Draft Transportation Plan
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Draft Report Move SJ: Transportation Plan Prepared for The City of Saint John by IBI Group In association with Crandall Engineering March 2021 IBI GROUP DRAFT REPORT MOVE SJ: TRANSPORTATION PLAN Prepared for The City of Saint John Table of Contents 1 Introduction and Overview ........................................................................ 1 1.1 Background and Vision ...................................................................... 1 1.2 The Role of MoveSJ in City Development ......................................... 2 1.3 Plan Development ............................................................................. 2 1.4 Engagement and Consultation .......................................................... 3 1.5 Alignment with PlanSJ ....................................................................... 4 2 Current and Future Conditions ................................................................. 7 2.1 Land Use ........................................................................................... 7 2.2 Socio-economic and demographics ................................................... 8 2.3 Roads .............................................................................................. 12 2.4 Parking ............................................................................................ 15 2.5 Goods Movement ............................................................................ 16 2.6 Pedestrian and Cycling Network ...................................................... 17 2.7 Transit ............................................................................................. 18 2.8 Transportation Patterns and Trends ................................................ 19 3 Transportation Needs and Challenges ................................................... 25 4 Strategies for the Future ......................................................................... 27 5 Supporting Sustainable Transportation Choice .................................... 29 5.1 Managing Transportation Demand .................................................. 29 6 Road Network for a Multimodal City ....................................................... 32 6.1 Road Network Improvements .......................................................... 32 6.2 Road Classification Strategy ........................................................... 37 6.3 Road Safety Strategy ...................................................................... 41 6.4 Parking Strategy .............................................................................. 47 March 2021 i IBI GROUP DRAFT REPORT Move SJ: Transportation Plan Prepared for The City of Saint John Table of Contents (continued) 6.5 Roundabouts Strategy ..................................................................... 49 7 Trucks in a Port City (Goods Movement Strategy) ................................ 52 7.2 Recommended Actions ................................................................... 53 8 Transforming the Walking and Cycling Experience .............................. 55 8.1 Expanding the Pedestrian Network (Pedestrian Strategy) ............... 55 8.2 Providing a Safe and Efficient Cycling Network (Cycling Strategy) . 57 9 Refreshing the Transit Network (Long Term Transit Vision) ............... 66 9.1 Transit Vision and Directions ........................................................... 66 10 Implementation......................................................................................... 68 10.1 Potential Prioritization Methodologies .............................................. 68 10.2 Costs ............................................................................................... 69 10.3 Funding the Plan ............................................................................. 71 10.4 Monitoring Progress and Plan Updates ........................................... 72 10.5 Summary of Recommended Actions ............................................... 73 Appendix A: Recommended Network Improvements and Cost Estimates Appendix B: Somerset Street and Paradise Row Concept Plan March 2021 ii IBI GROUP DRAFT REPORT MOVE SJ: TRANSPORTATION PLAN Prepared for The City of Saint John 1 Introduction and Overview MoveSJ is the City of Saint John’s Transportation Plan that will guide how people and goods will move throughout the city. The plan is a long term strategic document that presents a series of network recommendations, policy recommendations, and strategic actions that will help Saint John achieve its transportation vision over the course of the Plan’s implementation. The Plan is designed to help Saint John’s transportation system meet the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, motorists and goods movement traffic. 1.1 Background and Vision In developing PlanSJ, Saint John’s 2012 Municipal Plan, one of the key messages expressed by the community was that the City needed to create a balanced transportation network where public transit and active transportation are viable and desirable travel options. As a result, PlanSJ directed Council to develop and maintain a comprehensive Transportation Plan for the City which advances the development of a multi-modal transportation system for the community (Policy TM-1). In response, the City initiated this study, MoveSJ, to develop the Transportation Plan for Saint John that provides transportation infrastructure and policy recommendations from now through to 2041. A key focus on MoveSJ is promoting improved mobility and greater transportation choice for people and goods in the City. The aspirational goal is: Providing each Saint John citizen the opportunity to use the mode of transportation of their choice and be safe while doing so. Transportation Master Plans are critical to the coordination of a city’s transportation network. While population levels are projected to remain stable in Saint John, the economy is always changing and so are people’s preferences and new technologies. This presents a series of opportunities and challenges for Saint John moving into the future. For example, Saint John’s road network provides ample space for personal vehicles, so how can the road space be transformed to provide opportunities for all modes, including walking, cycling, transit and personal vehicles? MoveSJ provides guidance for how Saint John can answer this question and more. This was done by outlining improvements and recommendations in the following 10 areas, which are summarized in this report: Supporting Sustainable Transportation Choice; Road Network Improvements; March 2021 1 IBI GROUP DRAFT REPORT MOVE SJ: TRANSPORTATION PLAN Prepared for The City of Saint John Road Classification Strategy; Road Safety Strategy; Parking Strategy; Round About Strategy; Goods Movement Strategy; Pedestrian Strategy; Cycling Strategy; and, The Long Term Transit Vision. 1.2 The Role of MoveSJ in City Development MoveSJ will help the City plan for an efficient transportation system that moves people and goods safely throughout the city into the future. This includes integrating active modes (walking and cycling) and transit within the City’s existing street network. MoveSJ built on previous planning work including PlanSJ, the municipal plan, which identified strategic objectives and the 2010 Trails and Bikeways Strategic Plan, which identified cycling routes. MoveSJ reviewed previous plans and studies and updated recommendations where needed to reflect changes to travel patterns and to reflect new and emerging priorities. This comprehensive transportation plan ties together the pieces that have been previously identified, be it new trails, new roads, or new policy initiatives and will help the City prioritize future investments and move towards meeting its strategic goals. MoveSJ will consider the transportation system as a whole and enable the City to provide a coordinated response to future growth, new residential developments, and new employment patterns. 1.3 Plan Development MoveSJ was undertaken in three phases. Phase 1 Research: Initiated in 2015, the first phase included a review of the existing transportation system and data collection. Phase 2 Plan Development: Initiated in 2017, the second phase included the development of a pedestrian strategy, long term transit vision, parking strategy, and goods movement strategy. A transportation model was also developed in Phase 2, which later informed network recommendations in Phase 3. March 2021 2 IBI GROUP DRAFT REPORT MOVE SJ: TRANSPORTATION PLAN Prepared for The City of Saint John Phase 3 Plan Finalization: The final phase was initiated in 2019. It completes the development of supporting strategies and presents the overall study findings in this Transportation Plan report. Exhibit 1.1 presents the study process. Exhibit 1.1: MoveSJ Study Process Phase 2 Phase 1 Phase 3 Plan Research Plan Finalization Development Background / Demand Model Roadway Classification Model Development / Development System Mode Split Targets Goals Development Pedestrian Strategy Cycling Strategy Model Maintenance Goods Movement Comprehensive System Assessment Strategy Improvement Plan Neighbourhood and Long Term Transit Structure Plan Road Safety Strategy Vision Guidelines Community Engagement Parking Strategy Modern Roundabouts Council / Committee Community Engagement Community Consultation Presentation Council / Committee Council / Committee Presentation Presentation 1.4 Engagement and Consultation MoveSJ was developed with input from City staff, residents, business and