3.16 Transit and Pedestrians (FEIS)
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125th Street Corridor Rezoning and Related Actions FEIS New York City Department of City Planning 3.16 TRANSIT AND PEDESTRIANS INTRODUCTION This chapter describes the transit and pedestrian travel characteristics and potential adverse impacts associated with the proposed 125th Street Corridor Rezoning and Related Actions. The rezoning of approximately 24 blocks along the 125th Street corridor in East, Central and West Harlem, roughly bounded by 126th Street on the north, 124th Street on the south, Second Avenue on the east and Broadway on the west (see Figure 2.0-4 in Chapter 2.0, “Project Description”). As described in detail in earlier chapters of this EIS, the proposed action is part of a comprehensive City initiative to support the ongoing revitalization of 125th Street, Harlem’s Main Street. The proposed action would provide new opportunities to catalyze future mixed-use commercial and residential development, including affordable housing. The transportation analyses in this EIS address a development program that could reasonably be constructed by 2017. The analyses in this chapter focus on the subway and local bus modes operated by MTA New York City Transit (NYCT), as well as pedestrian trips generated by the 26 projected development sites defined in the Reasonable Worst Case Development Scenario in Chapter 2.0, “Project Description.” The locations of projected development sites are shown in Figure 2.0-5 and their anticipated uses are listed in Table 2.0-5 in Chapter 2.0, “Project Description.” A qualitative discussion of the commuter rail service provided by MTA Metro-North Railroad via the Harlem-125th Street station at East 125th Street and Park Avenue is also provided. METHODOLOGY In this chapter, the existing conditions at the transit and pedestrian facilities that are expected to be used by the generated new demand from projected development sites are described in detail. The analyses focus on the weekday AM (8-9 AM) and PM (5-6 PM) peak commuter hours, as it is during these periods that peak demand from these mixed-use development sites would coincide with peak demand on the subway, local bus and pedestrian systems. The pedestrian analyses also examine weekday midday (12-1 PM) conditions as pedestrian facilities are often intensively used during midday periods in Manhattan. Future 2017 conditions without the proposed action (No Action conditions) are determined based on additional transit and pedestrian demand from anticipated developments and general background growth, along with any changes to transit facilities or services expected by 2017. Increases in travel demand resulting from the proposed action, minus the travel demand lost due to displaced No Action uses, are then projected and added to the base No Action condition to develop the 2017 future with the proposed action (With Action conditions). Any significant adverse impacts from the proposed action are then identified. The analysis of subway stations conditions focuses on those stations along the 125th Street corridor that would be used by project-generated subway demand. These include the 125th Street IRT (1) station at Broadway, the 125th Street IND (A, B, C, D) station at St. Nicholas Avenue, the 125th Street IRT (2, 3) station at Lenox Avenue, and the 125th Street IRT (4, 5, 6) station at Lexington Avenue. The CEQR Technical Manual typically requires a detailed analysis of a transit facility when the incremental increase in peak hour trips totals 200 persons per hour or Transit and Pedestrians Chapter 3.16 3.16-1 125th Street Corridor Rezoning and Related Actions FEIS New York City Department of City Planning more. As discussed later in this chapter, net new subway trips generated by the proposed action would exceed this threshold in one or more analyzed peak hours at the 125th Street IND (A, B, C, D) station, the 125th Street IRT (2, 3) station, and the 125th Street IRT (4, 5, 6) station. These stations were therefore selected for quantitative analysis in the EIS. The analysis examines key subway station elements under peak 15-minute flow conditions, focusing on street stairways and fare arrays that are expected to be used by concentrations of project-generated trips. As discussed later in this chapter, the proposed action would generate fewer than 200 person trips in any analyzed peak hour at the 125th Street IRT (1) station. This subway station is therefore discussed qualitatively in this EIS. The subway line haul analysis examines conditions in the peak southbound direction in the AM peak hour and the peak northbound direction in the PM peak hour for each of the ten subway routes serving the 125th Street corridor (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and the A, B, C and D). The 125th Street corridor