Coastal Georgia Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan

2020BIKE + WALK COASTAL GEORGIA

COASTAL GEORGIA BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN

1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS Thank you to the residents of Coastal Georgia for their participation in this planning process and their passion for improving the place they call home.

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thank you to the stakeholders for their commitment of time, information- and resource-sharing, and technical guidance throughout the planning process.

PROJECT PARTNERS Bike + Walk Coastal Georgia is a collaborative plan between regional and local governments. State and regional agencies contributed to the planning process, along with nonprofit and community-based groups. Through the process, an advisory committee provided feedback, information, and guidance.

PREPARED BY COASTAL REGIONAL COMMISSION OF GEORGIA Allen Burns, Executive Director Dionne Lovett, Assistant Executive Director

PROJECT SUPERVISOR Eric Landon, AICP, Planning Director

PROJECT LEAD Russell G. Oliver, Senior Planner II

PROJECT STAFF Tara Lopez, Senior GIS Analyst

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Jack Anninos, State Bicycle and Pedestrian Engineer Katelyn L. DiGioia, Civil Engineer III

BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Terry Landreth, Camden Bike Center Elliot Caldwell, Georgia Bikes John Bennett, Georgia Bikes Brent Buice, East Coast Greenway Alliance Alan Seifert, East Coast Greenway Alliance Ben Slade, East Coast Greenway Alliance Niles Barnes, East Coast Greenway Alliance Patti Sistrunk, Safe Routes to School Chelsea Weldon, Safe Routes to School Doug Pardue, Associate Professor, University of Georgia Atiba Mbiwan, Executive Director, The Zeist Foundation Caila Brown, Bike Walk Savannah Laura Crawford, Adventure Cycling Association

In memory of Karen Tinsley, University of Georgia

2 Woodbine Riverwalk Trail in Woodbine, Georgia

Table of Contents

Project Purpose...... 1

Vision & Goals...... 5

Bicycle & Pedestrian Plans...... 12

Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities...... 35

Analysis of Bicycle & Pedestrian Crashes...... 38

Analysis of State Bicycle Routes...... 47

Needs Assessment...... 52

Recommendations & Implementation Strategy...... 56

Appendix A: Coastal Georgia Bike/Ped Maps

Appendix B: Senate Resolutions

Appendix C: Funding Sources

3 01

THE PROJECT

4 01 PROJECT PURPOSE The Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia By utilizing this plan, our regional partners can (CRC), with the support of communities and ensure that growth supports rather than hinders advocates throughout the coastal region of mobility, access, health, economic development, Georgia, has led the development of this plan. The and quality of life. With a common workplan, the purpose of the plan, called Bike + Walk Coastal region’s counties, towns, rural areas, and cities are Georgia, is to guide short and long term land use better positioned for cost-effective improvements, and transportation planning decisions for a safer, inter-agency collaboration, and for aligning more accessible region for people on bike and foot. investments with adopted, broadly-supported The central goal of this plan is to set a clear path for community goals. Coastal Georgia to develop a connected network of walking and biking routes within its communities Forsyth for All Bike Event in Savannah, GA and regional destinations. Bike + Walk Coastal Georgia works as a plan to guide regional bike and pedestrian transportation priorities while also providing communities with practical guidance for improving walkability and bikeability.

The Coastal Regional Commission (CRC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-counties and 35 cities along the coast of Georgia. For over 50 years, the CRC and its predecessor agencies have helped to focus the region’s leadership, attention and resources on key issues of regional importance. The CRC is dedicated to unifying the region’s collective resources to prepare the area for a prosperous future. It does so through professional planning initiatives, the provision of objective information, and the involvement of the community in collaborative partnerships. The CRC is directed by a Commission Council, a body of elected and appointed officials representing the public and private sector.

This plan builds upon the 2005 Coastal Georgia Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Since 2005, active transportation planning and design practices have continued to evolve. Roadway improvements are influencing the way people travel and as the CRC region grows, plans for addressing walkability and bikeability will increase in importance. 1 STUDY AREA The study area encompasses 10 counties and 35 cities along the coastal of Georgia with an Woodbine Riverwalk Trail in Woodbine, Georgia estimated total population of 714,459 and a land area of 5,110 square miles. The region includes six coastal counties and four inland counties. The region is bordered by South Carolina on the north and Florida on the south.

With over 100 miles of coastline, the region is home to a diverse mix of coastal habitats, wildlife, and natural resources such as sandy beaches, salt marshes, river estuaries, and pine forests. These features also provide ample recreation resources, with many waterfront areas publicly accessible for walking or biking. The region includes historic military forts; rice plantations; historic churches; two of the country’s first planned cities (Savannah and Darien); and many other cultural and historic resources. Additionally, the region is low-lying with little variation in topography, making it comfortable and accessible for people traveling by bike or on foot.

The main transportation thoroughfare is Interstate 95, with an average of approximately 48,000 to 86,000 vehicles daily depending on location. Interstate 95 runs north to south parallel to the coast and intersects Interstate 16, near Savannah. There are many other state and U.S. Highways that serve the region. U.S. Highway 17 is a major highway that runs north to south and connects several cities and towns in the region. The region is also served by a network of railroads radiating from Savannah, Hinesville, A detailed examination of the existing land Brunswick, and Statesboro. use has been performed as part of the CRC’s regional plan. In order to assess the development The CRC region is also home to two United States trends, the regional projected land use has been military bases: Fort Stewart and Naval Submarine prepared, which presents a conceptual future Base Kings Bay. Two other military facilities development plan for the region as shown on the include the Townsend Bombing Range and following map. This map has been prepared using Hunter Army Airfield. Another large government existing and future land use information available facility in the CRC region is the Federal Law through the comprehensive plans prepared by Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), which local governments in the region. Typically, major serves as an interagency law enforcement roads and infrastructure serve the urban areas, training body for 91 United States government where most existing bicycle and pedestrian travel federal law enforcement agencies. is concentrated.

2 3 02

VISION & GOALS

4 02 VISION & GOALS

OVERVIEW Bike + Walk Coastal Georgia establishes an overarching, long-term vision for walking and bicycling in the CRC region, along with clear goals and measurable objectives to guide stakeholders in working towards that vision. To this end, the recommendations of this Plan are shaped by these guiding standards and serve as action steps towards achieving those outcomes. The vision, goals, and objectives presented in the following section are based on:

• Input from the CRC staff and project advisory group • Broad public outreach • Existing vision and goal statements of prior local and regional planning efforts • Nationally-recognized performance measures for active transportation planning

This Plan establishes objectives, goals, and benchmarks for the CRC region as it moves forward with advancing walking and bicycling.

Bike + Walk Coastal Georgia envisions a network of infrastructure for active transportation connecting communities of all sizes across the 10 county region, so that walking and bicycling are a common part of everyday life for residents and visitors alike. 5 CONNECTIVITY & DESIGN

Provide bike routes for casual rider, moderate rider, and advanced cyclists.

1. Identify bike lane, path and shared roadway facilities for a wide range of cycling abilities 2. Inventory existing and planned bicycle and pedestrian facilities 3. Identify additional potential bicycle routes that provide regional connections

Establish bicycle and pedestrian retrofit strategy for existing roadways and intersections.

1. Work with local governments to identify locations of high pedestrian and bicycle use and prioritize retrofit projects where needed. 2. Work with GDOT and local governments to improve policies for providing bicycle and pedestrian accommodations on all roadway projects. 3. Develop on- and off-street pedestrian and bikeway facilities to meet national best practices in design, providing a safe and inviting environment for all ages and ability levels.

Increase bicycle and pedestrian safety.

1. Identify high accident locations in each jurisdiction and propose specific countermeasures to improve safety at these locations. 2. Implement safety measures for all bike routes, bike lanes, paths, trails, and pedestrian facilities. 3. Assess road and path maintenance practices of each jurisdiction and identify improvements. 4. Align local land use policies with local and regional transportation, housing, public investment, and economic development plans to connect destinations to neighborhoods with pedestrian, bike, and trail infrastructure. 5. Incorporate intersection safety and accessibility improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists within all regional corridor improvement projects.

6 EDUCATION, ENFORCEMENT, OUTREACH, AND EVALUATION

Establish ongoing public education on bicycle and pedestrian transportation and safety.

1. Assist school districts in preparing in identifying bicycle and pedestrian improvements within 1 to 1.5 mile radius of each school campus in the region. These can be prepared with the assistance of parent- teacher organizations, youth advisory councils, and civic groups 2. Meet regularly with police departments, school administrators, health departments and bicycle and pedestrian advocates to improve bicycling and walking conditions and safety in the region 3. Work with local officials and citizens to encourage more biking and walking in the region 4. Coordinate with and leverage the GA Department of Transportation’s Bike Safety Action Plan and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. 5. Ensure that education and encouragement programs for biking, walking, and trail use reach all socioeconomic groups, geographic locations, genders, races, and walks of life.

Research and educate the public on Georgia laws pertaining to bicycle/ pedestrian safety, rights and responsibilities.

1. Review and summarize existing bicycle and pedestrian related laws in the regional bicycle and pedestrian plan 2. Sponsor workshops with assistance of SRTS, School Districts, FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center), and Community Outreach Police Officers to distribute information and educate the public regarding bicycle and pedestrian safety, rights and responsibilities.

7 POLICIES & PROGRAMS

Institutionalize bicycle-and pedestrian-friendliness in transportation and recreation projects as a core value of regional projects, policies, and programs.

1. Establish programs and policies within CRC to prioritize active transportation funding, inform project rankings, and incorporate active transportations into all planning initiatives. More in Appendix C. 2. Encourage efforts within the region to incorporate bike / pedestrian supportive policies and regulations to ensure that new development advances the transportation, health, and quality of life goals of the CRC region. 3. Update design guidelines to meet current best practices of ADA-accessibility, complete streets, and safe and innovative bicycle and trail facilities.

