NORTHWEST US 95 ACCESS STUDY FINAL PROJECT REPORT CH2M HILL with JPL Engineering Las Vegas, Nevada September 2011 NOTE: The preparation of this report has been financed in part through grants from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, under the Metropolitan Planning Program, Section 104(f) of Title 23, U.S. Code. The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation. TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I: Data Collection 1. Overview ............................................................................................ 1 2. Non-Motorized Modes ........................................................................... 4 3. Land Use .......................................................................................... 10 4. Motorized Traffic and Safety ................................................................ 14 5. Transit Supply and Demand ................................................................ 20 6. Additional Previous Studies ................................................................. 23 Part II: Evaluation of Mobility Needs 1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 2. Roadway And Intersection Safety ........................................................... 5 3. On-Road Bicycle Facilities ................................................................... 16 4. Trails: Non-Equestrian And Equestrian .................................................. 22 5. Pedestrian Facilities ........................................................................... 34 6. Transit Service and Facilities ............................................................... 40 A. Appendix ............................................................................................. i Part III: Proposed Alternatives 1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 2. On-Street Facility Alternatives ............................................................... 4 3. Off-Street Facilities Alternatives ........................................................... 35 4. Transit Improvement Alternatives ........................................................ 54 5. Project Prioritization ........................................................................... 65 6. Cost Estimation ................................................................................. 74 A. Appendix A .......................................................................................... i B. Appendix B ........................................................................................ ix C. Appendix C ...................................................................................... xvii Part IV: Agency Coordination and Outreach 1. Agency Coordination Plan ...................................................................... 1 2. Public Outreach ................................................................................... 3 Part I Northwest U.S. 95 Data Collection Access Study This page intentionally left blank. Part I Northwest U.S. 95 Data Collection Access Study PART I: DATA COLLECTION SUMMARY 1. Overview .................................................................... 1 1.1 Study Purpose and Description .............................................................. 1 1.2 Data Collection Summary ...................................................................... 2 2. Non-Motorized Modes ................................................. 4 2.1 Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada .......................... 4 2.2 City of Las Vegas ................................................................................. 6 2.3 Clark County ....................................................................................... 7 2.4 Nevada Department of Transportation .................................................... 9 3. Land Use ................................................................... 10 3.1 Regional Land Use Goals ..................................................................... 10 3.2 City of Las Vegas ............................................................................... 10 3.3 Rural Neighborhood Preservation Areas................................................. 11 4. Motorized Traffic and Safety ..................................... 14 4.1 NDOT Annual Average Daily Traffic ....................................................... 14 4.2 City of Las Vegas Turn Movement Counts .............................................. 17 4.3 Street Safety .................................................................................... 18 5. Transit Supply and Demand ...................................... 20 5.1 Transit Service Routes ........................................................................ 20 5.2 Transit Ridership ............................................................................... 20 6. Additional Previous Studies ...................................... 23 6.1 Capital Program and Transportation Priorities ........................................ 23 6.2 Transportation Goals and Priorities ....................................................... 23 6.3 List of Documents Reviewed ................................................................ 23 Part I Northwest U.S. 95 Data Collection Summary Access Study 1. OVERVIEW 1.1 Study Purpose and Description Over the last decade, the northwest U.S. 95 corridor has experienced some of the fastest growth in the Las Vegas region. As the U.S. 95 Northwest Corridor continues its rapid urbanization and experiences increasing travel demand and possibly congestion, there is a need to plan infrastructure to support travel by alternate modes, especially for short trips. The purpose of the Northwest US 95 Access Study is to analyze barriers to mobility for alternate modes in the Study Area and to develop alternatives for improvements. The Study Area boundary is shown in Exhibit 1-1 below. Exhibit 1-1: Northwest US 95 Study Area Source: City of Las Vegas Map 1 Part I Northwest U.S. 95 Data Collection Summary Access Study A technical working group (TWG) was formed for the Northwest U.S. 95 Access Study in order to establish the project goals, review the consultant team’s progress, and provide input on proposed Study Area alternatives. In establishing the TWG, RTC and the consultant team attempted to include a variety of stakeholders who represent the diverse perspectives and needs of the Study Area communities. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) has funded this planning effort and was the organizing and coordinating agency for this planning study. The RTC is the metropolitan planning organization for the region. As such, RTC is responsible for the development of the Regional Transportation Plan and the financial programming of significant transportation capital projects. RTC plays a key role in regional planning, including for alternate modes such as walking and bicycling. The RTC recently developed a bicycle map for the region and a Bicycle and Pedestrian plan. RTC transit serves the corridor including the Centennial Hills park-and-ride. The Study Area includes several unincorporated neighborhoods around its periphery. These are part of Clark County’s Lone Mountain Planning Area. The unincorporated areas included in and adjacent to the Study Area are the Gilcrease neighborhood to the east of U.S. 95 and the larger Lone Mountain neighborhood to the west of U.S. 95. These neighborhoods are primarily zoned as rural neighborhood preservation areas. As unincorporated areas in Clark County, their transportation facilities are administered by the county’s planning and public works departments. The TWG included representatives from both of these departments, as well as from the Town Board Liaison’s office for the Lone Mountain area which facilitates connections between residents of Clark County District 3 and their county government and services. The majority of residents within the Study Area live within the City of Las Vegas, which also accounts for the greater share of land within the Study Area. The City’s planning and public works departments are responsible for transportation planning, operations, and improvements within the Study Area, so the TWG included members from each of these departments. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) was the last key TWG participant. NDOT is continuing a major reconstruction and widening of U.S. 95 in the corridor that will dramatically impact vehicular traffic. NDOT was also a key source of safety and traffic data. The TWG included a representative from NDOT’s District 1 office. 1.2 Data Collection Following the project kick-off meeting held on October 27, 2010 with the TWG members, the study team began collecting and analyzing data in order to help define potential transportation improvements in future tasks. Exhibit 1-2 summarizes the data that was 2 Part I Northwest U.S. 95 Data Collection Summary Access Study collected, grouped into the following categories: Corridor Geometrics; Land Use; Traffic Demand; Transit Supply and Demand; and Previous Studies. Exhibit 1-2: Data Collected Section Category Data Item Received From 2. Clark County, Non-Motorized Sidewalk, bike lane, multi-use path, and City of Las Modes trails Vegas, RTC, NDOT 3. Relevant local land use plans and City of Las Land Use documents, including