Walk Bike Dutchess Chapter 6: County-Wide Recommendations emailing the County Department of Public Works or calling 845-486-2900. This chapter provides recommendations that can be implemented o Maintenance issues on State roads should be directed at a county-wide scale. They are organized by the ‘Five E’s’: to the Hudson Valley Transportation Management Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Center (phone 914-864-5450). Bicycling and walking- Evaluation & Planning, and also include recommendations related related questions can be directed to the Bicycle and to Local Policies & Plans, and Personnel. Unless otherwise Pedestrian Section staff. specified, recommendations are intended to be led by the PDCTC or appropriate County department. 2. Incorporate Walking and Bicycling Facilities in Road Improvement and Maintenance Projects & Create a Public A. Engineering Schedule/Notification System • Encourage County DPW, New York 1. Create a County Road Maintenance State Department of Transportation Reporting System (NYSDOT), and local municipalities to continue • Work with the County Department of to incorporate walking and bicycling facilities Public Works (DPW) to establish a into road improvement and maintenance website, smart phone app, or other user- projects where feasible. Prioritize streets in friendly system for residents to report designated centers, those recommended for maintenance needs on County roads and improvements in this Plan, and designated shared-use paths, and for DPW to record, State Bike Routes. respond to, and track the status of o Roadway reconstruction and requested maintenance. This system rehabilitation projects: consider formal paved could apply to walking and bicycling- shoulders, sidewalks and crosswalks, and/or related conditions as well as other safety bicycle facilities, consistent with this Plan and or maintenance concerns. in locations where the improvement can be accommodated within the existing right of o Incorporate a feature to enable way. issues related to Town or State o Bridge and culvert construction roads to be directed to the and rehabilitation projects: consider formal appropriate entity. Basic maintenance such as trimming shoulders, sidewalks and crosswalks, o Maintenance issues on County vegetation and sweeping shoulders is critical consistent with this Plan. roads can also be reported by to maintaining walking and bicycling access. Chapter 6: County-Wide Recommendations Effective March 27, 2014 269 Walk Bike Dutchess o Resurfacing projects: County DPW), or by County DPW; incorporate wider shoulders however, the municipality is responsible where desired and feasible. for maintenance. Pave the shoulder to the o Sidewalks on State roads maximum extent practicable. may be installed by the municipality or o General maintenance: keep property owner (with a permit from road shoulders as clear of NYSDOT), or by NYSDOT as part of a vegetation and debris as capital project. Sidewalks on State roads possible to maximize are owned by NYSDOT but maintained by accessibility and safety for the municipality. people walking and bicycling. o On local streets, the municipality is responsible for • Work with DPW, NYSDOT, and local improvements (including sidewalks) as municipalities to provide a publicly- well as maintenance. However, the available and easily understood Bridge projects provide opportunities to improve municipality may require property schedule of proposed road projects walking and bicycling access by installing wide owners to install sidewalks or other (such as on their website), so that shoulders or sidewalks. facilities as part of a land-use approval, residents can provide input and be and may require property owners to aware of upcoming projects. maintain sidewalks. • Encourage coordination between DPW and PDCTC/County Planning staff at an early stage of project development to • County DPW should continue to work with municipalities to discuss, consider, and incorporate bicycling and walking review speed limits on County roads in hamlets and evaluate improvements into project designs. potential reductions, in conjunction with traffic calming elements where appropriate. 