8 IMPLEMENTATION

Increase number and quality of bike lanes, bike paths, and dedicated trails.

1. Identify and develop priority bike lane, path, dedicated trails, or paved road shoulder projects in each jurisdiction. 2. Identify and develop priority pedestrian (sidewalk) projects in each jurisdiction.

Prepare bicycle and pedestrian plans for each county and city in the region.

1. Obtain and review existing bicycle and pedestrian plans prepared by counties, cities and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in the region. 2. Assist counties and cities in the preparation and update of bicycle and pedestrian plans. 3. Help counties, cities and school districts develop and improve bicycle and pedestrian programs, including engineering, education, encouragement and enforcement activities (4 e’s).

9 COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Utilize existing and future walking and bicycling infrastructure as a tool for community revitalization and economic growth.

1. Focus on improving bicycle connectivity between commercial and employment districts, public services, transit access points, schools, neighborhoods, and existing population centers. 2. Develop the Coastal Georgia Greenway to connect communities, the 6 coastal counties, attractions, and other bike and pedestrian infrastructure throughout the region. 3. Partner with regional and statewide tourism agencies and visitor bureaus to promote the region’s walkable and bikeable communities and districts; state, local, and national bike routes; and recreational trails. 4. Connect pedestrian, bicycle, and trail investments with locally-directed neighborhood stabilization, future growth centers, and downtown/ commercial district revitalization goals and community-level bike and pedestrian master plans as well as plans for the Coastal Georgia Greenway.

10 03

BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLANS

11 03 BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN PLANS

This section summarizes data on existing bicycle and pedestrian plans including county, metropolitan areas, and state plans. Existing school, police, and health department initiatives as well as current rates of bicycling and walking to work are also discussed.

County and MPO Plans Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) conduct transportation planning for their areas as part of the federal transportation planning process. Three MPOs lie within the Coastal Georgia region. The MPO jurisdictions are shown on the following map. The status of the Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTPs) and Bicycle and Pedestrian Elements in each MPO are summarized in the table below.

Status of MPO Transportation Plans and Bicycle/Pedestrian Elements

Metropolitan Planning Organization Long Range Plan Bicycle/Pedestrian Element

Brunswick Area Yes No

Chatham County - Savannah Yes Yes

Hinesville Area No No

12 13 Six county or metropolitan area plans have been prepared dealing exclusively with bicycle and pedestrian facilities. These are listed in the table below.

Existing County or MPO Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans in Coastal Georgia

Jurisdiction Name Year Preparer GIS Data

Bulloch County Greenways System Master Plan 2002 GSU Yes

Chatham County Non-motorized Transportation Plan Update 2020 MPO Yes

Glynn County Bike/Multipurpose Trail Study 2016 RS&H Yes

Glynn County Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Study 1994 PBS&J No

Camden County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan 2005 CRC Yes

Camden County Comprehensive Transportation Study 2004 JJ&G No

The Greenways System Master Plan was prepared by Georgia Southern University (GSU) for Bulloch County. Bulloch County has not adopted the plan, but continues to implement some of the projects recommended.

The Coastal Region MPO Non-motorized Transportation Plan was prepared and adopted by the Chatham County – Savannah Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and is the most comprehensive of the local government bicycle and pedestrian plans in the coastal region. The previous plan from 2014 was updated February 2020.

The Bike/Multipurpose Trail Study was prepared for Glynn County by a consultant, RS&H. The plan directs the implementation of bike and pedestrian facilities through programs of improvements and policy actions.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Study was prepared for Glynn County by a consultant, PBS&J. While the study is over 20 years old and was not adopted by the local governments, the recommended bike routes and pedestrian facilities are recognized as such by the Brunswick – Glynn County MPO.

The Camden County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was prepared by the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia (CRC). The plan discusses the need to address bicycle and pedestrian access and accommodations in new development, and offers guidance on the design and implementation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Jordan, Jones & Goulding, Inc. (JJG) prepared the Camden County Comprehensive Transportation Plan, which addresses bicycle and pedestrian transportation policies and programs in an appendix. The recommended bicycle and pedestrian projects in this plan are primarily those included in the Coastal Georgia Greenway Alternative.

14 DATA: https://niles.carto.com/tables/ecg_route_envisioned/public

EAST COAST GREENWAY IN GEORGIA The East Coast Greenway in Georgia is an envisioned 144-mile trail system, which will connect South Carolina to Florida through Georgia’s six coastal counties. This alternative transportation network will link the towns, attractions, recreational sites, historic and cultural sites, waterways and natural habitats of the coast. 15 Woodbine Riverwalk Trail in Woodbine, Georgia

Photo: Brent Buice, ECG EAST COAST GREENWAY The East Coast Greenway (ECG) is an envisioned 3,000 mile north-south trail system linking cities and towns from Maine to Florida. When completed, the Greenway will consist of a network of local trails linked to form a spine trail passing through more than 450 communities in fifteen coastal states and Washington, D.C. As of summer 2019, a third of the 3,000 mile envisioned route is complete. In Georgia, the envisioned route of the Greenway totals Woodbine Riverwalk Trail in Woodbine, Georgia 144 miles. Of those, 14.1 miles (9.8%) are complete. A “complete” segment means a protected, motor vehicle-free shared use path or trail that is appropriate and accessible for non-motorized users of all ages and abilities. Greenway segments have been constructed in a variety of contexts and rights-of-way, including rail-to-trail, utility corridors, river/stream/canal banks, along disused forest service roads, adjacent to highways, and within existing ROW on suburban and urban streets. While the vision of the Greenway is to be 100% on separated paved trails, the East Coast Greenway Alliance does publish an “interim travel route” which connects existing trail segments with public streets and roads. Hundreds of long distance bicyclists, walkers, and runners follow this route each year. The interim travel route is updated periodically to accommodate newly built trails and safer on-road routing. Most of the interim travel route in Georgia features wayfinding signage. The interim travel route may be viewed at https://map.greenway.org/ Completed segments in Georgia, listed north to south: Jurisdiction Trail Name Miles Savannah, GA Savannah Riverwalk 1.4 Chatham County, GA Chief O.F. Love Road Trail 2.0 Darien, GA Highlander Trail 4.5 Brunswick, GA Liberty Ship Trail 2.3 Woodbine, GA Georgia Coast Rail Trail 2.6 Camden County, GA Portions of Three Rivers Trail 3.5 St. Marys, GA St. Marys Waterfront Park & Trail 0.5

16 Georgia Senator William Ligon Jo Claire Hickson, Executive Director at Coastal Georgia Greenway Connection to “Coastal Georgia Greenway” Many people in coastal Georgia may be familiar with the term “Coastal Georgia Greenway” and not “East Coast Greenway.” By and large, the north-south spine route of the East Coast Greenway matches the north-south route of the Coastal Georgia Greenway. The primary difference is that the Coastal Georgia Greenway includes spur trails to islands and other regional destinations and includes facilities that are not physically protected from motor vehicle traffic. While the two names are very similar, they are only synonymous when in reference to the co-aligned north-south spine route through Georgia.

With the shared goal of completing the East Coast Greenway route through the state of Georgia, the East Coast Greenway Alliance and Coastal Georgia Greenway, Inc. announced a union of the two nonprofit organizations in May of 2020. The East Coast Greenway Alliance and its staff serve as a coordinating entity for the East Coast Greenway spine route in Georgia, and the volunteer-led Coastal Georgia Greenway, Inc. has formally dissolved as a nonprofit corporation, with its leadership now serving on the State Committee for the East Coast Greenway in Georgia. For more information and resources on the Greenway in Georgia visit https://www.greenway.org/states/georgia

Coastal Greenway Joint Study Committee In March 2015, Senate Resolution 26 passed the Georgia State House of Representatives calling for a Joint House/Senate Coastal Greenway Study Committee. And in June 2015, a Senate panel comprised of predominantly coastal officials was convened to deliberate on how the Coastal Greenway can be implemented in Georgia. Georgia Senator William Ligon and Georgia Representative Ron Stephens co-chaired the Coastal Greenway Joint Study Committee to study the effects and feasibility of creating a separate paved trail from Savannah to St. Marys, to be known as the Coastal Georgia Greenway (CGG). The Study Committee ultimately recommended the State of Georgia and Coastal Regional Commission secure funding for and implement construction on the CGG in four phases over the next 10 years. The CGG is a crucial part of the East Coast Greenway which will connect Maine to Florida.

The following tables show Coastal Georgia Greenway projects completed by the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia. A grand total of state provided funds were $254,200 and matching funds provided by the region were $2,247,500. The total investment was $2,501,700.

