Complete Report 2004 01 07 04
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MOBILITY A Transportation Plan: 2004-2028 South Central Regional Council of Governments 127 Washington Avenue North Haven, Connecticut February, 2004 The fifteen-town South Central Connecticut Plan Adoption region is composed of Bethany, Branford, East Mayors and first selectmen adopted the Plan on February 25, 2004 after a Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Meriden, January-February, 2004 review that included a January 5 Council-hosted Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North public meeting, January 14 review by the Council’s Transportation Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven and Committee and January 28 Council adoption of a “Draft Plan” identical to Woodbridge. Mayors and first selectmen guide the final document. areawide planning and programming through the South Central Regional Council of Govern- ments, 127 Washington Avenue, 4th Floor- West, North Haven, Connecticut, 06473-1715, (203) 234-7555, /www.scrcog.org/. The Regional Planning Commission, representatives of municipal planning and zoning commissions, addresses land-use planning on behalf of the Council. Meriden Wallingford Bethany This report was prepared in cooperation with North Haven the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the Hamden North Branford U.S. Federal Transit Administration, the Woodbridge Connecticut Department of Transportation and New Haven Guilford the Connecticut Office of Policy and Manage- East Haven Madison Orange Branford ment. The opinions, findings and conclusions West Haven expressed in this report are those of the South Central Regional Council of Governments and Milford do not necessarily reflect the official views of other government organizations. Contents Figures 1 Environmental Justice 3 2 Peak Period Highway Performance 6 A Plan Perspective 1 3 The Urban Spine 6 1. The Twenty Year Plan in Brief 5 4 Capital Commitments 9 An Overdue Response 5 5 Major Capital Needs 9 Guidelines 8 6 ConnDOT Traffic Control Centers 10 Commitments 8 7 The I-95 Program 11 The 25-Year Financially-Constrained Plan 12 8 I-95 Options at Long Wharf 13 Needs: Beyond Financial Constraints 15 9 I-95 East 14 Opportunity: Beyond the Current Plan 17 10 Trail Development 16 2. Growth, Change and Commitment: 2004-2028 21 11 Feeder Barge Service 18 Development and Transportation 21 12 New Opportunity 18 Commitment 24 13 Tweed-New Haven Airport: An Opportunity 19 The Highway System 31 14 Auto Ownership 22 3. The Plan 35 15 Year 2025 Transit Supporting Density 23 Strategies 35 16 Autos and Density 23 The Transit System 36 17 New Commitments 25 The Highway System 51 18 New Haven Division Service 26 Beyond Highways 64 19 New Haven Division Ridership 27 Appendix A: Demand and Performance 81 20 Transit Headway and Response 28 Appendix B: Mode Split 87 21 Transit Trends 28 Appendix C: Transit Supply, Response and Cost 92 22 Greater New Haven Transit District ADA Service 30 Appendix D: USDOT Plan Requirements 109 23 Transit for People with Disabilities 30 Notes 113 24 Mid-Term I-95 Demand 31 25 The Northeast Corridor 35 26 Auto Availability and Buses 37 27 Poverty and Buses 38 Contents Figures (Continued) Tables 1 New Resources 2 28 Faster Transit Service 40 2 South Central Connecticut Financial Constraints 2 29 Downtown Corridor Movement 41 3 An ITS Early Deployment Plan 4 30 Corridor Movement to Downtown New Haven 41 4 Plan Goals 7 31 Downtown Bus Routes 43 5 Inland Rail Commuter Planning 15 32 Metro North Stations 44 6 Opportunity 17 33 Higher Than Expected Accident Experience 53 7 Planning Estimates 21 34 Central I-95 Program 55 8 Weekday Travel Demand 24 35 Central I-95 Design 56 9 Key Commitments 24 36 A Central Choke Point 57 10 Greater New Haven Transit District Expansion 29 37 I-95 at Long Wharf 58 11 Greater New Haven Transit District Support 29 38 High Volume Interchanges 59 12 Year 2000 Freeway Performance 32 39 I-91 in Meriden 60 13 Arterial Choke Points 33 40 Short Weaving Sections 60 14 Arterial Bus Routes 36 41 I-691 at Chamberlain Highway 61 15 Transit Sketch Planning 39 42 Major Arterials 62 16 High Speed Transit Patronage 42 43 A Multipurpose Trail System: The Region 64 17 Maintaining Rail Service 45 44 A Multipurpose Trail System: The Core 67 18 Maintaining Bus and Paratransit Service: Capital Needs 45 45 Rail Environment 68 19 Maintaining Connecticut Transit Service: Operating Needs 46 46 Intermodal Rail Opportunity 69 20 Maintaining Bus and Paratransit Service: Summary 46 21 Bus Supply Options 48 22 Year 2010 Transit Performance 48 23 Transit Shortfall 49 24 A More Significant Rideshare Product 49 25 Transit for People with Disabilities 50 26 Selected North American Ramp Metering Experience 52 27 Ramp Metering Experience 52 28 Recent Safety Improvements 54 29 Arterial Design Standards 61 30 Arterial Planning 63 31 Enhancement 65 32 South Central Connecticut Enhancement 66 33 Intermodal Freight Opportunity 68 34 Transportation Improvement Program 70 35 Selected Transportation Improvement Program Commitments 71 36 A Mid-Range Highway Program 76 A Plan Perspective