Technical Report #5: Needs Assessment
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TECHNICAL REPORT #5: NEEDS ASSESSMENT Final MTP September 10, 2020 Technical Report #5: Needs Assessment The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) as a federally-designated agency was established as a bi-state Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in 1970. The ARTS MPO working collaboratively with partner agencies is responsible for making policy about local transportation and deciding how to spend Federal funds for carrying out the transportation planning process. The ARTS MPO is also responsible for overseeing multimodal and long range transportation planning within the ARTS planning area to ensure continued accessibility, connectivity, efficiency, mobility, and safety for the movement of people and freight. The ARTS planning area includes Richmond County, and the Cities of Hephzibah and Blythe in Georgia; the Fort Gordon Military Reservation; parts of Columbia County, including the City of Grovetown; and, parts of Aiken and Edgefield Counties in South Carolina, including the Cities of Aiken, North Augusta, New Ellenton and Burnettown. ARTS METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE Future Mobility 2050 Augusta Regional Transportation Study 535 Telfair Street, Suite 300 Augusta GA 30901 706.821.1796 [email protected] www.augustaga.gov/680/ARTS-Metropolitan-Planning-Organization The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is committed to enforcing the principle that “No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, age, sex (including gender identity and expression), marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, national origin, or disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, and any other related non-discrimination Civil Rights laws and authorities under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” The ARTS MPO is also committed to taking positive and realistic affirmative steps to ensure the protection of rights and opportunities for all persons affected by its plans and programs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of Transportation, State of Georgia, State of South Carolina or the Federal Highway Administration. Prepared in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Transportation, South Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. ii Technical Report #5: Needs Assessment Table of Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Project Area Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.2 Needs Assessment & Development of Universe of Projects ............................................................................ 1-1 2 Public and Stakeholder Engagement ...................................................................................................................... 2-1 3 Land Use & Transportation ..................................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Growth in Population and Employment............................................................................................................ 3-1 3.2 Future Land Use................................................................................................................................................... 3-1 4 Roads and Highways ................................................................................................................................................ 4-1 4.1 Congestion Management .................................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Traffic Safety........................................................................................................................................................ 4-6 4.3 Emerging Technologies ...................................................................................................................................... 4-9 4.4 Bridge Conditions .............................................................................................................................................. 4-10 5 Aviation and Freight ................................................................................................................................................ 5-1 5.1 Aviation and Air Cargo ........................................................................................................................................ 5-1 5.2 Freight .................................................................................................................................................................. 5-1 6 Transit ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1 Access to Fixed Route Transit ............................................................................................................................ 6-1 6.2 On-Demand Transit and Microtransit Needs .................................................................................................... 6-4 6.3 Transit Related Themes in Public Input ............................................................................................................ 6-4 6.4 2018 On-Board Transit Survey and Audit for Augusta Transit ........................................................................ 6-4 7 Active Transportation ............................................................................................................................................. 7-1 7.1 Existing Active Transportation Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 7-1 7.2 Safe Routes to School .......................................................................................................................................... 7-1 7.3 High Demand Areas for Active Transportation ................................................................................................ 7-1 7.4 Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety ............................................................................................................................ 7-2 8 Transportation System Management and Operations (TSM&O) ......................................................................... 8-1 9 Quality of Life Needs ................................................................................................................................................ 9-1 9.1 Age-Friendly Designs .......................................................................................................................................... 9-1 9.2 Complete Streets ................................................................................................................................................. 9-1 9.3 Context Sensitive Solutions ................................................................................................................................ 9-1 10 Summary of Needs & Universe of Projects .......................................................................................................... 10-1 10.1 Summary of Needs ............................................................................................................................................ 10-1 10.2 Universe of Projects .......................................................................................................................................... 10-1 iii Technical Report #5: Needs Assessment Table of Figures Figure 1-1. ARTS Planning Area .......................................................................................................................................... 1-2 Figure 2-1. Summary of Improvements Types Identified Through Public Input (2019)................................................ 2-1 Figure 2-2. Public Input from MetroQuest Survey - Improvement Markers .................................................................. 2-2 Figure 3-1. Modeled Population Growth per Square Mile for Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) in the ARTS Planning Area, 2015 to 2050 .......................................................................................................................................................................... 3-3 Figure 3-2. Modeled Job Growth per Square Mile for TAZs in the ARTS Planning Area, 2015 and 2050 ...................... 3-4 Figure 4-1. Level of Service (LOS) ....................................................................................................................................... 4-1 Figure 4-2. Level of Service on 2015 Model Network ........................................................................................................ 4-3 Figure 4-3. Projected Level of Service on 2050 Existing + Committed Projects Model Network ................................... 4-4 Figure 4-4. Projected Roadway Congestion Related Identified Needs