In February 2020, Senate Resolution 690 passed and reiterated support for the completion of the Greenway. Senate Resolutions are located in Appendix B of this plan. 17 Coastal Georgia Greenway Projects Completed by the Coastal Regional Commission 2019 State Matching Funds Jurisdiction Project Funds Provided in Project Details Provided Region Canebrake Road Construct additional .75 mile share use path to Chatham County Improvement $37,500 $500,000 provide connection from US 17 at Ogeechee Project River, north to State Route 204. Dilworth Street Widening sidewalk from Ready Street to State City of St. Marys $37,500 $37,500 Project Route 40 from 5 feet to 10 feet. Marshes of Glynn Construct a shelter that will serve as a City of Brunswick Overlook Park $15,000 $15,000 trailhead for the greenway. Pavilion FY 2019 Total $90,000 $552,500 2018 State Matching Funds Jurisdiction Project Funds Provided in Project Details Provided Region Phase I of Gum Camden County Branch Preserve $18,600 $60,000 2,000 Feet of trail at Gum Branch Preserve. Trail Canebrake Road Construct additional .75 mile share use path to Chatham County Improvement $17,800 $500,000 provide connection from US 17 at Ogeechee Project River, north to State Route 204. Howard Coffin Complete trail from Howard Coffin Park to City of Brunswick Park to Sydney $18,000 $24,000 Sydney Lanier Park. Lanier Park Trail Jekyll Island Phase I of Island Construct 200 linear feet of trail along the $17,000 $156,000 Authority Hopper Trail north side of Jekyll Island Causeway. Point Peter Trail Widening sidewalk from Point Peter Road to City of St. Marys $18,600 $136,000 Widening Project DuFour Road from 8 feet to 10 feet. FY 2018 Total $90,000 $876,000 2017 State Matching Funds Jurisdiction Project Funds Provided in Project Details Provided Region Install restroom facilities, site work, plumbing, City of St. Marys Tabby Trail $17,800 $136,000 foundation, block laying, roof installation, electrical, fixture installation and finish work. Canebrake Road Chatham County Improvement $17,800 $500,000 Complete Phase I of the right-of-way. Project Liberty Ship Complete a .55 mile gap from the Sidney City of Brunswick $17,800 $24,000 Connector Trail Lanier Bridge to Torras Causeway. Jekyll Island Island Hopper $17,800 $156,000 Phase I of 2,000 linear feet completed. Authority Trail Fort King George McIntosh County Drive to Blue-N- $3,000 $3,000 Engineering survey of the right-of-way. Hall Trail FY 2017 Total $74,200 $819,000

18 Dilworth Street Trail in St. Marys, Georgia Liberty Ships Trail in Brunswick, Georgia

Photos: Brent Buice, ECG Greenway Criteria & Design Guide In the Greenway Criteria & Design Guide, East Coast Greenway Alliance staff and volunteer partners have compiled information and resources for the planning, design, construction, promotion, and maintenance of local East Coast Greenway segments.

The Guide defines a vision of a protected, connected series of safe facilities for a continuous non- motorized route from Maine to Florida. Here you can find requirements for Greenway segment design and construction, illustrated with photographs, along with links to best-practice planning and design guidelines. The Guide explains allowable on-road facilities and offers a new section on potentially allowable on-road facilities. The Greenway Criteria and Design Guide concludes with a list of technical resources and a glossary of common terms and acronyms related to the Greenway. To download the guide visit www.greenway.org/design-guide

Regionally Significant Trails St. Marys Tabby Trail, will be a trail located along the Kings Bay Naval Base and connecting to the Crooked River State Park. The trail is regionally significant as it is part of the East Coast Greenway. The East Coast Greenway in Georgia is an alternative transportation network that will link the towns, attractions, recreational sites, historic and cultural sites, waterways and natural habitats of the coast.

The Three Rivers Trail, a 30 miles segment of the East Coast Greenway trail system, is currently in development in Camden County. The Three Rivers trail is a county-wide network of existing and future multi-use paths that will connect the Satilla River at Woodbine, the Crooked River at Crooked Rover State Park, and the St. Marys River at the Howard Gilman Memorial Waterfront Park in St. Marys. When all phases of the East Coast Greenway are completed in Camden County, the trails will route cyclists from Winding Road Connector to Downtown St. Marys, then link, via ferry to Fernandina Beach, Florida. The ferry will be operational in 2020.

Tide To Town, Savannah’s Urban Trail System, will be a protected network of walking and bicycling trails connecting all of Savannah’s neighborhoods, from the heart of the city to it’s marshes and waterways. Tide To Town will serve every aldermanic district within the City of Savannah, with the potential to expand to unincorporated Chatham County, Tybee Island, Garden City, Thunderbolt, Bloomingdale, and Port Wentworth, integrating with long distance walking and bicycling trails like the East Coast Greenway. More information at https://tidetotown.org

19 Katelyn L. DiGioia, P.E. GDOT Atiba Mbiwan, Executive Director at The Zeist Foundation Statewide Bike Route Network In August 1995 the State Transportation Board adopted seven goals to guide the development and implementation of a statewide bicycle and pedestrian system:

1. Promote bicycling and walking as mobility options in urban and rural areas 2. Develop a transportation network of primary bicycle routes throughout the state to provide connectivity for intrastate and interstate bicycle travel 3. Promote the establishment of US numbered bicycle routes in Georgia as part of a national network of bicycle routes 4. Encourage economic development opportunities that enhance bicycle and pedestrian mobility 5. Promote non-motorized transportation as a means of congestion mitigation 6. Promote non-motorized transportation as an environmentally friendly means of mobility 7. Promote connectivity of non-motorized facilities with other modes of transportation

The DOT board approved a Statewide Route Network document on August 21, 1997. It established a network of 14 state bicycle routes based on input from a statewide advisory committee who evaluated each proposed corridor and defined the routes. State bicycle routes in the coastal region are:

• Bike Route 10 called ‘Southern Crossing’ runs west from Jekyll Island to Waynesville, Atkinson and Nahunta in adjoining Brantley County. • Bike Route 35 called ‘March to the Sea’ runs west from downtown Savannah. It joins Bike Route 40 near Bloomingdale. The next stand-alone section of Bike Route 35 runs northwest from Denmark through Statesboro in Bulloch County to Rocky Ford in Screven County and on to Millen in adjoining Jenkins County. • Bike Route 40 called ‘TransGeorgia’ runs northwest from the southern Bulloch County adjoining Candler County. • Bike Route 85 called ‘Savannah River Run’ runs in a north from Bike Route 95 in Springfield in Effingham County through Shawnee, on through Newington and Sylvania in Screven County before intersecting Bike Route 35 in Jenkins. • Bike Route 95 called ‘Coastal’ runs north from the Georgia – Florida state line in Camden County to the Georgia – South Carolina state line in Effingham County. Georgia Bike Route 95 connects to the Florida Coastal Bike Route on US Highway 17 and continues north on Highway 17 and roughly parallels Interstate 95 until it turns onto SR 119 in Effingham County, which it follows into South Carolina on their “Coastal Route”. • U.S. Bicycle Route 1 starts south of the Georgia - South Carolina Border in Clyo, Georgia, and travels south through 22 local communities, including: Effingham County, Chatham County, Bryan County, Liberty County, McIntosh County, Glynn County, Camden County, Charlton County, before connecting with the existing U.S. Bicycle Route 1 in Florida.

20 U.S. Bike Route 1 In May 2019, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials officially designated U.S. Bicycle Route 1 (USBR 1). USBR 1 is the third officially designated bike route in Georgia, and extends 199 miles along the coast. The route follows much of U.S. Hwy 17 (alternatively Ocean Highway) and passes through many small towns – some directly on the Atlantic Terry Landreth at USBR 1 Meeting Coast – that are filled with hidden gems.

USBR 1 starts south of the Georgia - South Addley and Lea (Canada) on USBR 1 in McIntosh, Georgia Carolina Border in Clyo, Georgia, and travels south through 22 local communities, including: Effingham County, Chatham County, Bryan County, Liberty County, McIntosh County, Glynn County, Camden County, Charlton County, before connecting with the existing U.S. Bicycle Route 1 in Florida.

Cyclists along USBR 1 can explore Georgia’s oldest city, Savannah, including its charming downtown, the largest national historic landmark district in the U.S. The route David Dam (Atlanta, GA) on USBR 1 in McIntosh, Georgia showcases the Savannah Wildlife Refuge, Altamaha Wildlife Management Area, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, and Georgia’s barrier islands: Tybee, Sapelo, St. Simons, Jekyll, and Cumberland Island National Seashore. With oak tree canopies, rural landscapes, marshland views, and barrier islands, Coastal Georgia’s USBR 1 is a scenic treasure for cyclists.

USBR 1 has been developed by the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Transportation with input from bicycle and trail organizations and volunteers.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) is a developing national network of officially recognized, numbered, and signed bicycle routes. All U.S. Bicycle Routes are designated AASHTO. This new route brings the total mileage of the USBRS to 13,733. At least 40 states are currently developing U.S. Bike Ride Across Georgia 2019 in Darien, Georgia Bicycle Routes. 21 Screven US Bike Route 1

Eff ingham Coastal Georgia Springfield Guyton Bulloch

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Pooler Pooler Br yan Savannah ¨¦§16 Savannah

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Glynn

Brunswick

Woodbine Camden 4 Date: 04/03/19

Kingsland Kings B ay Base St. Marys 0 5 10 15 20 Miles

Produced in 2019 by the Coastal Regional Commission GIS Department (CRC GIS). All information portrayed in this product is for reference use only. Therefore, CRC GIS will not be held liable for improper use of the data provided herein. The data and related graphics are not legal documents and should not be utilized in such a manner. The information contained herein is considered dynamic and will change over time. It is the responsibility of the user to use the products appropriately. Document Path: A:\ags_resources\01_FY2019\GIS\Region\USBR1_Project\USBR1_Regional.mxd

22 State Hwy 30 Detail A US Bike Route 1 Coastal Georgia Eff ingham

State Hwy 25

State Hwy 21

State Hwy 17 Us Hwy 80

Pine Barren Rd Rogers St Pooler Dean Forest Rd Old Louisville Rd Alfred St John Carter Rd State Hwy 25c Augusta Ave Fair St Louisville Rd

Pooler Pkwy Telfair Rd

Gwinnett St ¨¦§16 ¨¦§16 ¨¦§16

Stiles Ave ¨¦§95 ¨¦§516 Little Neck Rd

Chatham Pkwy Mills B Lane Blvd

Quacco Rd State Hwy 307

Acl Blvd

Montgomery St

Liberty Pkwy

Chatham Bull St Staley Ave

Buckhalter Rd

Garrard Ave

State Hwy 204 State Hwy 204 Spur

Us Hwy 17

Middleground Rd Savannah White Bluff Rd

Br yan

Richmond 5 Hill ¨¦§95 Date: 04/03/19 Whitfield Ave

State Hwy 144

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23 GOLDEN ISLES PKWY SPUR 25 Detail B OLD JESUP RD US Bike Route 1

NEW JESUP HWY US HIGHWAY 341 - GA 27 Coastal Georgia

ALTAMA AV

SCRANTON RD

ALTAMA CONN

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COMMUNITY RD GA HWY 303

NORWICH STREET EXT US HWY 341 DARIEN HWY US HWY 17

CYPRESS MILL RD GA HWY 303

BLYTHE ISLAND HWY GA HWY 303 Glynn

FOURTH ST

PARKWOOD DR

FIRST ST

NEWCASTLE ST US HIGHWAY 341 - GA 27

GLYNN AV US HWY 17

NORWICH ST

F J TORRAS CSWY

L STREET

Brunswick

GLOUCESTER ST

5 Date: 04/03/19

HIGHWAY 17 GA 25 0 ½ 1 1½ 2 Miles

24 Savannah PD

Police Bicycle Patrol Programs The following describes existing bicycle patrol programs conducted by law enforcement agencies in the Coastal Region.

Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD) The Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department is the largest law enforcement agency in the Coastal Region of Georgia. The SCMPD serves five precincts throughout Savannah. When enough officers are available, the individual precincts may designate a specialized unit called theCrime Suppression Unit (CSU), with the only exception being at the Downtown Precinct, which is known as the Downtown Show Officers Unit. Bicycle patrol is coordinated through these specialized units. Officers actively patrol on foot as well, especially in the downtown area.

In 2013 the Savannah Mayor & Council funded the purchase of 25 new specialized police bicycles. Five bicycles are assigned to each of the five precincts and officers are required to complete a 16-hour Metro Police Bicycle Course to become certified for bicycle patrol.

Police bicycle programs can provide a viable supplement to a community’s law-enforcement needs. The officers have the advantage to sneak up on crimes in progress and they are more likely to be approached by the general public. The officers will be faced with more unorthodox riding conditions than average riders but safety is still the number one issue.

Brunswick Police Department The City of Brunswick Bicycle Patrol Team was first established in the mid 1990s. It is located in the Special Services Division within the police department and has two permanently assigned bike patrol officers. The officers receive in-house training and may receive additional training as needed through courses at the law enforcement training center. Bike Patrol Officers provide an added police enforcement presence to target identified problems within a localized area. The bikes are utilized on every shift and patrol is constituted as city-wide and year-round, with a strong emphasis on the business districts, banking areas, housing projects, as well as all other areas facing potential crime activity. The bicycles allow the officers to better blend in with the surroundings while on patrol, and thus the ability to infiltrate criminal activity is increased. An added benefit concerning the public relations aspect is the ability of the officers to perform more walk-throughs of businesses.

Hinesville Police Department The City of Hinesville Bicycle Patrol Program was created in 1995, and bicycle patrol is focused on high-crime areas throughout the city. The assigned officers are involved in a rotation based system to provide adequate rest. This limits them to only two 8-hour shifts per week on bicycle patrol. Hinesville’s bicycle patrol program begins at the end of April and ends in December. When up to full strength, six officers are assigned bicycles, but there are only three currently assigned to bike duty. 25 Savannah PD

Police Bicycle Training Program (PBTP) at Federal Law Enforcement Training Center The Police Bicycle Training Program (PBTP) trains bicycles officers in the principles and techniques of conducting law enforcement patrols on bicycles. It equips police cyclists with the skills, techniques, operation principles, and legal considerations to ensure safety while patrolling on a police bicycle. Students learn cycling skills, defensive tactics, physical conditioning, and officer safety and survival tactics.

Police Bicycle Training Program • Bicycle Injury Management • Bicycle Maintenance • Bicycle Nomenclature and Pre-ride Preparation • Bicycle Patrol Procedures • Bicycle Techniques and Tactics • Bicycling Skills • Handgun Stress Course for the Police Cyclist • Hazard Recognition and Negotiation • Night Riding • Physical Conditioning • Rules of the Road Situation Response foe the Police Cyclist Survival Shooting Tactics

FLETC has designed a brochure entitled “Bicycle Safety for Motorist and Cyclist” and is provided to the trainees. The brochure includes tips for motorists and cyclists. The most important tips for motorists include staying alert, observing a cyclist ahead, adjusting speed, not honking when passing a cyclist, using extra caution at intersections, and avoiding startling at cyclist. The cyclist tips include wearing safety equipment, using a designated bike path if available, riding in a single file if riding in a group, being visible, knowing your road signs and obeying them, using hand signals, using bike mirrors, considering pulling off the roadway if vehicles are backed up behind you, always riding with the traffic, moving away from the right edge during roadway hazard and narrow lane, using proper lane positioning, and using alternate means of travel during rain and foggy conditions.

26 SRTS Bike to School Day at Tybee Island, Georgia

School and Health Department Initiatives Schools can play a major role in promoting bicycle and pedestrian safety for students and parents. Health departments, though concerned with safety, mainly focus on improving the overall general health of the community population. Increased interaction with the schools and health departments will be necessary in planning for the future of safety and health concerns in the region. This section provides an overview of different programs available in the region.

Safe Routes to School Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs are sustained efforts by parents, schools, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to improve the health and well-being of children by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bike to school. Safe Routes to School programs connect transportation options with public health needs with the quality of our environment with the livability of our communities.

Georgia’s SRTS program is designed to encourage more kids to walk and bike to school safely. Safe Routes to School Program is organized around six ideas – also called the 6 Es:

• Engineering: Making the environment safer for walking and bicycling • Encouragement: Encouraging kids to walk and bike • Education: Teaching kids and parents safe ways to walk and bike • Evaluation: Checking to see how many kids are walking and biking as a result of the program • Enforcement: Changing driver, walker and bicyclist behavior as they travel together along the road • Equity: Working to make safe routes accessible to all demographics and abilities

SRTS programs examine conditions around schools and conduct projects and activities that work to improve safety and reduce traffic and air pollution in the vicinity of schools. As a result of these efforts, SRTS programs make bicycling and walking to school safer and more appealing transportation choices. They also encourage children to pursue healthier and more active lifestyles throughout their lives.

More information can be found at www.saferoutesga.org

27 SRTS Walk Audit at Garden City, Georgia

SRTS Walk Audit Team at Garden City, Georgia

Camden County Elementary Schools Camden County Elementary Schools provide lessons on safety through their health and physical education classes. Their school-based curriculum consists of the Risk Watch program, the first comprehensive injury prevention program available for use in schools, as developed by the National Fire Protection Association. Risk Watch provides teachers, parents, and safety advocates the tools they need to teach children about safety concerns. It is divided into five age-appropriate teaching modules, and an entire section of the curriculum is devoted to bicycle and pedestrian safety. Also, preschoolers are provided with bicycle safety lessons from the local police. Adolescent level bicyclist and pedestrian safety programs should be introduced across the region.

Safe Kids Savannah Coalition Safe Kids Savannah is led by The Children’s Hospital at Memorial University Medical Center, which provides dedicated and caring staff, operation support and other resources to assist in achieving our common goal: keeping your kids safe. Based on the needs of the community, this coalition implements evidence-based programs, such as car-seat checkups, safety workshops and sports clinics, that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries. Safe Kids Savannah is a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, a network of over 600 coalitions, including Safe Kids Georgia.

The Safe Kids of Savannah Coalition consists of volunteers including law enforcement officers, firefighters and paramedics, medical and health professionals, educators, parents, and others. The coalition is dedicated to reducing the occurrence of unintentional childhood injuries, the number one killer of children ages 14 and under in the U.S., Georgia, and Chatham County.

Safe Kids Savannah Services

• Providing information, referrals, and classes on injury prevention for children, parents, grandparents, teachers, and students. • Conducting workshops on a variety of child safety topics. • Assisting with safety fairs and community events. • Distribution child safety seats, smoke alarms, and bike helmets to families and children in need. • Distribution of materials and literature about accidental childhood injuries. • Advocacy for children’s safety.

28 Obesity and Physical Activity Local health professionals involved in the Chronic Disease Prevention Initiative are considering programs to promote biking and walking facilities and programs as a means to reduce child and adult obesity. Obesity is defined as body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or more and uses the formula: BMI=weight in kg/height mÇ. Obesity has been identified as a risk factor for many serious health conditions. Weight loss can reduce the risk of these and may be achieved by increasing the daily physical activity and reducing calories.

The following table displays recent information regarding adults with diabetes, inactivity, and obesity in the ten counties located within our region, as well as for the State of Georgia.

County Adults with Diabetes % Adults Inactive % Adults Obese % Bryan 2792 12.3 6447 28.4 6651 29.3 Bulloch 6109 12 12552 24.6 17125 33.5 Camden 4028 10.9 8546 23.2 11605 31.5 Chatham 22794 11 44568 21.5 65013 31.3 Effingham 5165 13.5 9517 24.9 13479 35.2 Glynn 6994 11.5 15501 25.5 15875 26.2 Liberty 4525 10.4 11500 26.3 15237 34.9 Long 1110 9.8 2944 25.9 3566 31.4 McIntosh 1680 15.2 3091 27.9 3425 30.9 Screven 1448 13.6 2937 27.7 3499 33 Georgia 1,335,600 12.6 3,021,000 28.5 3,445,000 32.5 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . 2018

McIntosh county shows that it contains the highest percentage (15.2%) of adults with diabetes as compared to the State of Georgia (12.6%). Bryan County shows that it contains the highest percentage (28.4%) of adults who are inactive in the coastal region as compared to the State of Georgia (28.5%). Effingham county shows that it contains the highest percentage (35.2%) of adults who are obese (BMI of 30.0 or more) as compared to the State of Georgia (32.5%). 29 Regular physical activity is a vital element of a healthy lifestyle. Being physically active and reducing sedentary behavior can benefit health. Adults who are physically active are healthier, feel better and are less likely to develop many chronic diseases such as:

• Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke • Type 2 diabetes • Hypertension • Certain cancers, including bladder, breast and colon cancer • Dementia • Anxiety and depression

Adults gain most of these health benefits when they do the equivalent of 150 to 300 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. Adults gain additional and more extensive health benefits with even more physical activity. Muscle-strengthening activities also provide health benefits and are an important part of an adult’s overall physical activity plan. The following provides guidance for men and women ages 18 through 64 years.