Mobility extends and adjusts the region’s transportation plan.1 financial constraints (Tables 1 and 2).4 Proposals that move beyond Goals and direction reflect basic transportation needs, traditional financial constraints focus on emerging freeway bottlenecks and seek traveler responses and public sector cost constraints. New initiatives to lay the foundation for a more useful 21st century transit system. that improve key highway links, enhance the region’s public transpor- A financially constrained Plan will not “get the job done”. Only tation system and tie transportation investment to development oppor- well-defined concepts, public support and new state spending can tunities are basic. move the region beyond current financial constraints and build a good Proposals focus on the I-91 and I-95 corridors where most people balanced long-term transportation framework. live and work— they support a corridor-oriented Regional Plan of Development that recognizes South Central Connecticut’s key Continuing Review and Outreach northeast corridor location.2 Transportation Plan elements built on New ideas, new state-federal-regional emphases and basic new central I-95 commitments address well-established freeway federal law require Plan review at three year intervals. Review ties a choke points, seek to furnish a far more attractive core-oriented planning-programming process together—one based on a cooperative transit product and try to make a now well-defined regional trail Council of Governments-ConnDOT relationship and continuing system a reality. Major new transit proposals await results of a Transportation Improvement Program adjustment.5 SCRCOG-sponsored Transit Initiatives Study in early 2005— Joint SCRCOG, ConnDOT, transit operator and municipal efforts suggesting whether, how and where the region can provide a signifi- through the next three years will enhance an already strong public- cantly more attractive product.3 private sector planning relationship, emphasize transportation system management per a national “Intelligent Transportation Systems” Moving Beyond Current Experience thrust and seek an increasingly meaningful dialogue with the minority Plan proposals draw traditional responses and new initiatives into a community consistent with national environmental justice goals common framework. Traditional responses including better highway (Figure 1 and Table 3).6 management, selected capacity increases and incremental new transit services remain basic in the low-to-moderate density region. Compan- Central I-95 construc- ion programs promote carpoolng, attempt to limit trip-making and tion will dominate the advance “intelligent transportation systems” applications—seeking to region’s transportation agenda through the make efficient use of existing infrastructure and limit long-term next eight to 10 years. investment. The Plan blends transit and highway spending consistent with 1 Key Needs Twenty Five Year Capital Pogram 2004-2028 Year 2004 Dollars (000s) Freeways I-95 West selectively w iden from six to eight lanes w est of Kimberly In 25 Year Avenue. (beyond Plan resources, begin w ith Study) Available Plan Arterials including US1 US5, Rt 10, consistent three- or five-lane sections to facilitate turning movements and Early in the 25 Year Period Rt 17, Rt 63, Rt 69 and limit traveler delay. Beyond current programming. (not in Plan, study Bus and Paratransit (a) 98,571 100,071 Rt 80 per SCRCOG w ork program). Rail (a) 352,796 397,796 Transit System Highw ays (New Capacity) 1,276,700 1,229,304 I-91 North Commuter an attractive New Haven-Meriden-Hartford-Springfield Rail Service commuter service that limits peak hour I-91 highw ay demand. Later in the 25 Year Period (aw aits "Study" completion; limited support available per Plan) Bus and Paratransit 40,690 42,190 Bus System sufficient operating funds to support new service initiatives, Rail 164,000 164,000 expand current services and/or reconfigure current service. Highw ays (New Capacity) 562,700 200,540 (beyond Plan resources) new capital/operating initiatives expected from SCRCOG's Twenty Five Years Rail/Bus "Transit Initiatives Study" (Wilbur Smith Associates) early in Bus and Paratransit (a) 139,261 142,261 2005 (beyond Plan resources) Rail (a) 516,796 561,796 Regional Door-to-Door enhance Greater New Haven Transit District's capacity to serve Highw ays (New Capacity) 1,839,400 1,429,844 Service as a regional provider. (beyond Plan resources) Trail System Table 2: South Central Connecticut Financial East Shore develop East Haven-to-Madison Shoreline Greenw ay Trail. Constraints. Per federal law, 25 year ConnDOT-defined (beyond Plan resources) financial guidelines provide a basic planning New Haven extend Canal Line south from Orange Street to harbor (Per Plan, after 2016) constraint—they suggest how much expected U.S. Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Federal Transit Meriden-Wallingford complete Quinnipiac River Linear Trail. (largely beyond Plan resources) Administration and state support might be used in each New Haven-West Haven upgrade/extend Savin Rock Trail east "around" New of the state’s 15 planning regions.