TownTown ofof MooresvilleMooresville ComprehensiveComprehensive BicycleBicycle PlanPlan EXECUTIVEEXECUTIVE SUMMARYSUMMARY Mooresville’s Current Cycling Environment • 0.32% of Mooresville’s citizens commute to work by bicycle, ranking 23rd out of 65 in the state of North Carolina for municipalities with more than 10,000 residents. • Mooresville and the Lake Norman region is currently a recreational destination for many cyclists. • Mooresville has no official off-road bicycle facilities but the Greenway Plan and the Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan both identify potential multi-use path corridors. • Mooresville’s downtown core and surrounding areas are reasonably connected and have roadways that are fairly bicycle friendly. Bicycle Plan Goals • Connect important destinations with neighborhood and regional bike routes, bike lanes and other on-road facilities, and various multiple-use paths off of the roadway so that biking becomes a more viable transportation option. • Support and guide non-motorized conducive land-use decisions and policies such as mixed-use zoning, connectivity, and infill that encourages convenient bicycling for all skill levels. • Improve safety and accessibility for bicyclists with a special concern for all different types of riders especially children, low income residents, and the elderly. • Improve environmental conditions and health by reducing air, water and noise pollution resulting from unnecessary vehicular traffic and by increasing physical activity. • Encourage the addition of amenities in Mooresville that make biking pleasurable and practical such as landscaping, traffic calming, public restrooms and showers, lockers, bicycle racks, and recreational opportunities. • Create an atmosphere in Mooresville where motorists are familiar with bicyclists, bicyclists are comfortable with motorists, and where many obstacles that bicyclists currently face are corrected. • Promote awareness of the wide-ranging benefits of bicycling throughout the community. Executive Summary BicycleBicycle NeedsNeeds inin MooresvilleMooresville Deficiencies in Bicycle Network Although Mooresville has a consistent weekend recreational cycling community, bicycle facilities for practical daily use including bicycle lanes, off-road paths, and bicycle racks are virtually non-existent in the Mooresville area. In result, utilitarian bicycling in Mooresville is not common. Connectivity and road design around the downtown area allow for some potential bicycle routes, but most roadways elsewhere in Mooresville are designed solely for motorized vehicles and are unsupportive of safe and practical cycling at all times of the day. In addition, connectivity barriers such as I-77, Lake Norman, and development patterns do not offer low speed and low volume alternatives to major arterial roadways. Development designs have Congested / high speed Roadways have hazards to negative impacts on bicycling. roadways are intimidating. bicycles. A lack of appropriate parking racks Public policy and social norms do not discourages bicycling. yet support bicycle transportation. Summary of Public Input A total of two public forums were held over the course of this project and an online survey was posted on Mooresville’s web site and advertised in the Town utility bill and with the local media. The first forum was intended to introduce the project, present background information, and seek input from the community regarding cycling needs and issues. The second forum presented draft recommendations based on an assessment of needs through mechanisms including public and stakeholder input. Key points raised by the public at these meetings and in the survey results include: I believe that Mooresville will benefit from • On-road bike facilities, off-road paths, & traffic calming having better bicycle accommodations are desired. No • Heavy & fast traffic on roads and intersections along 3% with aggressive or inattentive motorists make bicycling Maybe Yes intimidating. 6% 90% • Bicycle Parking is desperately needed, especially at I don't know schools, shopping, and public service centers. 1% Executive Summary GeneralGeneral BicycleBicycle SystemSystem PlanPlan System Overview The recently adopted Mooresville Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan was focused around a series of twenty Pedestrian Oriented Development Zones that identified micro districts of one quarter mile to one half mile in radius that should be developed in a fashion that encourages walking. Since bicycling is affected by many of the same obstacles that affect walking, a similar concept can be applied to generate land use strategies for a bicycle plan. Urban distances up to 3 miles are most quickly covered by the bicycle compared to other transportation modes such as walking, the private automobile, and public transit. Ideal bicycle trips are in the range from one-half to three miles in distance, providing a great balance between energy and time efficiency. Regardless, US studies show that more than half of automobile commute trips and three out of four automobile shopping trips are under five miles in length. In all, forty percent of all trips are less than two miles in length. Three obvious bicycle districts that will serve as centralized hubs for practical bicycle accommodations are as follows: Downtown Mooresville, including surrounding neighborhoods of Cascade, Eastern Heights, Harris Crossing, and Mill Village; Lake Norman, including parts of Oak Village, Morrison Plantation, Winslow Bay, the Brawley School Road Corridor, and the racing attractions and industries; and Mount Mourne, including the Medical Center and Lowes campuses, proposed commuter rail station, and the new Langtree Road developments. Children Other than creating the land-use development needed for future bicycling, a top priority of this plan should be to create conditions that are suitable for children to bike. Children of perfect bicycling ages make up a high percentage of Mooresville’s residency and are by nature a captive audience because they cannot legally drive. These children are also showing alarming declining health trends due to a lack of exercise, and endanger Mooresville’s future adult health as well for when this inactive population matures. Many current cyclists bicycled as children, but many children of the past couple of decades may never have had the opportunity to regularly bike, and maybe never will as adults. This bicycle plan has the opportunity and responsibility to change that trend. According to the survey used for this plan, 84% of those surveyed with children in Mooresville stated that their children never bicycle to school. Almost 98% of respondents to this survey stated that they would like for their child to be able to bicycle more often. Executive Summary Executive Summary Bike Lanes & Paved Shoulders Traffic Calming Multiple-Use Paths ProjectsProjects Shared-Roadway Routes Parking Executive Summary ProgramsPrograms A variety of programs are recommended to enhance the overall cycling environment by educating and encouraging citizens, by enforcing laws that protect bicyclists, by increasing transportation options, and by maintaining the safety levels of the roadways to help establish a bicycling “culture” in Mooresville. Examples of beneficial programs are highlighted below: Education Programs Child and adult education programs, maps, wayfinding signs, positive public marketing, and other programs across the United States have been responsible for an increased awareness and an increase in safety for bicyclists. Bicycling requires a certain learned physical skill, and the mix of bicycling with automobile traffic requires essential additional knowledge. Encouragement and Promotional Programs Safe Routes to School programs, “Bike to Work” weeks, shared bicycle programs, and recognition awards could encourage the public to bicycle. One valuable program, Safe Routes to School, can be initiated to help create a better bicycling and walking environment for school children. This program was established in August 2005 as part of the most recent federal transportation re- authorization legislation, SAFETEA-LU. This law provides multi- year funding for the surface transportation programs that guide spending of federal gas tax revenue. Enforcement Programs Continued police enforcement of traffic laws is always necessary. Mooresville’s Police Department should be particularly encouraged to ticket motorized violators in popular pedestrian and bicycling areas, as well as cyclists who violate the law. Transit Interface Providing alternate forms of transportation such as transit can increase the reach of any bicycle trip. Mooresville’s growth increases the need for improved transit service in the future. Each bus in any future Mooresville fleet should have bike racks, and primary transit stops and stations should have bicycle parking and connecting roadway accommodations for bicycles. The proposed commuter train to Iredell County from Charlotte should also offer bicycle accommodations. Spot Improvement & Maintenance Programs Just as potholes, uneven pavement, and visual obstructions irritate automobile drivers, these do the same to bicyclists. Roadway margins should be free of cracks, splits, or crumbled pavement and storm grates should be relatively level with the asphalt and have grates perpendicular to the curb. Annual funding will be set aside for spot improvement maintenance that improve bicycle accommodations and any available state or federal funding will be pursued to correct any gaps in its existing network