vision, Goals and Objectives 11 SWOT Highlights 13 Proposed Bicycle System 14 Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation Plan 16 Chapter 1: Introduction 17 1.1 Planning Purposes 17 1.2 Planning Process 18 1.2.1 Public Involvement 18 1.2.2 Online and On-Site Intercept Surveys 19 1.2.3 Field Investigation and Expert Consultation 21 Chapter 2: Current Conditions 22 2.1 Study Area 22 2.1.1 Geographic Factors 23 2.1.2 Major Barriers 23 2.1.3 Demographic Factors 27 2.2 Bicycle Demand Assessment 29 2.2.1 Key Takeaways from Community Workshops and Stakeholder Meetings 29 2.2.2 Key Takeaways from Online and Intercept Surveys 29 2.3 Bicycle Infrastructure Assessments 31 2.3.1 Existing Bicycle Facilities 32 2.3.2 Existing Infrastructure Factors 32 2.3.3 Planning & Zoning Factors 34 Page 9 of 25 Table of Contents 6 2.4 Connectivity Assessment 36 2.5 Bicycle Level of Travel Stress Analysis 38 2.6 Crash Analysis 40 2.7 SWOT Analysis 42 2.7.1 Strengths 43 2.7.2 Weaknesses 44 2.7.3 Opportunities 45 2.7.4 Threats 46 2.8 Policy Environment Assessment 48 2.8.1 Current “5Es” Practices 48 2.8.2 Funding Constraints and Opportunities 50 2.9 Current Conditions Conclusions and Recommendations 53 Chapter 3: Recommendations 54 3.1 Vision, Goals and Objectives 54 3.2 Proposed Bicycle System 56 3.3 Proposed Plans for Focal Areas 61 3.3.1 Detailed Recommendations for Critical Nodes/Intersections 63 3.4 Phasing and Timeline 65 3.4.1 Top 10 Priority Projects 65 3.5 Recommended Treatments for Various Street Types 70 3.5.1 Major Arterial –Inner Loop 70 3.5.2 Minor Arterials-Northwest Boulevard 70 3.5.3 Local Street/Collector -8th Street 72 3.5.4 8th Street Cycle-Track 74 3.5.5 Intersection Treatment -Maple and University 76 3.6 Bike Parking and Bike Share Recommendations 77 3.7 Policy Recommendations 81 3.7.1 General Amendments 82 Page 10 of 25 Table of Contents 7 3.7.2 Incorporation of Biking into Other Planning Efforts 82 3.7.3 Program Recommendations 83 3.7.4 Design Standards 84 3.8 Cost Estimate 85 3.9 Decision-Making Process 86 Chapter 4: Make It Happen: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation Plan 87 4.1 Introduction 87 4.2 5E’s Recommendations 89 4.2.1 Engineering 89 4.2.2 Education 90 4.2.3 Encouragement 92 4.2.4 Enforcement 93 4.2.5 Evaluation 94 4.3 Conclusions 95 Page 11 of 25 List of Figures 8 Figure 1. Proposed Bike Network 15 Figure 2: Intercept Survey Locations 20 Figure 3: Major Bicycling Barriers 24 Figure 4. Most Unsafe Intersections in Georgetown (Source: Online Survey Responses, 2018) 26 Figure 5: Georgetown Population, 2016 (Source: American Community Survey) 27 Figure 6. Existing Off-street Trail System in Georgetown 31 Figure 7. Existing Zoning Classifications 34 Figure 8. Future Land Use -General Plan 35 Figure 9. Segments Identified as Primary Connectivity Concerns 37 Figure 10. Final BLTS Rating Map by Street Segment 39 Figure 11. Bicycle and Pedestrian Crashes in Georgetown 41 Figure 12. Georgetown Bike Share Bicycles 48 Figure 13. Proposed Network Concept Map 56 Figure 14. Proposed Bicycle Network 58 Figure 15. East View High School Safe Crossing 63 Figure 16. Mitchell Elementary and George Wagner Middle School 63 Figure 17. Georgetown and Chip Richarte High Schools 64 Figure 18. Top 10 Priority Projects 67 Figure 19: Project Prioritization 68 Figure 20. Complete List of Prioritized Projects 69 Figure 21. Current Conditions on SE Inner Loop 70 Figure 22. Before and After Treatments on Northwest Boulevard 71 Figure 23. Local Street Before and After Treatment 72 Figure 24. Holly/College St. Crossing to Bridge and Trail 73 Figure 25. Current Conditions and Potential Cycle Track in Downtown Georgetown 75 Page 12 of 25 List of Figures 9 Figure 26. Before and After Intersection Treatment of Maple St. and University Ave. 76 Figure 27. Weighted Suitability for Bicycle Parking Priority Areas 78 Figure 28. Weighted Suitability Analysis for Bicycle Parking Priority Areas (Zoom to Downtown) 79 Figure 29. Bike-U Racks in San Gabriel Park 80 Figure 30. Example of On-Street Parking Spaces Converted to Bike Corral in Austin, TX 80 Figure 31. San Antonio Mayor Leading a Bike Ride 92 Figure 32. A new bicycle traffic counter is tested 94 Page 13 of 25 List of Tables 10 Table 1. BLTS Ratings Utilized to Grade Georgetown, TX 39 Table 2. Mileage of Existing and Proposed