ACTIVATING MASON CITY A BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN FEBRUARYJANUARY 2014 2014 e are grateful for the Mayor and City Council Project Advisory Committee Consulting Team collaboration and insight Eric Bookmeyer | Mayor Craig Binnebose RDG Planning & Design Wof the Project Steering Alex Kuhn Gary Christiansen Des Moines and Omaha Committee, without whom this Scott Tornquist Craig Clark www.RDGUSA.com document would not have been John Lee Matt Curtis WHKS & Co. possible. We especially appreciate Travis Hickey Angie Determan Jean Marinos Kelly Hansen Mason City, Iowa the wonderful support, friendship, www.WHKS.com professionalism, and patience of Janet Solberg Jim Miller Mason City’s great staff, including Brian Pauly Steven Van Steenhuyse, Brent City of Mason City Mark Rahm Trout, Tricia Sandahl, and Mark Steven Van Steenhuyse, AICP Tricia Sandahl Steven Schurtz Rahm. Director of Development Services Bill Stangler Brent Trout This plan complements the city’s Brent Trout | City Administrator Steven Van Steenhuyse previous planning initiatives Mark Rahm, PE | City Engineer and establishes a system of Tricia Sandahl | Planning & Zoning Manager improvements to create an even more active community. The Blue Zones Project® is a community “The last few years have resulted in a significant culture change well-being improvement initiative across our entire community and the Blue Zones Project® has designed to make healthy choices been a driving force in our River City Renaissance. It provided easier through permanent changes to the format for collaboration of our whole town to develop this environment, policy, and social networks. master plan and then built the will to implement it. This is truly a transformational project and will benefit all of our citizens into the future.” - Mayor Eric Bookmeyer TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Chapter 1: The Active Transportation Environment Chapter 2: The Market for Active Transportation in Mason City Chapter 3: The Bikeway Network: Principles and Structure Chapter 4: Infrastructure Design Concepts and Guidelines Chapter 5: Route Details and Sequencing Chapter 6: On Foot in Mason City: Enhancing the Pedestrian Environment Chapter 7: Support Systems ACTIVATING MASON CITY: A BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN Bicycling for a purpose. A transportation cyclist on East State Street. 4 | INTRODUCTION onsider a vehicle that weighs 1/6 as much work for every Mason City resident or every trip, they as you do, easily travels at half the speed of can play a more significant role in the city’s transpor- a contemporary car in city traffic, gets the tation system. This Master Plan is dedicated to mak- equivalent of 1,500 to 2,000 miles per gallon, ing Mason City a place that encourages its citizens producesC zero emissions and almost no noise, can be to use these healthy, low-impact, and intrinsically parked outside the door of your destination or even fun forms of transportation as a greater part of their inside your home or office, and makes you healthier. routine lives. Its primary purpose is to knit the city’s What would you call such a marvel? Science fiction? neighborhoods and major destinations together The answer to our transportation prayers? No – it’s with a network of facilities that is safe, pleasant, and called a bicycle. And our own ability and efficiency comfortable for current and future bicyclists and pe- in transporting ourselves under our own power is just destrians with a broad range of ages, capabilities, in- as remarkable. terests, and economic groups. In doing so, the plan also recognizes that this network must be practical Now consider Mason City: a city of distinctive neigh- and affordable to the community, and must deliver borhoods and a vital downtown, the home of the benefits far in excess of its costs. Music Man and the only active hotel in the world de- signed by Frank Lloyd Wright; a compact city, where It is the unique characteristic of active transportation most trips are under three miles and most slopes are that it combines utility and experience. Biking and gentle.; a city with a network of long, pleasant, and walking are useful and convenient forms of transpor- lightly traveled streets that take you conveniently to tation for many trips that are part of our daily activi- most of its features; a plains city still defined by water ties: trips to work and school, to visit friends, to parks – the Winnebago River, a scenic urban creek system and recreation, to shopping and to worship, and to through the center of town, and lakes with public ac- many other purposes of life. Moving under our own cess and even beaches. power is profoundly satisfying, and gives us the op- portunity to experience the city, to be part of its pulse, Walking and biking are very much parts of life in Ma- and to see our fellow citizens on a personal basis. We son City and people of all ages and capabilities use know that most trips in Mason City will continue to active transportation modes. It is no wonder that Ma- be made by car. A