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Complete Streets Survey & Planning Program Clinton, Massachusetts DRAFT DRAFT Prepared By: Prepared for: Town of Clinton Community and Part 1 of 2 Economic Development Offi ce March 5, 2013 Clinton Complete Streets Survey Project Purpose: TABLE OF CONTENTS To idenƟ fy mobility needs and desires of inhabitants of the Project Area: to evaluate exisƟ ng public way 1. Overview and Goals condiƟ ons, with special aƩ enƟ on given to ‘Complete Streets’ factors; to map and otherwise document the 1.1 Project Area results of these Community Need and ExisƟ ng CondiƟ ons Studies, and, to compile the data generated into a 1.2 Addi onal Area of Study scoring matrix for use by the Municipality as it plans for implementaƟ on of improvements to public ways. 1.3 Project Quadrants 2. Documenta on of Exis ng Condi ons in the Public Right of Way Primary Project Objective: 2.1 Right of Way Width To integrate Complete Streets pracƟ ces into local roadway improvement project prioriƟ zaƟ on within Low to 2.2 Pavement Width Moderate Income Neighborhoods. 2.3 Bridges, Underpasses, Rail Road Crossings & Culverts 2.4 Sidewalks What are Complete Streets? 2.5 Accessible Ramps 2.6 Signs Complete Streets are Street corridors designed for all user types from pedestrians to bicyclists to motorists & 2.7 Modes transit riders from the young to the old and from the healthy to the disabled. 2.8 Street Ligh ng 2.9 Street Trees Complete Streets are designed to make it easier to walk, cross streets, walk and bike to des na ons, and u lize 2.10 Other Signifi cant Features transit safely and effi ciently. 3. Mapping 3.1 Project Area Complete Streets are ‘Balanced Streets’ that accommodate various modes of transporta on to the reasonable 3.2 Primary Streets and Gateways extent that all modal considera ons and provisions can be made within the Right of Way. Complete Streets 3.3 Community Des na ons also represent equality in transporta on choices and with less income and age based discrimina on and fewer 3.4 Priority Walk Areas mobility barriers. 3.5 Priority Bike Areas 3.6 Commercial Area walk radius map (.5mile) Who is the Probable User? 3.7 School walk radius map (1.5 mile) 3.8 State Numbered Routes: Arterial Streets To be complete, future roadway improvement plans should strive to establish a balance within the roadway 3.9 Quadrants corridor, and equally importantly, connec vity to other des na ons. Too o en, it has been suggested that a a. Quadrant 1 Descrip on & Map mere lack of pedestrians or bicyclists observed indicates a lack of community interest or need. This approach b. Quadrant 2 Descrip on & Map may be shortsighted, and may not mean there is no demand for these modes of travel: absence of various modes c. Quadrant 3 Descrip on & Map may in fact refl ect percep ons regarding the ease of use, connec vity to des na ons, or safety of the roadway d. Quadrant 4 Descrip on & Map corridor in ques on, which in turn infl uences people’s choice of modes. 4. Repor ng and Rankings 4.1 Methodology Complete Streets Survey and Planning Products 4.2 Summary of highest ranked streets by composite score results The work product developed consists of 3 parts 4.3 Matrices Part 1. This Narra ve Summary Report with street scoring matrices (11x17) a. Quadrant 1 Matrix Part 2. An Asset Inventory Report (8.5x11) b. Quadrant 2 Matrix Part 3. Project Area Mapping (Large format) c. Quadrant 3 Matrix d. Quadrant 4 Matrix Methodology: 4.4 Interpreta on of Rankings and Results 5. Recommenda ons The research, fi eld documenta on, data collec on, site observa on, photography, measuring, and condi ons 5.1 General Recommenda ons assessment for this project occurred from May 2014 - October 2015. All roadway surface ra ng values set during 5.2 Specifi c Recommenda ons the period of inventory should be accepted only as a snapshot’ in me of the roadways condi on. All streets 5.3 Graphics have likely con nued to depreciate in quality (see deduct values) since their ini al date of recording. Ini al work 6. References involved researching US Census data, Complete Street design objec ves, Mass DOT records and mapping. The 7. Acknowledgements project scope did not include traffi c volume counts or traffi c studies. Complete Streets Survey & Planning Program - Clinton, Massachusetts Clinton Complete Streets 1. Over view and Goals: 1.1 The Project Area The Project Area was established by the Town as CDBG Target areas. Block 7162001 En rely Subset of 7162002 (4 Parcels targeted) Block 7163003 En rely Block 7161002 (Par al) Block 7161003 En rely The area was es mated to contain 20 miles of roadway. 