2017 City of Franklin Pedestrian & Bicycle Connection Master Plan
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*# 2 N See Map 2: Third Ward D Existing Trails & Amenities A City of FranklinVE Samuel Justus Trail Æþ322 Allegheny River Trail POIN T !B H Trailhead IL LE L O YD D TTER A (! Bike Rack R ST L OTTER ST N 13TH ST Proposed Trails & Bike Lanes OTTER(! ST OTTER ST Bike Lane ELK ST XFGHELK ST Shared Lane Marking ELK ST Shared Path / Bike Route 12TH ST XFGH OTTER ST Proposed Amenities French Creek D (! ¡© Bicycle Rental Building (!(!(! (!W PARK ST 14TH ST 12TH ST ALLEGHENY BLV ¡© OTTER ST WFGH MOFFIT ALY JAYCEES ALY BUFFALO ST (! S PARK ST Æÿ CHESTNUT ST FGH 8 C X HESTN UT ST Æþ62 CHESTNUT ST FGH 11TH ST NEW ST W LVD (! Y B EN GH EAGLE ST LLE MYRTLE ST 11TH ST A WALNUT ST BUFFALO ST PEARL ST WASHINGTON XING ELK ST ELM ST LIBERTY ST PARK ST XFGH 10TH ST 9TH ST(! 9TH ST Allegheny River D 9TH ST R G R U B XFGH S N Pedestrian PAINTER ALY I (! D E R F T B 8TH S 8TH ST 0 250 500 750 1,000Feet XFGH Æþ322 & Bicycle 8TH ST BUFFALO ST Source: CAR NELL CT 8TH ST ConnectionGeo Spacial Ref Data: NAD 1983 PA North Municipal Boundaries: PASDA Trails: Northwest Commission Road Centerlines, Hydrology, Parcels, Attractions: 7TH ST !B B Venango County Regional Planning Commission ELK U Master Plan E GBERT AVE F F ST A Æþ322 L O S Map created on: 4/4/2017 T 6TH ST * May 2017 # See Map 3: 3rd St Playground6TH ST US 322 Acknowledgments This project was funded in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2), administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. Mayor Douglas A. Baker City Council Donna Fletcher Samuel Lyons Jane Dlugos James Marshall James Johnson Ryan Rudegeair Project Committee Doug Baker, City of Franklin Mayor Lyndsie DeVito, PennDOT District 1-0 Tracy Jamieson, City of Franklin Manager Kim Mourer, Venango County Planning Commission Sheila Boughner, City of Franklin Community Development Director Sue Smith, Northwest Commission Ronnie Beith, City of Franklin Event Kim Harris, Oil Region Alliance Coordinator Caryl Holden, Allegheny Valley Trails Terry Ruditis, City of Franklin Street Mike Dulaney, Franklin Area Chamber Department Matt Siembida, Central Elementary School Mark London, City of Franklin Police Chief Principal Kevin Saragion, City of Franklin Police Ron Snyder, Local cycling enthusiast Detective Jeff Brunton, Local business owner, outdoor Erin Wiley Moyers, PA DCNR Bureau of recreation Recreation and Conservation Jeffrey Hall, City resident This Master Plan was prepared with assistance from: Mackin Engineering Company Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com 117 Industry Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1015 Photo credits: all photos were taken by Mackin unless otherwise noted www.mackinengineering.com Contents Introduction 1 Background 2 Franklin’s Need for a Plan of Action 4 Previous Plans 6 The Planning Process 11 The Study Area 13 Project Goals 14 Who lives here? 15 Inventory & Assessment 19 The Road Network 19 The Pedestrian and Bicycle Network 23 Public Transportation 24 Connectivity Concept Plan 27 Walking: Create a safe and inviting network for residents of all ages and abilities. 28 Bicycling: Create the framework to improve bikeability in Franklin. 31 Signage: Install pedestrian and bicycle wayfinding signage throughout the City. 99 Transit: Improve the bicycle and pedestrian connections to the public transportation system. 104 Programs: Expand and increase the programs offered. 107 Art: Utilize public art to promote Franklin as a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly City. 112 Action Plan 115 Increase capacity to implement the Plan. 115 Priority Projects 116 Next Steps 122 Appendices 123 Liberty Street in the City of Franklin was named one of the “10 Great Streets for 2010” by the American Planning Association (APA) Great Places in America Program Introduction Roadway corridor design begins with designing for the function of the street. Community streets should be corridors that are comfortable and attractive to everyone, including walkers, cyclists and those driving vehicles. To achieve this, the hierarchy of design must be turned upside down and promote the safety and comfort of the pedestrian first, cyclists second and vehicles third. Such an approach will create a multi-functioning design with traffic calming measures that will reinforce the posted speed limit. A community corridor serving business and residential districts should provide a comfortable and convenient place to walk, shop, eat, talk and congregate, and inspire the desire to visit again. The City of Franklin Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection Master Plan (“the Plan”) will provide the City of Franklin with the projects and policies