balanced transportation system INTRODUCTION son City was one of ten Iowa communities selected should offer choices, including the option to feel safe to be demonstration communities for the Blue Zones and comfortable using the healthy, sustainable, and Project®, designed to incorporate healthy living into socially satisfying means of mobility that the bicycle the daily routine of citizens. Mason City is made for and walking offer. biking and walking, and while these modes do not 5 ACTIVATING MASON CITY: A BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN Why Bikeways? Goals of this Master Plan Goal One: Increase the number of people who use walking and biking for transportation as well as rec- Mason City has completed major projects that are both important recreational assets and reation. Mason City’s multi-use trails are well utilized the basis for a broader bicycle transportation system. It has the core of an excellent trail sys- and have a transportation function, but the over- tem, with the Willow Creek, Winnebago River, East Park, and Trolley Trails. Other possibilities whelming majority of users are recreational cyclists exist, including an abandoned right-of-way that can be Mason City’s version of the famous and pedestrians. A measurement of the success of High Line in New York and the developing Bloomingdale Trail in Chicago. By using streets, this plan will be significantly increasing the percent- drainageways, parks and open spaces, disused rail rights-of-way, flood buyout property, age of trips for a variety of purposes. Chapter Two in- and other opportunities to expand the reach and function of these trails to serve destina- cludes estimates of current and future utilization of a tions in the city, this plan can help Mason City accomplish the following goals: bikeway system. Goal Two: Improve bicycle and pedestrian access to key community destinations. A bicycle transporta- tion system should get people comfortably and safe- ly to where they want to go. Therefore, Mason City’s system should be destination-based, providing clear and direct connections to key community features. Also, intersections, gaps in sidewalks, and other barri- ers can discourage people from walking along Mason City’s streets and trails. Removing these barriers and creating more comfortable environments are impor- tant objectives of this plan. Goal Three: Improve access to the city’s pathway system by providing connecting links from neigh- borhoods to trails. Mason City’s trails are the arteries of its bikeway system, and will continue to serve the majority of bicycle trips. But the city’s emerging trail system can be connected to more neighborhoods by judiciously using the street system (and other devel- opment opportunities) as linkages. 6 | INTRODUCTION Goal Four: Use walking and bicycling as part of an ual health. Incorporating physical activity into the effort make Mason City more sustainable at three normal routine of daily life for everyone from kids levels: global, community, and individual. Trips to seniors makes all of us healthier, reduces over- made by bicycle promote community sustainability weight and obesity rates, improves wellness and in three ways: lowers overall health care costs. • Global sustainability. Bicycle transportation re- Goal Five: Increase safety on the road for motor- duces fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emis- ists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Improved safety is sions, helping the city reduce its impact on the a critical goal for any transportation improvement, global environment. A more walkable and bike- and is fundamental to efforts to increase the number able Mason City will not save the planet. But as of people who walk and bike in the city. In addition, a great sage said about 2,000 years ago, “It’s not national research indicates a strong relationship be- your job to finish the task, but you are not free to tween the number of cyclists and bicycle crash rates. walk away from it.” (Jacobson, Injury Prevention 9:205-209 [2003] Infra- structure must also be supported by education, en- • Community sustainability. A complete and heav- forcement, and encouragement programs, and its ef- ily used bicycle transportation system can help fectiveness measured by evaluation. reduce the cost of government by marginally re- ducing the need for more expensive projects. In Goal Six: Capitalize on the economic development Portland, Oregon, for example, spending 2% of benefits of a destination-based bicycle transpor- the city’s overall transportation budget since 1996 tation system. Mason City has many great features has caused bicycling to increase from 1% to 6% of that appeal to visitors: the architectural masterpiec- all commuter trips – an excellent return on invest- es of Wright, Walter Burley Griffin and E.R. Bogardus; ment. Reducing emissions also helps ensure that the Lime Creek Nature Center; parks like East Park Mason City will maintain its status as a healthy en- that brings delight to all of its users; and one of Iowa’s vironment for its citizens.