MARCH 2015 Table of Contents List of Figures ...... iii

List of Tables ...... v

1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1

1.1 Study Area ...... 2 1.2 Project Visioning Team (PVT) Project Kick-Off Meeting ...... 3 2 Existing Conditions (Data Collection) ...... 4

2.1 Transportation System Characteristics ...... 4 2.1.1 Roadway Characteristics ...... 4

2.1.2 Roadway Classification ...... 5

2.1.3 Street Cross-Section ...... 6

2.1.4 Parking ...... 8

2.1.5 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities ...... 8

2.1.6 Transit ...... 10

2.1.7 Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ...... 11

2.1.8 Bike-On-Bus ...... 11

2.2 Existing Travel Demand Characteristics ...... 12 2.2.1 Traffic Volumes (Annual Average Daily Traffic – AADT) ...... 12

2.2.2 Activity Centers ...... 13

2.2.3 Turning Movement Counts ...... 14

2.2.4 Transit Ridership ...... 14

2.2.5 Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic ...... 17

2.3 Corridor Operations Summary ...... 18 2.3.1 Safety ...... 21

2.4 Land Use/Community Characteristics ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.5 Soils and Flood Maps ...... 29 2.6 Identification Summary of Issues and Constraints ...... 29 3 Planning Review/Needs Assessment ...... 31

3.1 Review of Previous Plans ...... 31

i MARCH 2015

3.1.1 City of Ocala Annual Plan – 2012 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan (2012) ...... 31

3.1.2 City of Ocala Downtown Master Plan (2004) ...... 31

3.1.3 City of Ocala Parking Study and Master Plan (2010) ...... 32

3.1.4 City of Ocala Recreation & Parks Master Plan (2010) ...... 32

3.1.5 Ocala/Marion Design Guidelines – Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan Update (2004) ... 33

3.1.6 Ocala 2035 Vision Plan (2010) ...... 33

3.1.7 2008-2012 Traffic Counts & Trends Manual (2012) ...... 34

3.1.8 Tuscawilla Park Master Plan (2014) ...... 35

3.1.9 FDOT Traffic Operation and Access Management Improvements (2014) ...... 34

3.1.10 FDOT Roadway Study: SR 40 from Magnolia Avenue to NE 1st Avenue (2014) ...... 35

3.2 Understanding the Project Purpose and Need ...... 35 3.2.1 Understanding the Streetside ...... 37

3.2.2 Best Practices ...... 38

3.3 Baseline Future Conditions Needs Assessment ...... 42 4 Alternatives Identification/Development ...... 45

4.1 Initial Concept Plans & Exhibits ...... 45 4.1.1 Alternative A – Raised Median Concept ...... 46

4.1.2 Alternative B – Lane Reduction Concept ...... 49

4.1.3 Conceptual Ocala Downtown Park Block Intersection Alternatives ...... 52

4.2 Preliminary Assessment of Alternatives ...... 54 4.2.1 Planning-Level Cost Estimates ...... 57

4.2.2 TransValU Tool Analysis ...... 60

5 ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT MEETING ...... 61

6 SELECT ALTERNATIVES AND NEXT STEPS ...... 62

6.1 Selected Improvement Strategies Recommended for Further Analysis ...... 62 6.2 Next Steps ...... 64

ii MARCH 2015 List of Figures Figure 1: Project Study Area ...... 2 Figure 2: Functional Classification System ...... 5 Figure 3: Existing Lane Configuration ...... 6 Figure 4: SR 40/Silver Springs Boulevard Typical Cross Section, 90’ ROW (US 441 to Osceola Avenue) ...... 7 Figure 5: SR 40/Silver Springs Boulevard Typical Cross Section, 80’ ROW (Osceola Avenue to US 441) ...... 7 Figure 6: Existing Sidewalk (Pedestrian) Network ...... 9 Figure 7: Regional Bike Trail Facilities ...... 9 Figure 8: SunTran Bus Routes in the City of Ocala...... 10 Figure 9: 2013 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) ...... 12 Figure 10: Existing Activity Centers ...... 13 Figure 11: Existing Year (2014) Turning Movement Volumes – AM Peak ...... 15 Figure 12: Existing Year (2014) Turning Movement Volumes – PM Peak ...... 16 Figure 13: 2013 Automobile Level of Service Map ...... 19 Figure 14: 2013 Pedestrian Level of Service Map ...... 19 Figure 15: 2013 Bicycle Level of Service Map ...... 20 Figure 16: 2013 Transit Level of Service Map ...... 20 Figur