Orangetown Bike Study Final Report
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JUNE 2018 A COMMUNITY PLAN FOR A SAFER AND MORE WELCOMING CYCLING ENVIRONMENT ON ORANGETOWN’S ROADS AND TRAILS FINAL REPORT PREPARED BY PARKS & TRAILS NEW YORK 2 About Parks & Trails New York Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) is a non-profit organization working since 1985 to expand, protect, and promote a network of parks, trails, and open spaces throughout New York State for the use and enjoyment by all. The PNTY project team includes: Robin Dropkin Gregory Francese Fran Gotcsik James Meerdink For more information about PTNY’s work visit www.ptny.org. INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORANGETOWN BIKE STUDY CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.ORAngetown.com/bikestudy 1 Contents 2 ................................................................................ Executive Summary 4 ............................................................................................... Introduction 6 ..........................................................................................................Context 16 ............................................................................... Previous Planning 20.............................................................................Public Engagement 26 ..............................................Recommended Bikeway Network 44 ........................Education, Encouragement & Enforcement 48 ....................................5-Year Vision & Implementation Plan 59 ........................................................................Additional Resources 66 ............................................................................. Acknowledgments 67 .................................................................................................. Appendix 2 Executive Summary THE ORANGetoWN BIKE STUDY IS A was the need for safe on-road facilities will activate the network’s facilities COMMUNITY PLAN FOR CReatING A that complement and connect to the and promote safety throughout the saFER AND MORE WELCOMING CYCLING local trail system. Another was making system. This is an important part of ENVIRONMENT ON THE toWN’S connections between neighborhoods and the Study, as the lack of bike lanes RoaDWays AND MULTI-use TRAILS. important community destinations such or intersection treatments may not as parks, schools, and business districts. be the only reason why local resi- In the fall of 2017, the Town of Orangetown Survey respondents and others were also dents decline to try cycling. Creating hired Parks & Trails New York, a non-profit concerned about road behavior, both on a supportive environment, building organization that has assisted communi- the part of local motorists and groups of awareness, and ongoing evaluation ties around New York State in developing cyclists who travel through town. and feedback related to the cycling trails and planning bike and pedestrian network will ensure that the town’s networks, to conduct the Bike Study. The Bike Study’s primary deliverable is investments are well-placed. a proposed network of cycling facili- Orangetown’s road are well-known to ties along routes that provide access to The Study puts these recommen- recreational cyclists, and the opening of Orangetown’s various destinations, with dations on a timeline in the 5-Year the Shared Use Path on the new Tappan an emphasis on connecting residents Vision & Implementation section, and Zee Bridge promises even more cyclists. with priority destinations. This includes provides cost estimates and addition- Despite cycling’s popularity, Orangetown concept-level planning for new multi-use al resources to achieve this goal. residents have access to relatively few trails, protected and unprotected bike safe cycling facilities, and these are gen- lanes and shared use lanes. The recom- erally confined to the eastern half of the mended network also offers treatments Town, where the J. B. Clarke and Esposito and techniques for improving cycling Rail Trails provide convenient off-road safety at busy intersections, and import- connections. ant transition points within the network. Enhancements to the existing multi-use The Bike Study began with a review trail system are also provided, and will of existing conditions, including site help further integrate these off-road visits and a survey of local roads, and assets into the larger network. a public outreach campaign that asked local cyclists and the wider Orangetown Beyond physical infrastructure and en- community what they desired in a cycling hancements, the Bike Study also provides network. The response was overwhelm- recommendations for programming, ing, and several themes emerged. One policies, and enforcement steps that 3 “I’d like to be able to reach more destinations via off- road routes like the