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TO: |
Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager |
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FROM: |
J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director |
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SUBJECT: |
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DATE: |
November 6, 2006 |
The purpose of this report is to receive input from citizens on the draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan (Attachment 1).
In 2003, the Town received a $200,000 five-year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to promote active living through programming and physical design. The grant proposal included the preparation of a mobility assessment for the Northside area. The grant proposed that the project will undertake a comprehensive mobility and health program for the Northside neighborhood. The project will work with local community leaders and residents to evaluate mobility issues. This evaluation will include an assessment of barriers to increase pedestrian, bicycle and transit use, and develop a program of improvements. In addition to identification of barriers to mobility the project will develop information and outreach programs designed to educate residents on the health benefits of greater physical activity. Special attention will be given to the health challenges for the African American community.
In November 2004, the Town contracted with North Carolina Prevention Partners to conduct an evaluation of barriers to mobility in the Northside Community. The Report summarized the results of an assessment of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the Northside neighborhood. The Report included recommendations for the repair and construction of sidewalks, connection of pedestrian corridors, improved street lighting, and public safety improvements.
On February 28, 2005, the Council referred the Mobility Assessment of the Northside Neighborhood Report to the Town advisory boards for comment.
On June 20, 2005, the Council held a Public Forum to receive citizen comments on the findings and recommendations of the Mobility Assessment of the Northside Neighborhood Report (Attachment 2).
On August 11, 2005, the Active Living by Design Advisory Committee reviewed the comments from the Public Forum. The Committee also conducted a walking study of the neighborhood, reviewe the study and the comments, and prepared recommendations (Attachment 3).
After the June 20, 2005 Council Public Forum, staff and the Active Living By Design Committee began a thorough review of the original Prevention Partners Study. Beginning in August 2005, staff met with various Town Departments to review the recommendations of the Mobility Assessment. Staff also participated in various community events, such as the Northside Neighborhood Night Out, met with community leaders and attended meetings of the Northside Neighborhood Watch group to gather additional input.
On September 12, 2006, Town Staff met with residents at the Northside Neighborhood Watch meeting to present a revised draft Plan and receive comments. The comments have been incorporated into the draft Plan.
At the same time, Town staff provided recommendations on the draft Northside Report, including comments subsequently incorporated into the draft plan from Police, Engineering, Public Works, Parks & Recreation and Housing Departments. Comments were also received from EmPOWERment Inc. of Chapel Hill.
The Town Council set a Public Hearing for November 6, 2006. A copy of the draft plan is available in the Planning Department and on the Town’s Website.
The draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan addresses a range of pedestrian mobility issues within the Northside area. Details of the improvements are noted below and are included in the maps (Figures A, B, C, D, E and F) and in sections one through eight of the Draft Plan.
Providing continuous sidewalk coverage encourages people to walk by providing dedicated pedestrian routes separated from vehicle traffic, connecting people to work, school, and existing bus stops. The current lack of sidewalk coverage exposes pedestrians to car and bus traffic and contributes to inactive lifestyles.
Proposals to construct new sidewalks in the Northside neighborhood have been problematic in the past. In some cases existing building setbacks from the road are narrow and the construction of sidewalks require, additional right-of-way and would encroach into front yards. There is also continuing concern over safety issues related to loitering along sidewalks, particularly those in close proximity to homes.
Some neighborhood streets are appropriate for pedestrians and vehicles to co-exist without sidewalks. These streets are characterized by narrow widths, low traffic speeds, low traffic volumes, and tight angled turns for vehicles. On streets where sidewalks are not possible because of the concern over public safety issues, an alternative option would be to improve conditions for mixed motor vehicle and pedestrian movement through the provision of traffic calming measures.
Safety improvements include the following recommendations:
Paved path from Craig Street to Baldwin Park (Carrboro) via Town of Chapel Hill Right-of-Way; from the northern end of Church Street to Trinity Court via Town of Chapel Hill Right-of-Way; from Cotton Street to Caldwell Street across Town Property; from Caldwell Street to Northside Buildings Parking Lot across Orange County Property; from McDade Street to North Columbia Street.
Crosswalks and stops signs at the intersection of Roberson Street and Mitchell Lane; crosswalk and stop signs at the intersection of Roberson Street and Whitaker Street; crosswalks and stop sign at the intersection of Lindsay Street and Mitchell Lane; crosswalks at the intersection of Mitchell Lane and Caldwell Street; crosswalk, pedestrian signage, and speed table at the junction of the existing Tanyard Branch Greenway Trail at Caldwell Street; speed tables, crosswalks, and bicycle lane improvements along Church Street; crosswalks on Rosemary Street.
Sidewalks on the west side of Mitchell Lane; on the south side of Gomains Avenue between Craig Street and Sykes Street; on the south side of McMasters Street from Church Street to the west; on the south side of Caldwell Street between Church Street and N. Columbia Street; on the south side of Craig Street between Gomains Avenue and Bynum Street; on the east side of Sunset Street; the west side of Graham Street; and the east side of Sykes Street.
