City of Gainesville - File #: 120712.

• File #: 120712.
• Version: 3
• Type: Discussion Item
• Status: Filed
• File created: 10/7/2013
• In control: Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works Committee
• On agenda: 7/18/2013
• Final action: 11/19/2013
• Title: Signage and Pavement Marking Improvements for Pedestrian Safety (B) This item is a proposal to implement improvements to enhance pedestrian safety.
• Related files: 120542, 121053., 100270.

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
7/18/2013	3	City Commission	Approved as Recommended	Pass
6/24/2013	3	City Commission	Referred
6/20/2013	3	City Commission	Continued	Pass
4/23/2013	1
4/23/2013	2	Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works Committee	No Action Taken
1/3/2013	1	City Commission	Referred

Title

Signage and Pavement Marking Improvements for Pedestrian Safety (B)

This item is a proposal to implement improvements to enhance pedestrian safety.

Explanation

The City of Gainesville ranks 2^nd in the number of fatal and injury crashes involving cyclists and 7^th involving pedestrians out of 31 cities in Florida with populations of 75,000 or more (source: Florida Department of Transportation Highway Safety Matrix, 2007-2011). Currently there are three parallel City Commission referrals (#120712 - Status Update on City Commission Strategic Initiative 5.1; #120542 - Signage and Pavement Marking Improvements for Pedestrian Safety; and #121053 -  Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan) to the Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works Committee to address similar concerns related to bicycle and pedestrian safety. In addition, the City Commission's Strategic Initiative 5.1 is focused on enhancing multimodal access and improving the transportation system to increase the safety of all users. Several efforts have taken place over the past few years or are ongoing to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety including transportation system modifications (such as installation of sidewalks and bike lanes, intersection changes, signal timing improvements, ongoing bicycle and pedestrian safety action plan, ongoing development of bicycle boulevards, etc.), outreach efforts and targeted enforcement by GPD. However, the lack of a dedicated funding source limits the capacity to implement strategies to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving bicyclists and pedestrians.

Staff presented a proposal to the Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works Committee on April 23, 2013, identifying infrastructure improvements and other safety measures to enhace pedestrian safety, and providing a cost estimate. The estimated cost of implementation is $5,025,000 and includes the strategies listed below. The Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works Committee forwarded the proposal to the City Commission for consideration.

-     Installation of signalized midblock crossings along major corridors with high transit ridership to facilitate pedestrian access to/from RTS bus stops and increase motorist awareness. The locations initially targeted are listed below; additional evaluation, design and permitting will be required as most are under State or County ownership:

o      Archer Rd between SW 28^th Pl and SW 31^st St;

o      SW 16^th Ave between SW 6^th St and SW 13^th St;

o      SW 13^th St between SW 21^st Ave and SW 25^th Pl;

o      NW 43^rd St between NW 19^th Ave to NW 13^th Pl;

o      NW 39^th Ave between NW 23^rd Ter and NW 19^th St;

o      Consideration will also be given to additional installations along SW 62^nd Blvd and SW 20^th Ave.

-     Installation of sidewalks citywide to continue to expand the pedestrian network and reduce conflicts with motor vehicles;

-     Installation of ADA compliant access ramps to enhance access and mobility to all users;

-     Funding of outreach campaign to educate and increase awareness of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians about safety and regulations;

-     Funding of targeted enforcement efforts by GPD to increase compliance, similar to previous efforts conducted in the City;

-     Funding of infrastructure improvements identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan currently under development;

-     Installation of access ramps for cyclists at the roundabouts on SW 2^nd Ave to provide an alternative travel path and reduce conflict points;

-     Installation of bike boxes at select intersections along proposed bike boulevards and other intersections with high volume of cyclists to reduce conflicts with turning vehicles. The intersections initially targeted are listed below:

o      SW 2^nd Ave at SW 13^th St: westbound approach;

o      SW 2^nd Ave at S Main St: eastbound and westbound approaches;

o      SW 12^th St at W University Ave: northbound and southbound approaches

Fiscal Note

Implementation of the project is estimated at $5,025,000. There are currently no allocated funds for this project. Staff submitted a budget request for City Commission consideration in the upcoming budget cycle.

Recommendation

The City Commission receive a presentation from staff and combine referrals #121053 and #120542 under Strategic Initiative 5.1 (#120712).