necessary to improve the overall pedestrian and bicycle network, with a particular focus on improving the connection between the downtown business district and the nearby recreational trails. The Plan is funded by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2), administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. To facilitate the Plan, the City of Franklin hired Mackin Engineering Company in 2016 as its planning consultant. "At the basic level, a livable street is one that feels comfortable to you, it’s one that gives you energy.” - Bruce Appleyard, “Fixing the Great Mistake,” a Streetfilms series (source: http://www.streetfilms.org/ revisiting-donald-appleyards-livable-streets/) Source: Google Maps Intro // 1 Background The City of Franklin is the County Seat of Venango County, Pennsylvania. Nestled along both French Creek and the Allegheny River, as shown in Figure 1 on page 2, it is 4.71 square miles and home to approximately 6,500 residents. Downtown Franklin is located at the intersections of State Route 8, US Route 62 and US Route 322. Located approximately halfway between Pittsburgh and Erie, as shown on Figure 2 on page 3, Franklin is one of five (5) designated Trail Towns along the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail. The Franklin Trailhead is located across the Allegheny River from downtown Franklin, where the Samuel Justus Recreational Trail converges with the Allegheny River Trail. Elected officials and staff have dedicated a lot of time and effort over the past ten or so years into making Franklin a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly community. The focus of City leaders is to capitalize on the recreational amenities to increase tourism and boost the local economy. Figure 1: City of Franklin FRENCH CREEK ALLEGHENY RIVER 2 // City of Franklin Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection Master Plan Figure 2: Erie to Pittsburgh Trail Map Erie to Pittsburgh Trail Network Open Trail E r i e F Share the Road Great Lakes Seaway Trail 0 5 10 15 20Miles C l y m e r ERIE Corry Junction Trail C o r r y Spartansburg East Branch Trail CRAWFORD T i t u s v i l l e Queen City Trail Oil Creek State Park Trail McClintock Trail VENANGO Oil City Trail O i l C i t y F r a n k l i n^ Samuel Justus Trail Allegheny River Trail E m l e n t o n CLARION F o x b u r g P a r k e r Trail Towns: E a s t B r a d y » Titusville » Oil City Armstrong Trail » Franklin K i t t a n n i n g ARMSTRONG » Emlenton R o s s t o n » Foxburg Source: Geo Spacial Ref Data: NAD 1983 PA North Municipal Boundaries: PASDA ALLEGHENY Trails: Northwest Commission M i l l v a l e Three Rivers Heritage Trail Map created on: P i t t s b u r g h 4/4/2017 Intro // 3 Franklin’s Need for a Plan of Action In 2010, Franklin was designated as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists and was re-certified in 2014, attaining the Bronze level status. It was during this process of re-designation that the need for a clear and concise plan of action became evident. In order for Franklin to grow into a more sustainable, livable and healthy community, the City is undertaking this Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection Master Plan in order to determine the following: • Determine optimum biking and pedestrian routes in the City. While there is a vast sidewalk network, there is not much of a formal bicycle network in the City, despite the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail being located just across the Allegheny River. • Connect the existing trail system to the City’s central business district (CBD) and downtown amenities. As shown on Figure 3 on page 5, the Downtown offers a variety of local and regional attractions, including parks, hotels, bed and breakfasts, eateries, historic sites, shopping and other civic and cultural attractions. Unfortunately, the trail system is located on the other side of the Allegheny River from the downtown and not overly accessible via bicycle or on-foot. This Plan seeks to remedy this so that the local businesses can draw trail users into town. • Recommend wayfinding improvements to direct pedestrians and bicyclists to local amenities. In addition to physical infrastructure improvements to the pedestrian and bicycle network, there is a real need for improved wayfinding so that people know what is available and how to get there. • Identify any unmet accommodation and service needs that could be provided by local businesses. In addition to the infrastructure and wayfinding, this Plan seeks to identify other amenities and services that may be warranted to support the City’s goal of being a destination for bicyclists and other trail users. • Prioritize realistic public improvements that will enhance the overall connectivity of the City.