Key Guidelines for Adults

Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.

For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.

Additional health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.

Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity and that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these activities provide additional health benefits. More info at Health.gov . Physical Activity Guidelines 30 Biking and Walking to Work Bicycle and pedestrian by county within the coastal region was obtained by the American Community Survey (ACS) 2018. According to the 2018 ACS,

An average of 82.3 percent of commuters drove alone to work in coastal Georgia as shown in the following tables. Another 9.8 percent carpool. Walking is the third most common means of transportation to work with 2.1 percent of total commute trips. Another 0.5 percent use public transportation, and 0.4 percent bicycle to work. The largest number of persons walking to work were noted in Chatham County (3659), Camden County (1329), and Liberty County (877). Means of Transportation, Coastal Georgia 2018 County Bryan Bulloch Camden Chatham Effingham Workers (16 years and over) 16,384 32,760 24,619 135,521 27,838 Means of Transportation Car, truck, or van 92.6% 89.5% 91.1% 88.2% 94.7% Drove alone 85.1% 79.1% 83.7% 78.3% 86.8% Carpooled 7.6% 10.4% 7.4% 9.9% 7.8% Public Transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.0% 1.1% 0.1% 2.6% 0.1% Walked 1.5% 2.5% 5.4% 2.7% 0.7% Bicycle 0.5% 1.3% 0.1% 1.1% 0.0% Taxicab,motorcycle, other means 2.2% 1.2% 1.4% 1.4% 1.8% Worked at home 3.2% 4.4% 1.9% 4.0% 2.7%

County Glynn Liberty Long McIntosh Screven Total (All) Workers (16 years and over) 37,521 27,436 6,878 5,880 5,402 320,239 Means of Transportation Average Car, truck, or van 92.5% 92.3% 91.9% 93.8% 94.2% 92.1% Drove alone 82.0% 81.7% 81.4% 80.9% 84.4% 82.3% Carpooled 10.5% 10.7% 10.5% 12.9% 9.8% 9.8% Public Transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.4% 0.5% 0.0% 0.4% 0.0% 0.5% Walked 1.3% 3.2% 0.7% 1.2% 1.3% 2.1% Bicycle 0.4% 0.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.4% Taxicab,motorcycle, other means 1.8% 1.7% 4.6% 0.2% 1.4% 1.8% Worked at home 3.6% 1.6% 2.8% 4.4% 3.1% 31.7% 2018 American Community Survey

31 SRTS Bike to School Day at Tybee Island, Georgia

Review of Zoning Ordinances/Subdivision Regulations In order to assess provisions for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, the CRC reviewed the zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations for the ten counties in our region as shown in the matrix below.

Provision of Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities in Zoning Ordinances/Subdivision Regulations 2020 Zoning Subdivision County Name Comments Ordinance Regulations Zoning requires pedestrian access to be provided within Planned Unit Development Districts. Adjacent developments within the PUD will be connected via pedestrian paths and/or sidewalks, which shall be a minimum five feet wide. Bryan Yes Yes Subdivision regulations require pedestrian ways for all subdivisions with 10 or more lots, and the proposed locations and widths of pedestrian ways must be shown on preliminary plats. Subdivisions adjacent to schools, parks, or playgrounds must provide pedestrian ways from such subdivisions to the adjacent school, park, or playground.

Subdivision Regulations state that crosswalks, not less than 10 feet wide, may be required by the planning and zoning commission where it is deemed Bulloch No Yes essential in order to provide circulation or access to schools, playgrounds, shopping centers, transportation or other community facilities.

Camden No No No provisions identified in either document. Town center overlay districts must provide for pedestrian and bicycle access to adjacent residential and commercial areas if the facility is used by the general public. Incentive-based development standards require that a minimum of five percent of total site area be dedicated to bicycle and pedestrian use in town center overlay districts. Chatham Yes Yes Subdivision regulations state that sidewalks shall be provided along both sides of all streets within new subdivisions, and along the sides of existing streets that abut all new subdivisions. The sub-divider shall install sidewalks and/or pedestrian paths/modified trail systems in such a manner as to promote and insure the safety and welfare of all users. Subdivision Regulations state when desirable for public convenience, pedestrian ways may be required to connect to cul-de-sacs, to pass Effingham No Yes through oddly-shaped or unusually long blocks, or to provide access to schools, parks, or other public areas. Table Continued Next Page 32 Provision of Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities in Zoning Ordinances/Subdivision Regulations Zoning Subdivision County Name Comments Ordinance Regulations Regulations are being updated and new standards for new facilities are Glynn * * under consideration. Subdivision Regulations: For planned developments, provisions for internal circulation for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles should be incorporated into the development, and the ability to provide cross access to adjacent parcels should be considered.

Sidewalks must be installed on all streets. In all cases where exceptions to sidewalks are granted by the governing authority, the developments Liberty No Yes are required to provide for pedestrian mobility and connectivity to adjacent parcels and developments.

Open space as a required portion of conservation subdivisions that has been set aside for permanent protection permits the use of of open space as walking or bicycle trails, provided they are constructed of pervious materials. Subdivision Regulations: For planned developments, provisions for internal circulation for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles should be incorporated into the development, and the ability to provide cross access to adjacent parcels should be considered. Long No Yes Open space as a required portion of conservation subdivisions that has been set aside for permanent protection permits the use of open space as walking or bicycle trails, provided they are constructed of porous paving materials. Not stated as mandatory, but pedestrian-ways may be required in subdivisions if deemed essential.

Conservation Subdivisions purpose is to encourage street designs that reduce traffic speeds and reliance on main arteries in the neighborhood McIntosh No Yes while increasing safety and access for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Planned Manufactured Home Community and Recreational Vehicle Screven Yes Yes Parks: Sidewalks shall be required along one side of all interior streets and in areas where pedestrian traffic is expected, such as around recreation, management, mailbox groupings if provided, and community services areas for manufactured home parks and planned manufactured home communities.

33 04

BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

34 04 BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

The existing and planned bicycle and pedestrian facilities as well as multi-use paths and sidewalks maps consist of two sets of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data:

1. State bike routes GIS shapefile obtained from the Office of Transportation Data, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in 2020 2. GIS shapefiles of existing and planned bicycle facilities prepared by local governments as part of their local bicycle and pedestrian plans

Where GIS data were not available, CRC staff created new coverages by digitizing data and/or using Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected under separate GIS contracts with GDOT.

Chatham, Glynn, McIntosh, Camden, Effingham, and Bulloch counties have local bicycle, pedestrian, or greenway plans and studies. Glynn County has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Study conducted by PBS&J. Both existing and planned facilities as well as multi-use paths and sidewalks from each of the 10 counties within the coastal region are included in this plan.

35 The GIS data developed for this plan were used to produce a two-part map showing existing and planned bicycle and pedestrian facilities on the following maps. The existing facilities include five state bike routes and one U.S. route in the CRC region as listed below. The majority of these roads have limited paved shoulders (2 feet wide or less) and many have rumble strips in the paved shoulders.

• U.S. Bike Route 1, also known as USBR 1 • State Bike Route 10, also known as “Southern Crossings” • State Bike Route 35, also known as “March to the Sea” • State Bike Route 40, also known as “TransGeorgia” • State Bike Route 85, also known as “Savannah River Run” • State Bike Route 95, also known as “Coastal”

The following table shows the total miles for each state bike route in the coastal region.

Coastal Georgia Region: Bike Route Mileage Bike Route Bike Route Number Total Miles in Coastal Georgia U.S. Bike Route 1 1 199.95 Southern Crossing 10 24.9 March to the Sea 35 83.1 TransGeorgia 40 64.3 Savannah River Run 85 88 Coastal 95 168.6

36 05

ANALYSIS OF BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CRASHES

37 05 ANALYSIS OF BICYCLE CRASHES

Data on motor vehicle/bicycle crashes in the ten counties of the Coastal Regional Commission’s region were obtained from Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for the years 2009 to 2019 as shown in the following tables.

Motor Vehicle / Bicycle Crashes (2009 - 2019)

Total Total Grand County 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Fatalities Injuries Total

Bryan 1 3 3 0 0 2 2 1 1 2 3 1 13 18

Bulloch 9 8 7 12 7 3 6 7 9 14 11 0 75 93

Camden 5 4 5 5 3 5 4 0 1 2 5 2 33 39

Chatham 94 94 83 92 83 85 105 106 95 125 101 8 701 1063

Effingham 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 0 5 9

Glynn 16 8 5 7 12 12 8 12 12 30 23 0 114 145

Liberty 8 3 1 5 2 2 4 13 11 20 18 2 58 87

Long 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 5

McIntosh 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 2

Screven 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1

Total 136 120 104 121 108 110 130 139 131 198 165 13 1004 1462

38 39 Motor Vehicle / Bicycle Crashes (2009 - 2019) Roadway Location

County City Street County Road I-16 I-516 Public Road Ramp (blank) State Route Grand Total

Bryan 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 11 18

Bulloch 20 4 0 0 3 0 7 59 93

Camden 18 0 0 0 0 0 17 4 39

Chatham 572 47 2 1 0 2 128 311 1063

Effingham 0 6 0 0 0 0 1 2 9

Glynn 21 65 0 0 0 0 18 41 145

Liberty 23 7 0 0 0 0 52 5 87

Long 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 5

McIntosh 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2

Screven 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1

Total 657 134 2 1 3 2 223 434 1462

Bicycle Crashes by Manner of Collision (2009-2019) Not a Sideswipe Sideswipe Collision County Angle Head On Rear End Opposite Same Unknown Total Percent % w/ Motor Direction Direction Vehicle