1.2 Additional Area of Study The Project Area for the purposes of the study was expanded to the west to allow a more complete inventory and assessment of the streets and sidewalks linking the fi rst study blocks iden fi ed above. A por on of Block 7162002 was included, to allow the review of streets linkages and between Block 7162001 and Block 7161003as well as to explore connec vity to the hospital. This adjustment added approximately 5 miles of roadway to the Project Area. 1.3 Study Target While considered Town-wide study, The Project Area has been inten onally focused to include LMI Census Blocks. LMI (Low-Moderate Income) popula ons is defi ned an Income equal to or less than the Sec on 8 Low Income limit as established by HUD. In 2014, this income was ______XXXXXX. In Clinton, 7.1% of the popula on lives below the Poverty Line, of that demographic 13.9% are residents that are 65 years of age or older. 88.2% of the Popula on is White, XYZ. Complete Streets Survey & Planning Program - Clinton, Massachusetts 1.4 Project Quadrants Early in the course of study, it was observed that the elevated Rail Road corridors and overpasses have created dis nc ve quadrants in Clinton. In large part, the rail beds, constructed on fi ll, create earthen walls or dikes that compartmentalize the town into four primary quadrants. Each quadrant is connected to each other with either a minimum of two or a maximum of three street connec ons. These streets have dis nct ‘gateways’ or portals into the various quadrants, which consist of one at-grade crossings, one bridge and fi ve bridge-underpasses thru which all modes (other than freight rail) must pass. The overall complexion of connec vity or street completeness Map of Rail Road in the Town is to some degree constrained by the existence of the elevated rail lines: Due to the long linear rail interface with project line embankments, there are rela vely few streets that make cross-town connec ons, thus forcing more vehicular quadrants and pedestrian volume on the six streets that do connect under or over the rail lines. The rail lines, like limited access highways in other communi es, limit the opportunity to provide alternate routes and relieve conges on. In the case of Clinton, Industrializa on has led to a pa ern of development of large mill complexes, o en built parallel to the tracks, thus further restric ng opportuni es for inter connec vity within the fabric of the town streets. Bridges, Underpasses and Crossings 1. High Street 5. Greeley Street 2. Water Street 6. New Harbor Road (Bridge) 3. Main Street 7. Sterling Street (at grade) 4. Brook Street 4 1 5 7 2 3 1. High Street RR Underpass 2. Water Street RR Underpass 6 3. Main Street RR Underpass 4. Brook Street RR Underpass Complete Streets Survey & Planning Program - Clinton, Massachusetts 2.5 Accessible Ramps 2. Documentation of existing conditions in the Public Right of Way Associated with the 14.5 mile of sidewalks there are 237 Accessible Ramps within the Study Area. Accessible 2.1 Right of Way Width Ramps aff ord the non-able-bodied pedestrian or those using wheelchairs a smooth and gradual transi on from the roadway surface (most commonly from crosswalks) up to the sidewalk surface which is typically elevated The Public Right of Ways were catalogued using GIS data base informa on, Town Maps and State ROW maps. above the road surface. Most of the accessible ramps inventoried are of adequate width, and very few were The Right of Way corridors within the project area were overlaid and cross referenced with the street widths found to have obstruc ons (U lity poles, hydrants, signs, etc.) restric ng the accessible route. Most of the ramps and sidewalk data collected in the fi eld. The width of the right of way is to some degree a measure of the overall inventoried do require upgrades and re-work to come into full compliance with ADA standards. capacity of any Street(Motorized Vehicles –cars, trucks, busses, freight trucking) parked vehicles, Bikes and It can be assumed that for the 40% of the project area streets which currently have no sidewalks at all, and as Pedestrians. Thus the true level of any Street’s Completeness poten al is in many ways linked to the Right of Way such there would be few or no ADA accessible routes or crossings. “poten al” or available with in which to balance the various modes of transporta on, ie, narrow ROW corridors have more limita ons than wider ones. Occasionally the width of the Right of Way will change along a given 2.6 Signs street, o en if the historic ownership changed (Town to State) a situa on that some mes compromising the desired street design.