Bicycle Facilities by Type 60 Table 3. Top 10 Priority Projects Descriptions 66 Table 4. Tier 1 (Top 10) Network Cost 85 Page 14 of 25 In 2018,the City of Georgetown began updating its 2030 Comprehensive Plan.A component of this update is the Bicycle Master Plan (the Plan),a joint effort between City staff and a project team from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin).An initial study of bicycling conditions in Georgetown was conducted in fall 2016 by the UT project team.This study provided a baseline for the formal planning process that began in fall 2018.To inform the plan-making,the project team engaged with the Georgetown community extensively through public workshops,online surveys,and neighborhood intercept surveys;led stakeholder meetings with City and County staff and representatives of regional and state agencies;and administered site visits across the city.In addition,the project team assembled 12 case studies of best practices from around the country and completed 11 topical reports on technical components of bicycle planning, including but not limited to crash analyses,cost estimates,and design considerations. Executive Summary 11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VISION,GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The vision statement of the Georgetown Bicycle Master Plan describes the bicycling environment that the Plan aims to offer to Georgetown’s residents and visitors. The goals and objectives specify strategies, actions, and paths toward the realization of that vision. Page 15 of 25 Executive Summary 12 VISION STATEMENT Georgetown will have a safe, well-connected bicycle network that is accessible to all ages, abilities, and backgrounds; supports the local economy; and improves the experience of everyone biking in the community. Goals Objectives Promote safety for cycling on-and off- road •Prioritize bike paths that minimize conflicts with vehicle traffic. •Design intersections that prioritize protected bicycle and pedestrian crossings. •Increase awareness of and respect for bicycle riders through education and enforcement. Develop connectivity across the city to provide access to popular destinations •Design and build bicycle corridors that connect residential areas with the city center and major destinations. •Integrate with regional trails and bicycle networks. •Overcome barriers at critical crossing points to provide east-west and north-south connectivity across the city. Enhance equity in bike access •Balance the needs and interests of cycling groups and the general public. •Improve bicycle and pedestrian access around schools. •Build flat paths where possible to accommodate users of all abilities. •Expand transportation choices in underserved areas through bicycle infrastructure and connections to public transportation through first and last mile bicycle connections. Support the economy through bicycling •Implement bike and pedestrian-oriented urban design to increase transportation options to downtown businesses. •Promote bicycle tourism by fostering partnership between public agencies, private business, and non-profit organizations. •Ensure that commercial destinations have adequate bicycle parking. •Attract bicycle-oriented business. Foster a bicycle friendly culture •Educate residents about proper bicycling behaviors for bicyclists, drivers, and pedestrians. •Provide bicycle network maps and install wayfinding signage. •Pursue a Bicycle Friendly Community Designation. •Promote cycling as an easy, inexpensive way to enhance public health. Page 16 of 25 Strengths •Bicycling for recreation is already very popular within the community. •Recreational trails are utilized and enjoyed by residents and visitors. •The Georgetown Public Library and the Sheraton Hotel both manage well- used public bike sharing services, and Southwestern University provides its students with on-campus bike sharing. •Residents expressed support for additional bicycling facilities. Weaknesses •The lack of bike lanes and bike facilities makes some residents feel unsafe while riding bikes. •Drivers and bike riders lack knowledge and experience comfortably sharing the road. •Most bicycle trips are recreational rather than for commuting or running errands. This is potentially due to Georgetown’s proximity to a large city, its extensive parks with