Bryan 7 0 9 1 0 1 0 18 1.2

Bulloch 44 3 39 1 3 3 0 93 6.3

Camden 16 1 13 3 2 4 0 39 2.6

Chatham 435 47 374 67 29 107 4 1063 72.7

Effingham 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 9 0.61

Glynn 42 5 76 7 3 12 0 145 9.9

Liberty 34 2 37 2 2 4 6 87 5.9

Long 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 5 .34

McIntosh 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.068

Screven 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.068

Total 581 59 553 83 41 134 11 1462 100

% 39.7 4.0 37.8 5.6 2.8 9.1 0.75 100

40 The table (Bicycle Crashes by Manner of Collision) shows that 39.7% of motor vehicle/bicycle crashes in the coastal region are angle crashes. These most commonly occur at roadway or driveway intersections. More detailed study of police accident reports should be conducted to identify more precisely the actions by bicyclists and/or motorists prior to the crash. This analysis will be useful in developing countermeasures. The table also indicates that 37.8% of motor vehicle/bicycle crashes are rear end bicycle collisions. Nationally, rear end bicycle collisions account for up to 40 percent of all bike accidents in the U.S. according to a recent study conducted by the League of American Bicyclists. This is certainly true in the coastal region of Georgia where bike lanes are not as prevalent as they should be and where motorists fail to share the roadway. There are a few situations that generally lead to read- end crashes on a bicycle, including:

• Left-hand turns. Left-hand turns are one of the most common precursors to a rear-end bicycle accident. When a cyclist needs to move over into traffic to get in the left lane and turn, they are susceptible to a rear-end accident. • No bike lanes. Many streets still do not have bike lanes, so cyclists are sharing the road with traffic and can easily be rear-ended. • Distracted drivers. Even when riding in a bike lane or on the shoulder of a road, motorists can drift over when distracted and rear-end a cyclist. In November 2012 just outside of Auburn, IL, a 71-year old avid cyclist was rear-ended and killed by a young driver that drifted into the shoulder.

Another 6.8% of crashes potentially involved wrong way cycling (head on and sideswipe-opposite direction crashes). Chatham County has the highest rate of the head on crashes. Wrong way bicycling is common in Coastal Georgia. There are a number of risks associated with this type of riding:

• Motor vehicles pulling out of driveways or turning from an intersection are not looking for traffic coming the wrong way. This could cause a collision if the driver pulls out in front of a cyclist and isn’t looking for wrong way biking. • When a cyclist engages in wrong way biking, they approach traffic at a much higher speed. For example: if a cyclist is riding at 15mph and a motor vehicle comes from behind at 35mph, the approaching speed is 20mph. If a cyclist and a motor vehicle are approaching head-on, the closing speed is 50mph. • One study, called “Risk Factors for Bicycle-Motor Vehicle Collisions at Intersections”, found that riding the wrong way is three times as dangerous as riding with traffic, and for kids the risk is seven times greater. • Riding the wrong way is against the law, so if you are in an accident it will be the cyclists fault.

41 ANALYSIS OF PEDESTRIAN CRASHES

Data on motor vehicle/pedestrian crashes in the ten counties of the Coastal Regional Commission’s region were obtained from Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for the years 2009 to 2019 as shown in the following tables.

Motor Vehicle / Pedestrian Crashes (2009 - 2019)

Total Total Grand County 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Fatalities Injuries Total

Bryan 1 6 2 4 3 13 12 16 16 6 3 5 46 82

Bulloch 3 14 8 13 16 13 16 12 18 12 14 12 114 139

Camden 3 9 5 8 13 16 27 22 7 6 7 12 93 123

Chatham 157 81 50 163 186 208 249 238 227 194 192 83 1546 1945

Effingham 2 4 3 7 13 8 9 14 4 7 3 6 53 74

Glynn 31 35 28 41 29 41 47 32 39 30 35 32 313 388

Liberty 22 43 35 33 9 8 4 14 20 20 11 10 126 219

Long 1 0 1 0 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 8 14

McIntosh 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 3 4 2 2 6 14 18

Screven 2 0 1 2 3 2 4 1 1 2 1 7 12 17

Total 222 192 133 273 275 313 370 354 337 281 269 175 2325 3019

42 43 Motor Vehicle / Pedestrian Crashes (2009 - 2019) Roadway Location

County City Street County Road I-16 I-516 Public Road Ramp (blank) State Route Grand Total

Bryan 16 10 1 2 0 1 28 24 82

Bulloch 27 15 0 0 2 0 76 19 139

Camden 39 8 0 4 1 1 36 34 123

Chatham 931 106 1 2 0 1 630 274 1945

Effingham 6 19 0 0 0 0 32 17 74

Glynn 83 80 0 3 0 0 157 65 388

Liberty 39 29 0 10 1 0 32 108 219

Long 1 6 0 0 0 0 3 4 14

McIntosh 2 1 0 3 0 0 4 8 18

Screven 2 5 0 0 0 0 3 7 17

Total 1146 279 2 24 4 3 1001 560 3019

Pedestrian Crashes by Manner of Collision (2009-2019) Not a Sideswipe Sideswipe Collision County Angle Head On Rear End Opposite Same Unknown Total Percent % w/ Motor Direction Direction Vehicle

Bryan 10 1 23 29 2 9 8 82 2.7

Bulloch 23 2 4 106 0 3 1 139 4.6

Camden 23 4 8 38 4 14 32 123 4.0

Chatham 146 57 66 1585 17 36 38 1945 64.4

Effingham 12 2 5 35 3 7 10 74 2.4

Glynn 47 8 19 296 7 11 0 388 12.8

Liberty 21 10 49 89 3 30 17 219 7.2

Long 0 0 0 13 1 0 0 14 0.4

McIntosh 1 3 5 8 0 0 1 18 0.57

Screven 0 3 1 9 2 1 1 17 0.56

Total 283 90 180 2208 39 111 108 3019 100

% 9.3 2.9 5.9 73.1 1.29 3.6 3.5 100

44 In the table (Motor Vehicle/Pedestrian Crashes) it shows that urban areas of Chatham, Glynn, Liberty, Bulloch, and Camden counties represents 62%, 10%, 7%, 4.4%, and 3.9% of regional pedestrian crashes respectively. Almost 18 pedestrians died every year in the region from crashes with motor vehicles. Most of the motor vehicle/pedestrian crashes occurred on city streets (1146) and state routes (560).

The table (Pedestrian Crashes by Manner of Collision) shows that about 73% of motor vehicle/ pedestrian crashes in the coastal region are not a collision with a motor vehicle. More detailed study of police accident reports should be conducted to identify more precisely the actions by pedestrians and/ or motorists prior to the crash. This analysis will be useful in developing countermeasures.

45 06

ANALYSIS OF STATE BICYCLE ROUTES

46 06 ANALYSIS OF STATE BICYCLE ROUTES

David Dam (Atlanta, GA) on USBR 1 in Brunswick, Georgia

State Bicycle Routes comprise a leading portion of the regional bicycle network within Coastal Georgia. CRC staff conducted field review and measurements at select locations on the five State Bike Routes in the 10 county region. Chiefly, these routes are moderate to high speed highways with little or no paved roadway shoulders.

Roadway Conditions Data The Office of Transportation Data utilized remote sensing, Local Road Activity (LRA) reports, construction design plans, and data mining to collect road data. In addition to field review of roadway conditions, the Coastal Regional Commission obtained road inventory datasets from the Office of Transportation Data, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in the fall 2019:

1. Roadway Inventory (RI) data file for the year 2018. 2. The ‘route’ road network is in line shapefile format for each county in the region.

The road inventory data includes state routes, county roads, and city streets.

The data was in a database file format, which contained all the road records for ten counties in the region. These road records are assigned a particular number by GDOT called the Route number, and the field in which these numbers are assigned is called the “RC link”.The records in the database are also identified by beginning and ending mile point.

47 David Dam (Atlanta, GA) on USBR 1 in McIntosh, Georgia

Methodology The road records in the RC database file did not have a one-to-one relationship with the “route” road network shapefile. Therefore, it was not possible to simply join the records in the data file and the route road network shapefile. A technique called ‘Display Route Events’ was used to display the roadway characteristics information based on the ‘begins measure’ and ‘ends measure’ of each mile point in the RC database file. The desired shapefile allowed viewing roadway characteristics information for various road segments in the region. Some segments of roads did not join properly using the automated process. Therefore, some editing was performed to develop continuity in the road network file.

From this regional road network file, the data for state bike routes were queried to create a new shapefile, which contained only state bike routes. To layer featuring shoulder surface type and shoulder widths and their types, GIS staff used feature selection and spatial attribute joining techniques between the 2018 GDOT road inventory and state bike routes to create the combined layer. Using queries for the increasing right/left side of the road fields, staff applied an offset symbology to the shoulder width field to indicate a “real-world” look. Layer featuring divided and undivided road inventory data was left as is and was not used. The 2018 GDOT road inventory data was more up to date than previous data with shoulder information.

Results The analysis of the finished shoulder widths is classified into four categories based on the attribute field. The maps show that most of the state bike routes 10, 35, 40, 85, and 95 have zero width shoulders. Exceptions include short segments of 3 to 4 foot shoulders on Highway 17 in Glynn and Bryan counties and on Highway 21 in Effingham County.

The analysis reveals that the GDOT roadway characteristics data may under-report the paved shoulder conditions. For example field review and tape measurements of many locations on Highway 17 show shoulders 1 to 2 ft wide rather than zero. Further assessment of roadway shoulder widths on state bike routes is warranted to determine the extent of improvements needed to better accommodate bicycles and other road users. Other roadway characteristics including speed and traffic volumes can be used to determine priority locations for improvements.

48 49 50 07

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

51 07 NEEDS ASSESSMENT

USBR 1 Meeting at Jekyll Island, Georgia

The needs assessment has been compiled from comments at a meeting on October 21-23, 2016 and from one-on-one meetings with local officials, city/county governments, Safe Routes to School, community members, and bike/ped advocates. Some information has also been provided by the school districts in the region.