3. Provide Facilities for Walking in Centers • Work with municipalities, County DPW, and NYSDOT to provide 4. Provide On-Street Bicycle Facilities facilities for walking in designated centers. Consider sidewalks, • Work with local municipalities, County DPW, and NYSDOT to marked crosswalks, pedestrian signals, other design features, provide and maintain on-street bicycle facilities on streets with and maintenance practices based on the guidance in Chapter 3 significant bicycle use or potential use. The appropriate facility (Design Guidelines). type and maintenance practices should be based on the o Sidewalks on County roads may be installed by the guidelines in Chapter 3 (Design Guidelines). Demonstration municipality or property owner (with a permit from Chapter 6: County-Wide Recommendations Effective March 27, 2014 270 Walk Bike Dutchess projects should be considered to test and evaluate bicycle 6. Upgrade Bicycle Detection at Traffic Signals lanes, sharrows, bicycle boulevards, and other facility types. • County DPW and municipalities should inventory actuated • Work with NYSDOT to evaluate and develop State Bicycle traffic signals on streets with significant bicycle use or potential Routes on Routes 22, 44, 52, 55, and 82. Incorporate paved use to determine if the signal detects bicycles, and if not, if it shoulders (minimum four feet) and other treatments as can be adjusted. Where detection is possible, a bicycle symbol applicable. may be marked on the pavement to show bicyclists where to position themselves to be detected. Signals that cannot be How Can a Speed Limit be Changed? adjusted should be noted and bicycle detection incorporated if Outside of Village and City boundaries, lowering a speed limit on feasible when the signal is replaced or upgraded. a Town or County road requires a Town Board resolution • In addition, the signal timing should be reviewed to determine requesting the change. The resolution is forwarded to County if changes to the timing could better accommodate bicycle DPW for a recommendation and then forwarded to NYSDOT, travel (such as extending the minimum green time, extension which conducts an investigation and makes a final time, or all-red time). determination. Speed limits on State highways are set by NYSDOT, except that Villages and Cities may establish speed limits on State highways with written permission by NYSDOT. Villages, cities, and certain towns can set their own speed limits on all roads except State highways. 5. Inventory Local Sidewalks, Crosswalks and Pedestrian Signals • Local municipalities, in coordination with PDCTC and NYSDOT as needed, should inventory and review conditions at existing sidewalks and crosswalks on their streets. The review should consider needs for sidewalk repair, crosswalk markings, pedestrian signal and traffic signal upgrades, curb ramps and other ADA improvements, and other features. • Municipalities that do not have an ADA Transition Plan for their streets and sidewalks should develop one, identifying Bicycle symbols marked over the loop detector alert improvements needed to make all streets accessible per ADA bicyclists to the best place to wait to be detected standards and a timeframe for implementing those (source: LA-Bike.org). improvements. Chapter 6: County-Wide Recommendations Effective March 27, 2014 271 Walk Bike Dutchess 7. Provide Bicycle Parking service announcements, billboards, • Work with the County DPW-Buildings websites, educational brochures, Division to install short-term and long- posters, bumper stickers, as well as term bicycle parking at all county training programs. Use or adapt facilities, as appropriate, based on the existing materials where possible. guidelines in Chapter 3 (Design o Examples: Capital Guidelines). District Transportation Committee’s • Work with Dutchess County Public (CDTC) Capital Coexist campaign; Transit to provide bicycle racks, bus stop GTSC’s Share the Road guides and shelters, and other amenities to Sharing the Road Safely brochure; municipalities. In order to receive such Coexist NYS video and print tools. amenities, a municipality must sign an • agreement with County Transit agreeing Incorporate Share the Road to install, insure and maintain the training and materials into Defensive amenities. Driving courses given to County employees. • Encourage municipalities to install • bicycle parking at high-use locations. Work with the County Auto Provide technical assistance as needed. Center to consider installing “Share the Road” bumper stickers, “Watch for Bicyclists” driver side-view mirror B. Education stickers, or other awareness messages on County vehicles. 1. Educate Roadway Users on Sharing the Road • Coordinate with local DMV • Work with the County Traffic Safety offices to distribute educational materials, and consider screening Board, Health Department, and other partners to develop and distribute Share The Capital District’s “Capital Coexist” campaign Share the Road safety videos at DMV the Road materials to educate all includes materials about sharing the road (source: offices. roadway users about how to share the CapitalCoexist.org). • Work with DMV to update the road safely. Information should include driver’s test, driver’s manual, and walking, bicycling, and driving laws, as well as safe walking, other materials to more fully incorporate bicycle laws and bicycling,