existing trails, and lack of bicycle infrastructure connecting popular destinations. Opportunities •Survey respondents stated that expansion of off-street trails would encourage bicycle use. •Projects and infrastructure improvements that overlap with planned or proposed projects in other departments (e.g. Streets) can be prioritized for their low cost and high reward. •There exist roads that can be utilized as a secondary low stress network to guide bikes away from major roadways. Threats •Rapid development outside of Downtown does not lend itself to biking due to long distances between destinations. •Improvements made to major arterials without incorporated bicycle infrastructure will fortify existing barriers to bike connectivity and likely create new threats. •Lack of coordination among public agencies and private developers or advocates concerned with biking might delay or deter the implementation of City-wide bicycle system integration and infrastructure improvement. Executive Summary 13 SWOT HIGHLIGHTS A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted based on information gathered from public engagements and field investigations. Safety, connectivity, equity, economy, and culture are key themes that emerged from the SWOT analysis. These themes have become key attributes of the vision and directed the formulation of goals and objectives of the Plan. Page 17 of 25 Executive Summary 14 PROPOSED BICYCLE SYSTEM Planning and design of the bicycle network are guided by the Plan Vision, Goals, and Objectives. The essential elements of the proposed system can be characterized using the “5-4-3-2-1” framework below. A map of the proposed system is shown in Figure 1. 5 types of bicycle infrastructure It is not feasible nor economical to provide bicycle treatment on all streets, roadways, and intersections. The Plan proposes five types of common bicycle treatments: off-street path, physically protected bike lane, buffered bike lane, striped bike lane, and sharrow. Application of each type should be based on the assessment of system needs and local conditions. 4 sets of critical connections The Plan proposes improvement to four sets of critical connections in order to overcome the identified bicycling barriers. The first set includes four bicycle crossing points along I-35 to improve east-west biking connectivity. The second set includes three crossing points along San Gabriel River to improve north-south connectivity in northern Georgetown. The third set includes three crossing points along University Ave. The fourth set connects Sun City to Overlook Park and Downtown while minimizing conflicts with Williams Dr. 3 closed bicycle loops Upon completion of the four sets of critical connections, the Plan presents three closed bicycle loops to serve the whole of Georgetown. •Loop 1: Central Georgetown components San Gabriel bike trail to the north and west, Maple St. and Holly St. to the east, 15th and 16th St. to the south •Loop 2: Southern Georgetown components San Gabriel bike trail to the north, Inner Loop to the east, 21st St. to the south, Wolf Ranch Pkwy. to the west •Loop 3: Northern Georgetown components San Gabriel bike trail network to the west and south, trails in Berry Springs Park to the east, Shell Rd. to the north 2 corridors in central Georgetown Two corridors connect the three bicycle loops described above. They form a secondary low stress network that minimizes conflicts with Austin Ave. and 7th St., which carry large volumes of vehicular traffic. The north-south corridor follows Main St. and the east-west corridor is along 8th St. They intersect at the Square, Georgetown’s historic center. 1 central core The Square is the vibrant, people-centered focal point of Georgetown. The Plan aims to enhance connectivity between the Square and the rest of the city, building off of existing roads and integrating with park paths. Page 18 of 25 Executive Summary 15 Figure 1. Proposed Bike Network *for descriptions of the types of bike infrastructure shown in Figure 1, see page 44 Page 19 of 25 Executive Summary 16 ENGINEERING, EDUCATION, ENCOURAGEMENT, ENFORCEMENT, AND EVALUATION PLAN Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation make up the “5E’s” framework, the industry standard for implementing bicycle or pedestrian improvements. The City already possesses an