Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan July 7, 2014
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Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan July 7, 2014 1 Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan Table of Contents List of Illustrations 2 4.0.0 Master Plan 24 4.1.0 Trail heads 24 4.2.0 Trail Linkages 24 1.0.0 Introduction 3 4.3.0 Support Improvements 25 1.1.0 Purpose of the Plan 3 1.2.0 Greenprint Context 3 5.0.0 Phasing Plan 27 5.1.0 Phase I: Environmental Awareness Trail Heads 27 2.0.0 Plan Context 5 5.2.0 Phase II: The River Connection 27 2.1.1 Regional context 5 5.3.0 Phase III: The Loosahatchie River Trail Head and Nature Park 27 2.1.2 Loosahatchie River and Loosahatchie River Channel 5 5.4.0 Phase IV: Airline Road Trail Head and Connectors 27 2.1.3 Town of Arlington 6 2.2.0 History of Trail Development 8 2.2.1 Early trails 8 6.0.0 Greenway Design Standards 29 2.2.2 Benefits of trails 8 6.1.0 Trails 29 6.1.1 Pedestrian facilities 29 6.1.2 Bike lane (on-road) facilities 32 3.0.0 The Design Process 9 6.1.3. Shared use paths 33 3.1.0 Overview 9 6.2.0 Support facilities (trail heads) 37 3.2.0 Goals and Objectives 9 6.3.0 Signs, pavement markings and traffic signals 37 3.2.1 Goal 1 – Interconnect with surrounding region. 9 6.4.0 Site furnishings and landscaping 37 3.2.2 Goal 2 – Provide recreational amenity. 9 3.2.3 Goal 3 – Capitalize on scenic beauty. 9 3.2.4 Goal 4 – Build upon existing facility network. 9 7.0.0 Appendix 40 3.2.5 Goal 5 – Promote local heritage. 10 7.1.0 Master Plan Participants and Meeting Minutes 40 3.2.6 Goal 6 – Provide economic benefit. 10 7.1.1 Master Plan Participants 40 3.2.7 Goal 7 – Enhance water quality. 10 3.2.8 Goal 8 – Provide educational opportunities. 10 3.2.9 Goal 9 – Promote inclusivity. 10 3.3.0 Inventory and Analysis 10 3.3.1 Natural Systems 10 3.3.2 Circulation Patterns 11 3.3.3 Land Use 14 3.3.4 Community Assets 14 3.3.5 Project Area Analysis Plan 17 3.4.0 Conceptual Design 20 3.4.1 Concept Plan A 20 3.4.2 Concept Plan B 20 3.5.0 Master Plan Development 23 3.6.0 Phasing Plan 23 3.7.0 Design Standards 23 Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan 1 List of Illustrations Figure 1. Regional Context Map 3 Figure 2. Town Map 5 Figure 3. Drainage Ways 7 Figure 4. Existing Circulation Plan 13 Figure 5. Community Asset Plan 16 Figure 6. Circulation Analysis Plan 18 Figure 7. Project Area Analysis Plan 19 Figure 8. Concept Plan A 21 Figure 9. Concept Plan B 22 Figure 10. Master Greenway Plan 26 Figure 11. Phasing Plan 28 Figure 12. Typical sidewalk section 29 Figure 13. Minimum pedestrian way clearances 29 Figure 14. Minimum clearances at on-street parking locations 30 Figure 16. Minimum clearances for roads without curb and gutter. 30 Figure 15. Typical section of pedestrian way in Depot Square area 30 Figure 17. Comparison of crosswalks with varying corner radius 31 Figure 18. Nature path section 31 Figure 19. Typical clearance requirements for shared use paths 33 Figure 20. Shared use path section at channel edge 33 Figure 21. Shared use path section near channel 34 Figure 22 Shared use path through wooded area. 34 Figure 23. Underpass at roadways and under railroad tracks 35 Figure 24. Pedestrian bridge elevation 35 Figure 25. Bridge plan view 36 Figure 28. Bollard layout at trail and pedestrian bridge entry points 36 Figure 26. Railing section 36 Figure 29. Section through boardwalk 36 Figure 27. Trail section at railroad or highway overpass 36 Figure 30. Welcome sign / main trail identification sign. 37 Figure 31. Supplemental sign 37 Figure 32. Pavilion style recommended for the Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail System 38 Figure 33. Design standard suggested for benches and accessible drinking fountains. 38 Figure 34. Customized bike rack 39 Figure 35. Customized bollard 39 Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan 2 1.0.0 Introduction housing and transportation. 1.1.0 Purpose of the Plan 3. Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitiveness through reliable The Loosahatchie River and its tributaries traverses 64 miles and timely access to employment centers, educational through five west Tennessee counties, including Fayette and opportunities, services and other basic needs by Shelby in West Tennessee, flowing through the towns of Oakland, workers as well as expanded business access to Galloway, and Arlington, as well as the cities of Lakeland, Bartlett, markets. and Memphis on its way to the Mississippi River (see Figure 1, Regional Context Map). The River’s open space connects these 4. Support existing communities. communities, forming a green corridor that offers the opportunity Target federal funding toward existing communities— to introduce alternative transportation in the form of a planned through such strategies as transit-oriented, mixed- greenway trail system. use development and land recycling—to increase community revitalization, improve the efficiency In support of this concept, and through a separate process, the of public works