is well served by local bus routes operated by MTA New York City Transit, with a total of 18 routes traversing the corridor or along the intersecting north-south avenues. Bus patrons en route to and from projected development sites would likely find it unnecessary to walk a substantial distance for access to needed bus service. Consequently, the analysis of project-generated bus trips focuses on the 18 routes that operate along, or intersect, the 125th Street corridor. These include the M1, M2, M3, M4, M7, M10, M11, M15, M18, M35, M60, M98, M100, M101, M102, M103, M104 and Bx15. In addition to the subway and bus modes, the 125th Street corridor is also served by Metro-North commuter rail service via the Harlem-125th Street station at East 125th Street and Park Avenue. As discussed later in this chapter, the proposed action would generate fewer than 200 new trips by commuter rail in any analyzed peak hour. A qualitative discussion of Metro-North commuter rail service at the Harlem-125th Street station is therefore provided. The analysis of pedestrian conditions focuses on pedestrian elements (sidewalks, corner areas and crosswalks) where substantial numbers of new trips would be generated by projected developments. The pedestrian analysis examines peak 15-minute flow conditions in the AM, midday and PM peak hours on all sidewalks, corner areas and crosswalks along 125th Street from Third Avenue to St. Nicholas Avenue, and at Broadway. The analysis also examines conditions on sidewalks, corner areas and crosswalks adjacent to three additional intersections along 124th Street (at Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, Lenox Avenue and Madison Avenue), and two additional intersections along 126th Street (at Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard and Lenox Avenue) where project-generated pedestrian trips are also expected to be concentrated. DATA COLLECTION Counts at selected subway station stairways and fare arrays were conducted during the weekday AM and PM peak periods in November 2006 at the 125th Street IND (A, B, C, D) station, the 125th Street IRT (2, 3) station, and the 125th Street IRT (4, 5, 6) station. Weekday AM, midday and PM peak hour pedestrian counts were also conducted at this time along the 125th Street corridor and selected locations along 124th Street and 126th Street. Weekday AM and PM peak Transit and Pedestrians Chapter 3.16 3.16-2 125th Street Corridor Rezoning and Related Actions FEIS New York City Department of City Planning hour maximum load point data for subway and local bus routes serving the 125th Street corridor were obtained from MTA New York City Transit. 3.16.1 EXISTING CONDITIONS Subway Service The rezoning area along 125th Street in Harlem is reached via 10 subway lines that are accessible at four subway stations. As shown in Figure 3.16-1, these include (from west to east) the 125th Street IRT (1) station at Broadway, the 125th Street IND (A, B, C, D) station at St. Nicholas Avenue, the 125th Street IRT (2, 3) station at Lenox Avenue, and the 125th Street IRT (4, 5, 6) station at Lexington Avenue. Table 3.16-1 shows the average weekday entering turnstile counts at these four stations for the years 2003 through 2005, as well as the 2005 ranking of each station based on average weekday ridership relative to all 423 stations system-wide. Table 3.16-1 Average Weekday Entering Turnstile Counts 2005 Percent Change Subway Station Rank 2003 2004 2005 2003—2005 125th Street IRT (1) Station 199 5,495 6,244 6,752 22.9% 125th Street IND (A, B, C, D) Station 53 19,548 20,017 20,667 5.7% 125th Street IRT (2, 3) Station 110 11,150 11,613 11,929 7.0% 125th Street IRT (4, 5, 6) Station 41 22,473 23,271 24,199 7.7% Totals 58,666 61,145 63,547 8.3% Notes: Ranking out of 423 subway stations system-wide by 2005 average weekday ridership. Source: NYCT 2005 Subway & Bus Ridership Report. Overall, demand increased by approximately 8.3 percent from 2003 to 2005 at subway stations serving the rezoning area. The largest percentage increase occurred at the 125th Street IRT (1) station which experienced a 22.9 percent increase over the three-year period. The remaining three stations experienced increases in ridership ranging from 5.7 to 7.7 percent. As discussed later in this chapter, new subway trips generated by the proposed action would exceed the 200-trips per hour CEQR Technical Manual threshold for a detailed analysis in one or more analyzed peak hours at the 125th Street IND (A, B, C, D) station, the 125th Street IRT (2, 3) station, and the 125th Street IRT (4, 5, 6) station. These three subway stations are therefore analyzed quantitatively in this EIS. A qualitative discussion of existing conditions at the 125th Street IRT (1) station (where the proposed action would generate fewer than 200 new trips in any peak hour) is also provided.