These needs cover a wide range of issues and topics, which have been categorized into the four “E’s”: (1) Engineering, (2) Education, (3) Encouragement, and (4) Enforcement.

52 ENGINEERING Facility Design

• Cycling conditions on US Highway 17 (State Bike Route 95) in Glynn County are poor due to inadequate paved shoulders. • Where there is paved shoulder, rumble strips make the roadway shoulder unusable for bicycles. • Narrow paths on St. Simons Island make it difficult for cyclists. • Signs advising cyclists and pedestrians to ride/walk on the right side of the path are needed especially on busier shared use paths. • Community needs to know standards for bike path construction. • Residential developers need to build alternative transportation facilities. • Any improvement to existing roads should include provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians, especially US Highway 17, State Route 40, and Colerain Road in Camden County. • Crosswalks need to be more clearly identified both with pavement markings and signing. • Design certain routes, which are child friendly, and connect them to child related facilities such as schools, parks, and gymnasiums. • Parking for bicycles and racks are needed throughout the region. • Bicycle facilities should be designed in such a way that integrates historic resources such as historic sites, etc • State Bike Route 95 number shown on the State Bike Route Map is very confusing with the Interstate 95. The bike route number should be changed. • Get familiar with GDOT’s design and construction policies and work with them collaboratively to improve these.

Facility Construction

• There is a need to explore the possibility of land acquisition from timber companies or CSX who owns land of this railroad corridor. • Construct roadway shoulders and paths along State Highway 40, US Highway 17. • Need additional signed bike routes (USBR 1) especially in non-MPO areas to link communities.

Maintenance

• Existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the region need regular maintenance. • Debris including glass often restricts use of roadway shoulders by bicycles. • Existing sidewalks need regular a maintenance program. • Provide a mechanism for bicyclists to report roadway and path maintenance needs. • Bicycles need to be accommodated in constructions areas. • Provide appropriate signing and striping during construction and as part of ongoing maintenance.

Planning

• Counties and cities need to develop detailed bicycle and pedestrian s plans and programs.

53 EDUCATION Motorist Education

• Educate bicyclists to ring a bell or shout a warning when approaching and passing pedestrians and other bicyclists on shared use paths. • There is a need for continued and expanded education for children as well as their parents about the state’s bicycle helmet law. In addition, there is a need to promote helmet use among bicyclists of all ages. • Introduce more programs for bicyclist and pedestrian safety. • Continue programs such as Safe Routes to School and Safe Kids of Savannah Program, which includes aspects on bicycling and walking safety.

Law Enforcement Officers Education

• There is a continued need for educating law enforcement officers, including State Patrol, about the need for bicycle law enforcement as well as the rights of bicyclists using roadways. For example, the Florida Bicycle Coalition and Georgia Bikes have prepared pocket size books on bicycle safety and provided copies to law enforcement officers statewide. ENCOURAGEMENT Tourism Enhancement

• Bicycle tourism is a source of substantial revenue for the region. Local tourism agencies on the coast should promote bicycle tourism.

Other Encouragement Programs for Bikers and Walkers

• Promote community-wide bike to work and bike to schools on specific days and provide incentives. • Continue programs like walk-to-school day and bike-to-school day through Safe Routes to School in the coastal region.

ENFORCEMENT Enforcement

• There is a need for enforcement of rules-of-the-road when bicycles and motor vehicles are operating on the same or intersecting roadways and other facilities. • More law officers should be assigned to enforce traffic laws.

54 08

NEEDS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLMENTATION STRATEGY

55 08 NEEDS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

Making recommendations a reality requires a comprehensive approach that includes multiple sources of funding, community and agency partnerships, and project and program design and management. It also requires dedication and commitment to the plan’s vision. More information on funding source, Appendix C

The recommendations and findings can serve as a daily reference for staff at the state, regional, county, and local level working in tandem towards implementation.

56 ENGINEERING Facility Design

Roadway Design

Needs • Cycling conditions on most state bike routes are poor due to inadequate paved shoulder. • Where there is paved shoulder, rumble strips can make the roadway shoulder unusable for bicycles.

Recommendations • GDOT and local governments should modify their roadway design policy to include the concept of paved usable shoulder for bicycle accommodation. A minimum 4-ft wide paved usable shoulder should be provided on all arterial and collector roads where bicycles are allowed. When rumble strips are provided on highways where bicycles are allowed, the rumble strip should be provided in the outside travel lane or in additional shoulder area or across both areas but not in the 4-ft usable shoulder area. The current policy of providing 6.5 ft shoulders, which include a rumble strip and a 4-ft wide usable shoulder is effective and accommodates all roadway users. Where space is limited, GDOT and local public works agencies should consider a narrower rumble strip and a more narrow usable shoulder (3 feet).

Shared Use Path Design

Needs • Many shared use paths in the region are too narrow. • Need uniform design criteria, which meet the requirements of cyclists and pedestrians (e.g., adequate lateral operating space, pavement markings, signs on busier shared use paths, etc.) • Communities need to know standards for bike path construction. • Residential developers need to build alternative transportation facilities.

Recommendations • Existing shared use paths should be widened to 10 feet; 8 feet in constrained areas such as adjacent to wetlands. As mentioned in AASHTO design guidance, new paths should be constructed to a minimum width of 10 feet to safely accommodate bicycles, pedestrians and other non-motorized users. Center striping should be provided as should trail-head signing describing ‘rules of the path’. Where feasible, widen narrow paths to accommodate current users. • Follow AASHTO design guidance as contained in the “Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities” • Provide shared use path construction standards to the community, residential developers, and others. • Require developers to provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of new development projects.

57 Facility Construction

Roadway Improvements

Needs • Provisions for bicyclists and pedestrians are needed on all roads. Provisions include bicycle lanes, wide curb lanes, shared use paths, sidewalks, crosswalks, wheel chair ramps, etc.

Recommendations • Provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of new roadway construction, reconstruction, realignment and roadway widening projects. Provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities on US highways, state routes, and city or county roads irrespective of whether they are designated as ‘bike routes’. Retrofit existing facilities as needed based priorities established locally and regionally.

Coastal Georgia Greenway

Needs • Improvements are needed to Highway 17 and Highway 99 to better accommodate bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists. This north – south corridor is an important local and regional route and is significant to regional tourism. Shoulder improvements will improve safety for all roadway users.

Recommendations • The Coastal Georgia Greenway should be listed as the top priority bicycle facility to be developed in the region. In the short term, the greenway should be developed as a shoulder bikeway on Highways 17 and 99. Four feet of paved shoulders without rumble strips should be provided on both sides of the road. Priorities should be established for implementing shoulder improvements with initial segments implemented on the Highway 17 Altamaha Scenic Byway in Glynn and McIntosh counties and on segments with high traffic volumes and concentration of trip attractors. Local governments should identify priority segments in their planning process and may identify segments where sidewalks or shared use paths are needed long term in addition to the paved shoulders. In developed areas, the shoulders should be signed and marked as bicycle lanes. In rural areas, there would be greenway signing but no bicycle pavement markings.

Rail Trail Development

Needs • The abandoned rail corridor from Kingsland to Riceboro holds promise for rail-to-trail development. A lengthy off-road bicycle and pedestrian facility is needed in the region for transportation and recreation uses.

Recommendations • Analyze the feasibility of developing a shared use path in the abandoned rail corridor from Kingsland to Riceboro. Conduct title research and have discussions with the landowners on the potential for trail development. Explore the possibility of rail-with-trail development north of Riceboro. • Analyze the feasibility of developing shared use paths in other abandoned rail corridors.

58 Facility Construction

Potential Bike Routes

Needs • The existing network of state and local bike routes does not serve all communities and major concentrations of trip attractors.

Recommendations • Analyze land use and trip attractor data in state highway corridors. Identify potential bike routes to connect communities and serve concentrations of trip attractors. • Cities and counties outside the MPO areas should evaluate these corridors and designate them as bike routes where appropriate.

Facility Maintenance

Needs • Existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities need regular maintenance. • A mechanism is needed for bicyclists and pedestrians to report roadway and path maintenance problems.

Recommendations • Develop a road, path, and sidewalk sweeping and maintenance programs. • Consider “Adopt a Bikeway” program for litter removal on shared use paths. • Establish a reporting mechanism for maintenance needs. For example, design an application for reporting maintenance problems. Make available through GDOT, cities, and counties.

Planning

Needs • Need for local planning for bicycle and pedestrian transportation facilities and programs. • Investigate the cause of bicycle and pedestrian crashes in the region.

Recommendations • Form city and county bicycle and pedestrian advisory committees. • Prepare local bicycle and pedestrian plans. • Analyze motor vehicle/bicycle and motor vehicle/pedestrian crash data, crash types, and evaluate counter measures.

59 EDUCATION Motorist Education

Needs • There is a need to educate motorists in ways to effectively and safely share the road with bicyclists.

Recommendations • Develop a “Share the Road” campaign to increase motorists and bicyclist education. Initiate this campaign at the state level and then extend to communities and local groups. Media should be involved to carry out this campaign. • Educate motorists through the driver’s license process and driver training programs. Reach motorists through information contained in driver’s license manuals and incorporate bicycle safety and “Share-the-Road” message. Bicycling related questions related to this issue should be part of the driver’s exam.

Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety Education

Needs • Educate bicyclists to ring a bell or shout a warning when approaching and passing pedestrians and other bicyclists on shared use paths. • There is a need for continued and expanded bicycle and pedestrian safety education for children and adults. In addition, there is a need to promote helmet use among bicyclists of all ages.

Recommendations • Conduct trainings for cyclists using local bicycle groups as a platform. • Continue to promote public awareness and acceptance of the current statewide helmet law, which requires helmet use by persons 16 years of age or younger. • Bicycle and pedestrian safety education should be included in school curriculum.