extensive network of off-street cycling trails, which are popular among local bike riders and visitors and stimulate economic development for local businesses. The citizens of Georgetown have expressed interest in connecting the off-street trails and other key areas of the city via on-street facilities. To fulfill these requests, this plan utilizes the 5E’s framework. High level recommendations for each E are as follows: Engineering •Strengthen the City’s Complete Streets policy •Adopt NACTO guidelines in all design manuals Education •Expand the Safe Routes to School program •Train City engineers in bicycle facility design •Partner with local bicycle advocacy groups to provide educational classes for adults and students Encouragement •Create a bicycle advisory committee •Implement bicycle encouragement programs •Work toward recognition as a Bicycle Friendly Community Enforcement •Work with the Georgetown Police Department to refresh officers on bicycle safety •Enhance local laws and regulations to improve safety for bicyclists and all Evaluation •Create a bicycle and pedestrian counting program •Implement a set of system performance measures Page 20 of 25 City of Georgetown, Texas Youth Advisory Board October 1, 2019 S UB J E C T: Upcoming events for 2019/2020 - Aric a Kolb, R ec reation S upervisor IT E M S UMMARY: Upcoming events for 2019/2020 - Aric a Kolb, R ec reation S upervisor F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T: None S UB MIT T E D B Y: Arica Kolb Page 21 of 25 City of Georgetown, Texas Youth Advisory Board October 1, 2019 S UB J E C T: C onsideration and pos s ible ac tion to approve minutes from the August 6, 2019 Youth Advis ory Board meeting IT E M S UMMARY: C onsideration and pos s ible ac tion to approve minutes from the August 6, 2019 Youth Advis ory Board meeting F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T: None S UB MIT T E D B Y: Arica Kolb AT TAC H ME N T S: Description Type Minutes _GYAB_8.6.2019 Cover Memo Page 22 of 25 Georgetown Youth Advisory Board Minutes Tuesday August 6, 2019 Georgetown Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Ave Georgetown, Texas 78626 The Georgetown Youth Advisory Board met Monday, August 6, 2019, at 6:30 pm at 1003 N. Austin Ave., Georgetown, TX 78626. This Regular Session may, at any time, be recessed to convene an Executive Session for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code 551.) The City of Georgetown is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require assistance in participating at a public meeting due to a disability, as defined under the ADA, reasonable assistance, adaptations, or accommodations will be provided upon request. Please contact the City Secretary’s Office, at least three (3) days prior to t he scheduled meeting date, at (512) 930 -3652 or City Hall at 808 Martin Luther King Jr Street for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. Regular Session (This Regular Session may, at any time, be recessed to convene an Executive Session for any purpose authorized by the Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code 551.) A Call to Order Lucas Friggle called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. B Roll Call Present: David Zambrano, Jacob Bradley, Lucas Friggle, Garrett Hevey Absent: Alvin Gusman C Upcoming events for 2019/2020 - Arica Kolb, Recreation Supervisor Arica talked about upcoming events: Parks and Recreation Halloween Festival, Hype for the Holidays, MLK Service Day, YAC Summit, Cupid’s 5K Race, Pop into Spring. Legislative Regular Agenda D Consideration and possible action to approve minutes from the May 7, 2019 Youth Advisory Board meeting Motion made to approve the minutes by David Zambrano and seconded by Lucas Friggle. Approved: 5-0-1 Adjournment Meeting was adjourned at 7:03 ______________________________________ Alvin Gusman, Board Chair ____________________________________ Lucas Friggle, Secretary _______________________________ Arica Kolb, Board Liaison Page 23 of 25 Georgetown Youth Advisory Board Minutes Tuesday August 6, 2019 Georgetown Recreation Center, 1003 N. Austin Ave Georgetown, Texas 78626 Page 24 of 25 City of Georgetown, Texas Youth Advisory Board October 1, 2019 S UB J E C T: Adjournment IT E M S UMMARY: Adjournment F IN AN C IAL IMPAC T: None S UB MIT T E D B Y: Arica Kolb Page 25 of 25