Sidewalks on Gomains Avenue from Sykes Street to Bynum Street and on the east side of Church Street.
Pedestrian safety and traffic calming improvements on key streets within the neighborhood will contribute to a pedestrian environment that is safer for the community. Streets adjacent to the Hargraves Center (Roberson Street and Mitchell Lane), along the Caldwell Street-Gomains Avenue corridor, and the Church Street corridor would benefit from pedestrian safety and traffic calming improvements.
As part of the Prevention Partners mobility study, community members specifically cited the importance of increasing safety around Hargraves Center through the installation of crosswalks to the adjacent streets. Additional pedestrian safety improvements are needed around the center to create an environment that is “pedestrian friendly.” Other streets, including the Caldwell- Gomains Street corridor and the Church Street corridor, are wide and have high traffic volume and speed. Additional traffic calming and pedestrian safety improvements should be considered along these routes.
Hargraves Center requires extra attention paid to pedestrian circulation and safety because of its role as a community hub and pedestrian destination for children and adults. Sidewalks, crosswalks, speed tables, and stop signs on the adjacent streets will improve pedestrian mobility, access, and safety for the site, but additional improvements on the site are necessary for the Hargraves Center to function as a community hub and destination for pedestrians.
Improvements to the Hargraves Community Center: The plan recommends further analysis of the Hargraves site and a master plan is to be developed for the Hargraves site emphasizing pedestrian circulation, pedestrian and vehicle approaches, and the sites in the context of the neighborhood.
Future plans for Greenways incorporate a paved Greenway Trail between Umstead Park and the western end of McMasters Street as well as connecting Umstead Park to Bynum Street. According to this plan, the existing Tanyard Branch Trail will remain unpaved from the western end of McMasters Street to Caldwell Street. The plan recommends proposed improvements to increase mobility in the Northside neighborhood.
Improvements to the Tanyard Branch Greenway Trail: Improved signage between the Hargraves Center and Umstead Park and the proposed improvements to the Tanyard Branch Trail should be installed by Parks and Recreation.
Since pedestrian mobility from Northside to locations throughout the Town is highly dependent upon the bus transit system, having a functioning bus route through the Northside neighborhood is essential. (See figure F for a map of the transit routes that serve Northside neighborhood.) The A Route, which most directly serves Northside’s populations, currently only travels away from downtown through the Northside neighborhood. The area hatched in red represents the area outside of a quarter mile walking radius from weekday bus stops, excluding the A Routes path through Northside. Given that many low- and moderate-income neighborhood residents are transit dependent, transit service in the Northside neighborhood should be reassessed. Possible solutions include:
Additional lighting in the neighborhood is not recommended except on Caldwell Street. Street lighting is recommended on Caldwell Street in front of the Greenway Trail entrance. Current street light spacing at this location is 450 feet. (See figure 14 for the proposed street light location.)
In Northside, community members have cited concern for abandoned housing within the neighborhood. An unattractive and unsafe streetscape caused by abandoned and boarded up housing will decrease the likelihood that people will use pedestrian travel as a mode of transportation.
The plan recommends that the community consider a Demolition by Neglect policy as part of the Northside Conservation District Plan. A Demolition by Neglect policy has been recently adopted in the Town’s historic districts.
The plan recommends that the Town develop an emergency call box policy and maintenance of the box as well as an emergency response plan.
The Town Staff will review citizen comments received from the November 6th forum as well as comments from Town advisory committees and make modifications to the Mobility Plan. We anticipate returning to the Council with this item on December 4, 2006.
Planning Board Recommendation: (Attachment 5) The Board voted unanimously to recommend that the council approve the draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan and forward the following comments to the Town Council:
Sidewalk improvements should be considered for Pritchard Avenue Extension, which is an important north-south connector and hosts many informal pedestrian paths.
Sidewalks in the Craig-Gomains and Sykes Street area should connect pedestrians to Rosemary Street where they can access more bus routes and other destinations.
The Board raised concerns about using traffic calming as an alternative to sidewalks on streets with loitering problems. An approach to get more neighbors walking around the neighborhood would be an effective crime deterrent, while traffic calming does little to encourage walking or discourage undesirable activities.
Transportation Board Recommendation (Attachment 6): The Board voted unanimously to recommend that the Council approve the draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan and recommended that staff develop an implementation plan.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Recommendation (Attachment 7): The Board voted unanimously to endorse the draft plan and recommended to the Council that the introduction should state that increasing walkability would help reduce crime.
Staff Recommendation: We recommend that the Council receive comments from citizens tonight at the Public Forum and adopt the attached resolution referring the comments to the Active Living by Design Advisory Committee and to the Town Manager and Town Attorney for response and possible modification to the draft Northside Pedestrian Mobility Plan.