Education of Law Enforcement Officers

Needs • There is a continued need for educating law enforcement authorities, including State Patrol, about pedestrian and bicycle related traffic laws. For example, the Florida Bicycle Coalition and Gerogia Bikes prepared a pocket size book on bicycle safety and provided copies to law enforcement officials statewide.

Recommendations • Encourage the state and local law enforcement agencies to include bicycle and pedestrian related training and education programs, such as the program provided at FLETC. Emphasize the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

60 ENCOURAGEMENT Tourism Enhancement

Needs • Bicycle tourism is a source of substantial revenue for the region. The industry is developing, but more efforts are needed to strengthen this industry in the region.

Recommendations • Work with bicycle tourism industry to identify actions that will expand the bicycle tourism market. • Conduct study of the economic impacts of bicycle tourism in coastal Georgia. • Include bicycle related materials in tourism promotions of the coastal region.

Encouragement Programs for Bikers and Walkers

Needs • The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have determined that there is an obesity crisis in America. Incorporating more biking and walking into daily routines can help decrease this trend. • Traffic congestion has increased at schools as more parents drive their children to and from school. • Parking and traffic congestion can be lessened as more people bike, walk, carpool or use transit to travel for work, school, and other trips.

Recommendations • Develop and distribute promotional materials on the benefits of biking and walking. Initiate walk and bike to work days in communities. • Initiate Safe Routes to School programs at area schools, identify needed improvements to biking and walking routes, and develop programs to encourage biking and walking. • Organize an annual bicycle and safety conference/workshop at a regional level, which would allow facilitating, networking, and sharing of ideas and programs conducted in each county.

ENFORCEMENT Needs • There is a need for enforcement of rules-of-the-road when bicycles and motor vehicles are operating on the same or intersecting roadways and other facilities. • More law officers should be assigned to enforce traffic laws.

Recommendations • Law enforcement agencies can play an important role in educating bicyclists about their responsibilities as road users. • Develop manuals, which summarize and clarify traffic laws for motorists and bicyclists. • Involve law enforcement agencies in planning of bicycle facilities within a community. • Promote police-on-bicycle programs.

61 APPENDIX A 2020BIKE + WALK COASTAL GEORGIA

2020

BIKE + WALK COASTAL GEORGIA APPENDIX B

2020

BIKE + WALK COASTAL GEORGIA APPENDIX C Funding Options An array of public funding sources can support the planning, design, and construction of the East Coast Greenway and similar projects in Georgia. They are listed below, organized by jurisdiction.

FEDERAL

Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant (BUILD) Awarded by USDOT. Requires 20% match. https://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants/about

“The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, or BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant program, provides a unique opportunity for the DOT to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives. Previously known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grants, Congress has dedicated nearly $7.9 billion for eleven rounds of National Infrastructure Investments to fund projects that have a significant local or regional impact.

In each competition, DOT receives hundreds of applications to build and repair critical pieces of our freight and passenger transportation networks. The BUILD program enables DOT to examine these projects on their merits to help ensure that taxpayers are getting the highest value for every dollar invested.

The eligibility requirements of BUILD allow project sponsors at the State and local levels to obtain funding for multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to support through traditional DOT programs. BUILD can fund port and freight rail projects, for example, which play a critical role in our ability to move freight, but have limited sources of Federal funds. BUILD can provide capital funding directly to any public entity, including municipalities, counties, port authorities, tribal governments, MPOs, or others in contrast to traditional Federal programs which provide funding to very specific groups of applicants (mostly State DOTs and transit agencies). This flexibility allows BUILD and our traditional partners at the State and local levels to work directly with a host of entities that own, operate, and maintain much of our transportation infrastructure, but otherwise cannot turn to the Federal government for support.”

Multi-use paths and greenways were awarded significant funding from BUILD in 2019: $18.1 million to Charleston, South Carolina, for a bike-pedestrian bridge over the Ashley River and $22 million to Miami- Dade County, Florida, and the Underline towards design and construction of a 10-mile multimodal and recreation corridor beneath the elevated Miami Metrorail.

A third BUILD grant of $15 million to Greenville, North Carolina, funds in part some new and upgraded multi-use paths to complete a trail network around the city’s core. The new greenway will form part of the East Coast Greenway’s complementary Historical Coastal Route as it travels from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Richmond, Virginia, further east from the ECG spine route. Surface Transportation Block Grant (Z230) Awarded by CORE MPO in Savannah area, otherwise awarded by GDOT. Requires 20% match.

The Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Program is a federal-aid transportation program, administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which provides funds to States and localities for transportation improvement projects.

The new federal transportation legislation - Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act or FAST Act - converted the long-standing Surface Transportation Program (STP) into the STBG Program acknowledging that the block grant program allows more flexible funding to best address State and local transportation needs, including for the development of multi-use paths and paved trails for non- motorized use.

Transportation Alternatives Program (Z301) Awarded by CORE MPO in Savannah area, otherwise awarded by GDOT. Requires 20% match.

The mission of the MPO’s Transportation Alternatives programming is to provide funding for projects that help meet some of the goals and objectives of the MPO’s Non-motorized Transportation Plan, and/ or goals and objectives of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) that relate to non-motorized transportation, preservation of natural or historic environment, and economic vitality.

The federal FAST Act established a set-aside of Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) program funding for transportation alternatives (TA). These set-aside funds include all projects and activities that were previously eligible under the Transportation Alternatives Program, encompassing a variety of smaller-scale transportation projects such as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, recreational trails, safe routes to school projects, community improvements such as historic preservation and vegetation management, and environmental mitigation related to stormwater and habitat connectivity.

Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP) Awarded by GA DNR.

Established by Congress in 2014 and administered through the National Park Service, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program is funded through the LWCF State and Local Assistance Program. ORLP is a nationally competitive grant program that delivers funding to urban areas – jurisdictions of at least 50,000 people – with priority given to projects located in economically disadvantaged areas and lacking in outdoor recreation opportunities. These awards help urban communities address outdoor recreation deficits by supporting projects in cities and densely populated urbanized areas that create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and form connections between people and the outdoors. Over $16 million in ORLP grants have been awarded to 30 communities hoping to improve close-to-home access to the outdoors. Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Awarded by GA DNR. Maximum award = $100K https://gadnr.org/RTP

The Recreational Trails Program is a federal grant program funded by the Federal Highway Administration and administered at the state level by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of RTP is to support recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized recreational trail uses. Eligible applicants include qualified local governments, authorized commissions, and state and federal agencies.

Coastal Incentive Grant (CIG) Awarded by GDNR Coastal Resources Division https://coastalgadnr.org/GrantPrograms

Georgia’s Coastal Management Program (GCMP) is administered under authority of the Georgia Coastal Management Act, OCGA 12-5-320 et. seq. In accordance with that statute, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) is designated as the lead agency to cooperate with other agencies in implementing the GCMP through a networked process. The mission of the GCMP is to balance economic development in Georgia’s coastal area with preservation of natural, environmental, historic, archaeological and recreational resources for the benefit of Georgia’s present and future generations. The GDNR Coastal Resources Division (CRD) administers the GCMP and carries out a number of programs in direct support of GCMP objectives, including the administration of the Coastal Incentive Grant (CIG) Program.

The CIG Program is a competitive pass-through subgrant program made possible by a grant to GDNR from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through Congressional funding pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act. Each year, the GCMP allocates a portion of its federal funding to the Coastal Incentive Grants. These subgrants may be awarded to qualified county and municipal governments, regional commissions, state-affiliated research or educational institutions, or state agencies (except GDNR), provided the project takes place entirely within the eleven-county service area of the program. The CIG Program service area includes Brantley, Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Charlton, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh and Wayne counties.

Federal Lands Acces Program (FLAP) Awarded by US Dept of the Interior. https://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/programs/flap/

Funds help provide or improve access to federal lands, e.g. military installations, National Forests. STATE

Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) Awarded by GA DNR. Maximum award = $3 million https://gadnr.org/gosp

For close to two decades, Partners and Non-Governmental Organizations sought after a funding mechanism, dedicated to securing the future of our critical natural resources. During the 2018 general election, GOSA (Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Act) was passed by Georgia voters with 83% voter approval. The Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program became active on July 1, 2019, ushering in the inaugural 2019-2020 funding cycle.The mission of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program (GOSP) Fund is to coordinate and administer funding to provide stewardship for state parks, state lands and wildlife management areas; support local parks and trails; and protect critical conservation land.GOSA authorizes up to 80% of all moneys received by the state from sporting goods store sales and use taxes collected on outdoor recreation equipment from each preceding fiscal year. 2019 – 2020 funding cycle authorized 40% of sales and use tax receipts. The actual amount for each cycle will be influenced by actual tax receipts from the previous year. Allocations for each funding pool (Local Parks and Trails of Regional Significance, State Stewardship, and State Acquisition) will be determined by the Board of Trustees prior to each cycle announcement. Approximately $20 million was available for GOSP grants in 2020.

Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank Awarded by State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) https://www.srta.ga.gov/gtib/

The Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) is a grant and low-interest loan program administered by the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA). Since inception, GTIB has provided over $125 million in grants and loans to highly competitive transportation projects that have enhanced mobility and driven economic development in local communities throughout Georgia.

Five multi-use path projects have been funded since 2016, including a portion of PATH 400, a multiu- use path adjacent to GA 400 in north Atlanta.

CITY AND COUNTY

SPLOST

Special Purpose Local Option Sales Taxes (SPLOST) enable Georgia counties to fund necessary capital improvements in roads, drainage, recreation, economic development and other civic projects via a dedicated 1-cent sales tax.

TSPLOST

Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Taxes (SPLOST) enable Georgia counties to fund necessary capital improvements in the transportation network, including roads, bridges, resurfacing, and bicycle and pedestrian projects, via a dedicated 1-cent sales tax.

General funds

General funds, including bonds, impact fees as available