34th Street Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis Screening Report PREPARED FOR: New York City Department of Transportation W. 34TH ST. PREPARED BY: URS Corporation AKRF, Inc. Zetlin Strategic Communications Inc. February 2010 Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................................... S-1 1: Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................. 1-1 1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Project Location.......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1.1 Current and Future Land Use ............................................................................ 1-2 1.1.2 Travel Market.................................................................................................... 1-4 1.1.3 Existing Transit Service...................................................................................... 1-6 1.2 Problem Statement..................................................................................................... 1-6 1.2.1 NYCT Bus Operations (M16/M34)...................................................................... 1-6 1.2.2 NY Waterway Ferry Bus..................................................................................... 1-8 1.2.3 Express Bus Operations..................................................................................... 1-8 1.2.4 Pedestrian Congestion ...................................................................................... 1-8 1.2.5 Future Development and Crosstown Transit Demand........................................ 1-9 1.3 Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................ 1-10 2: Project Alternatives........................................................................................................... 2-1 2.0 Introduction................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.1 Development of Alternatives ...................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1 Alignment ......................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Logical Termini.................................................................................................. 2-2 2.1.3 Mode................................................................................................................ 2-3 2.2 Description of Alternatives........................................................................................ 2-10 2.2.1 No Build Alternative........................................................................................ 2-10 2.2.2 Transportation System Management Alternative ............................................ 2-11 2.2.3 Build Alternative 1—Bus Rapid Transit ............................................................ 2-12 2.2.4 Build Alternative 2—Streetcar......................................................................... 2-16 2.2.5 Build Alternative 3—Light Rail Transit ............................................................. 2-18 2.2.6 Build Alternative 4—Automated Guideway Transit.......................................... 2-19 2.2.7 Build Alternative 5—Heavy Rail....................................................................... 2-21 2.2.8 Other Technologies......................................................................................... 2-21 2.2.9 Recommended Technologies .......................................................................... 2-21 3: Alternatives Screening Analysis......................................................................................... 3-1 3.0 Introduction................................................................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Methodology.............................................................................................................. 3-1 3.1.1 Performance Measures ..................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.2 Screening Methodology .................................................................................... 3-1 TOC-1 February 2010 34th Street Transit Corridor—Alternatives Analysis Report 3.2 Primary Screening Results........................................................................................... 3-4 3.2.1 Failed Alternatives ............................................................................................ 3-4 3.2.2 Passed Alternatives........................................................................................... 3-5 3.3 Secondary Screening Results....................................................................................... 3-6 3.3.1 No Build Alternative.......................................................................................... 3-7 3.3.2 Transportation System Management Alternative .............................................. 3-7 3.3.3 Build Alternative 1—Bus Rapid Transit .............................................................. 3-8 3.4 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 3-8 4: Public Outreach Process.................................................................................................... 4-1 4.0 Introduction................................................................................................................ 4-1 4.1 Public Involvement Process......................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Public Open House #1—November 19, 2009..................................................... 4-1 4.1.2 Other Feedback (Public Open House #1) ........................................................... 4-4 4.1.3 Public Open House #2—January 21, 2010.......................................................... 4-6 4.1.4 Other Feedback (Public Open House #2) ......................................................... 4-11 4.1.5 Stakeholder Meetings ..................................................................................... 4-12 4.2 Stakeholder List ........................................................................................................ 4-12 4.2.1 Elected Officials and Community Boards ......................................................... 4-12 4.2.2 Agencies ......................................................................................................... 4-13 4.2.3 Businesses/Business Groups/Institutions: ....................................................... 4-13 4.2.4 Community Groups......................................................................................... 4-14 5: Conclusions and Recommendations.................................................................................. 5-1 5.0 Introduction................................................................................................................ 5-1 5.1 Technical Screening Results ........................................................................................ 5-2 5.2 Conclusion and Next Steps.......................................................................................... 5-3 6: References......................................................................................................................... 6-1 7: Appendix A……. .................................................................................................................A-1 February 2010 TOC-2 List of Tables 1-1 34th Street Corridor Journey to Work and Reverse Journey to Work Data ...................... 1-5 1-2 Demand for M16/M34 Bus Service from Future Major Development Projects................ 1-9 1-3 Goals and Objectives.................................................................................................... 1-10 2-1 34th Street: Width and Number of Lanes ....................................................................... 2-2 3-1 Primary and Secondary Screening Criteria ...................................................................... 3-2 3-2 Primary Screening Results .............................................................................................. 3-4 3-3 Secondary Screening Results .......................................................................................... 3-7 TOC-3 February 2010 List of Figures Following page: 1-1 Context Map ........................................................................................................... 1-10 1-2 34th street Corridor................................................................................................. 1-10 1-3 Existing Land Use..................................................................................................... 1-10 1-4 Existing Historic Resources–West ............................................................................ 1-10 1-5 Existing Historic Resources–East.............................................................................. 1-10 1-6 Future Land Use Map .............................................................................................. 1-10 1-7 Study Area Residents and Employees ...................................................................... 1-10 1-8 Existing Local Manhattan