Esposito Trail.” - Orangetown resident 4 Introduction THE ORANGetoWN BIKE stuDY IS A CoMMUNITY PLAN FoR A saFER AND MORE WELCOMING CYCLING ENVIRONMENT ON ORANGetoWN’S RoaDS AND TRAILS Palisades and onto New York State Bike Route Study. PTNY is a non-profit organization What is the Orangetown 9 (Route 9W in Orangetown). These bicyclists that has more than 30 years of experience Bike Study? tend to be more experienced but are seeking assisting communities around New York State recreational routes that incorporate Orange- with developing trails and planning bike and The Orangetown Bike Study will create a safer town’s wonderful riverside views and desti- pedestrian networks. and more welcoming bicycling environment nations to the north including Hook and Bear for bicyclists of all ages and abilities by rec- Mountain. Orangetown’s existing trail network ommending improvement to the Town’s road- includes two multi-use trails, the JB Clarke TIMELINE way network and proposing new connections and Esposito Rail Trails. These trails are well- between neighborhoods and important com- used by cyclists, joggers and walkers, and the munity destinations such as parks, schools, recent completion of the trail link under Or- AUG 2017 and business districts. angeburg Road brings improved connectivity • Parks & Trails New York to an important off-road bicycling network. The desire to encourage cycling and to selected as project consul- The opening of a multi-use path on the Mario address safety needs for cyclists comes at tant Cuomo Bridge is expected to bring a wide a critical time for Orangetown. Town roads range of bicyclists to local roads. • Initial project scope and already host thousands of cyclists during any timeline drafted given week, many of whom ride from New In 2017, the Town of Orangetown hired Parks York City or Northern New Jersey through the & Trails New York (PTNY) to conduct the Bike 5 Goals The “5 E’s” The Bike Study’s primary goal is to create a community vision for the local cycling network. This vision will take the form of a Essential Elements proposed network of cycling facilities along routes that provide access to Orangetown’s various destinations, with an emphasis on connecting residents with local business districts and community of a Bike-friendly facilities such as schools, libraries and parks. In addition, the Bike Study seeks to strengthen links to the existing Community multi-use trail system, and make enhancements to better integrate existing and planned trail facilities into the local and regional cycling network. Improving connections for Orangetown residents Education to neighboring communities, through both on-road and trail routes, Instructing cyclists of all ages in the skills is also top priority. necessary to ride safely The Bike Study recommends policies and programming that sup- port this network by encouraging increased participation in cycling among residents. Finally, the Bike Study provides recommendations Encouragement for funding to implement the proposed improvements, conduct- Creating a welcoming and supportive envi- ing ongoing evaluation of the cycling network as it develops, and ronment for cycling continuing engagement of the town’s residents to ensure that the developing network responds to Orangetown’s needs. Funding Enforcement Ensuring safety for all users by enforcing Funding for the Orangetown Bike Study was provided by The New rules of the road NY Bridge Community Benefits Program, the community outreach component of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement project. Engineering Creating safe facilities that allow users to reach community destinations Evaluation & Planning Ongoing planning and feedback to ensure that facilities and programming meet local needs ADAPTED FROM LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS, HTTPS://BIKELEAGUE.ORG/CONTENT/5-ES Sept 2017 OCT - DEC 2017 JAN - FEB 2018 MAR - JUNE 2018 • Initial stakeholder and public • Existing conditions review, • Feedback summarized • Revision of Plan based on meeting held in Orangetown including data gathering and • Draft plan created and community feedback • Bike counts conducted by stakeholder interviews posted for comment • Pop-up bikeway demon- local volunteers • 2nd site visit • February public meeting in stration • Site visit by PTNY • Community Survey and Orangetown • Spring bike counts • Bike Study webpage created Feedback Map opened for • Final Plan presented to comment Town Board 6 1Context 7 History & Government Population Land Use & Development Orangetown was originally settled around Orangetown’s population was 49,212 as of The largest land use in Orangetown is 1680 by Dutch merchants who purchased the 2010. Orangetown’s average household size residential, totaling 5,689 acres or 36.7% of land from the Tappan Native American tribe. is smaller than Rockland County’s and even the total