investments, and safeguard rural Town of Arlington’s 2010 Land Development Plan identified the landscapes. river and its floodway as areas to be preserved as open space for active and passive recreation. The River has also been identified 5. Coordinate policies and leverage investment. as a greenway corridor on the Mid-South Regional Greenprint Align federal policies and funding to remove barriers and Sustainability (Greenprint) Plan’s Concept Plan, and so is part to collaboration, leverage funding and increase of a greater planning effort to connect communities along the the accountability and effectiveness of all levels of River, from Fayette County to the Mississippi River, via alternative government to plan for future growth, including transportation routes. Several sub-planning projects were making smart energy choices such as locally generated identified for furthering the Greenprint planning process, and as renewable energy. a result, the Town of Arlington engaged the services of Fisher & Arnold, Inc. in August of 2013 to develop the Loosahatchie River 6. Value communities and neighborhoods. Greenway Trail (Greenway Trail) Master Plan. Enhance the unique characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe, and walkable Subplanning funds, including for this project, were awarded neighborhoods—rural, urban, or suburban. from Shelby County Government in association with the HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant awarded to the The Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail master plan incorporates county for the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability the goals of the Greenprint’s Parks and Greenways, Community Plan. Health and Wellness, and Housing and Neighborhood Land Use working groups, as follows: 1.2.0 Greenprint Context Parks and Greenways The Greenprint Plan embraces the six livability principles of the US Developing a Greenway along the Loosahatchie River Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): addresses the Parks and Greenways Working Group’s goals by Figure 1. Regional Context Map connecting multiple communities with greenspace. This initial 1. Provide more transportation choices. connection, between Lakeland and Galloway through the Town Develop safe, reliable and economical transportation of Arlington, will initiate the connection of all communities choices to decrease household transportation costs, along the Loosahatchie River, forming an initial trail that will reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, improve spur the development of additional connections. Such an air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and interconnected green space will provide routes for multiple modes promote public health. of transportation and access to jobs and employment centers. Additionally, there will be opportunities to preserve open areas 2. Promote equitable, affordable housing. and conservation sites. Expand location- and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, races and ethnicities Community Health and Wellness to increase mobility and lower the combined cost of Planning for a system that connects communities and Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan 3 neighborhoods will provide a place to walk, bicycle and run, addressing the needs of users with a wide range of abilities and ages. Enabling a large population to enjoy walking or biking on a greenway trail has a positive impact on their health, and contributes positively to the region’s quality of life. The Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan identifies the connections needed to foster such a greenway trail. The Greenway Trail will connect to the low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in Arlington, providing the residents with access to employment centers, green spaces, and affordable housing. The Greenway Trail will also connect to Arlington’s historic Depot Square at the Town’s center. This area is currently undergoing a period of transition, with some redevelopment occurring, and with greater opportunities available for redevelopment of the old commercial area. Loosahatchie River Greenway Trail Master Plan 4 2.0.0 Plan Context Road), and Collierville-Arlington Road. The CSX Railroad bisects the Town in an east-west direction, separating the River Channel The study area for this Master Plan, illustrated in Figure 2, from most of the Town’s population. is formed by the Arlington city limits north of Interstate 40, encompassing the Loosahatchie River Channel from the west The transportation network plays a significant role in supporting Town boundary, through the Arlington Historic Depot Square, to numerous industrial and commercial businesses, and the Town the east boundary of the Town. The study area connects to several works with the State of Tennessee and the Memphis Metropolitan low- to moderate-income neighborhoods, traverses floodway Planning Organization (Memphis MPO) in planning future and floodplain, and provides connections through mostly vacant improvements.