Prepared for Prepared by New York City In Association with Department of Transportation Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates Hylan Boulevard Sam Schwartz Engineering Transportation Improvement Study Vanasse Hangen Brustlin May 2012 Hylan Boulevard Transportation Improvement Study A Multimodal Approach to Improving Mobility and Safety Hylan Boulevard Transportation Improvement Study Executive Summary he approximately 16-mile long Hylan Boulevard Project corridor is one of Staten Island’s most heavily utilized transportation corridors and is a vital link for bus riders and vehicular traffic traveling between the T Staten Island Mall, the South Shore of Staten Island, and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and beyond via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. (For the purpose of this study, the Project corridor refers to the route of the local S79 bus.) This corridor was one of five that the Client team-consisting of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit (NYCT) and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT)-selected for implementation of Select Bus Service (the branded name of Bus Rapid Transit in the City of New York). Based on an assessment of transportation conditions along the Project corridor and input provided at meetings with the public and with other stakeholders, the following conditions were defined along this corridor: • Bus travel time is slow, with one-way travel time on the S79 from the beginning to the end of the route generally exceeding one hour. • The frequency and location of local and express bus stops along Hylan Boulevard and the high volume of buses serving these stops adds to congestion along the corridor. • The absence of sidewalks, pedestrian ramps and pedestrian refuges at some locations along the corridor restricts mobility, access to bus stops and safety for pedestrians and bus passengers. As a result of this feedback, NYCT and NYCDOT employed a comprehensive approach to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, and improve transit service as part of the implementation of Select Bus Service. The goals of the Hylan Boulevard Transportation Improvement project are: • IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW, BUS TRAVEL TIME AND RELIABILITY • IMPROVE TRANSIT ACCESS TO MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN AND STATEN ISLAND DESTINATIONS • IMPROVE SAFETY FOR ALL CORRIDOR USERS, INCLUDING MOTORISTS, TRANSIT RIDERS, AND PEDESTRIANS ALONG THE HYLAN BOULEVARD CORRIDOR. Led by the consulting firm AECOM, and based on input from a diverse group of project stakeholders, including the public, elected and appointed officials, this study recommends a series of treatments to accomplish these objectives. As shown in Exhibit ES-1, the recommended plan embodies a multi-modal approach to improving mobility and safety for pedestrians, motorists, and transit riders. Principal recommendations include the following: i Hylan Boulevard Transportation Improvement Study Bus Lanes: Curb bus lanes are proposed along the northern two miles of Hylan Boulevard, between Lincoln Avenue and Steuben Street. This is an area where there are currently rush hour parking prohibitions and where bus ridership on local and express buses is highest. Bus lanes here would save travel time for bus passengers. Additionally, short segments of curb bus lanes and offset (interior) bus lanes are recommended in the following locations to help buses bypass congestion: • Curb bus lane on westbound 92nd Street, between Dahlgren Place and Fort Hamilton Parkway, in Bay Ridge • Offset bus lane on southbound (“Brooklyn-bound”) Richmond Avenue from Shirley Avenue to Hylan Boulevard • Curb bus lane on northbound (“Staten Island Mall-bound”) Richmond Avenue from approximately one- quarter mile north of Drumgoole Road to Platinum Avenue. Modified Curb Regulations: In conjunction with implementing bus lanes along Hylan Boulevard, curb regulations would be adjusted to prohibit parking in the bus lanes. Currently along Hylan Boulevard, parking and standing in the curb lane are prohibited in the peak direction of travel (6-9 AM northbound and 4-7 PM southbound). These restrictions would remain in effect, although the evening restriction would begin one hour earlier (3 PM). A long-term proposal would additionally prohibit parking and standing in the reverse-peak direction. Parking would be permitted in the curb lane adjacent to the offset bus lane on southbound Richmond Avenue. Standing would be prohibited Monday to Friday 6-9 AM and 3-7 PM in the bus lane on northbound Richmond Avenue. Parking regulations would be changed to prohibit standing in the bus lane along 92nd Street. Streamlined Bus Service: The Project would replace the S79 local bus service with a S79 Select Bus Service. All other local and express bus routes would be maintained throughout the corridor. The S79 SBS would generally maintain the path of the existing S79 route, but operate with fewer stops. It is recommended that the S79 SBS route be streamlined near the Eltingville Transit Center, which would enable Staten Island Mall-bound SBS buses to avoid passing through the signalized intersection of Richmond Avenue and Arthur Kill Road twice. In conjunction with this rerouting a separate stop exclusively for northbound S79 SBS buses would be created along the north curbline in the Eltingville Transit Center station site. The S79 SBS would also be re- routed to provide a more direct path to the Staten Island Mall by avoiding the congested and lightly patronized portions of the route on Forest Hill Road, Yukon Avenue and Richmond Hill Road. These changes would reduce bus travel time and provide faster service. SBS Stations: The S79 SBS would operate with fewer, more widely-spaced stations than the current S79 service. SBS stations would be provided at When will improvements major intersections and transfer points. Limiting the S79 service to these key be implemented? locations would enable buses to achieve higher travel speeds between Bus lanes and streamlined bus stations and reduce overall travel time along the corridor. service would be implemented by the Fall 2012. Treatments Improved Bus Stations: At some stations, local and/or express bus stops that involve construction or would be slightly relocated to facilitate buses accessing the curb, to provide coordination with external more space for waiting customers and to facilitate buses passing each other. stakeholders would be Other improvements include new bus shelters, larger waiting areas, and implemented in 2013. bicycle racks. It is recommended that a bus station be created in the wide median of Richmond Avenue at Yukon Avenue. This station would reduce by ii Hylan Boulevard Transportation Improvement Study approximately one-half the distance bus passengers would have to cross Richmond Avenue to access various bus routes serving the Staten Island What is an Advance Signal? Mall. An Advance Signal (or “Pre Signal” Optimized Signal Timings: Signal timings would be adjusted, where as commonly referred to in Europe) necessary, to improve the progression of traffic along the corridor. is a traffic signal that is installed upstream of a congested signalized Transit Signal Priority (TSP): Throughout the Project area “smart” intersection. It is similar to a queue traffic signals would be implemented to reduce the number of red lights jump in enabling buses to bypass that create delays for buses. congestion in adjacent travel lanes. An Advance Signal reduces weaving Advance Signals: Advance Signals would be installed on northbound between buses and right turning Hylan Boulevard upstream of Ebbitts Street, New Dorp Lane, and Jefferson Avenue. An Advance Signal reduces weaving between buses and vehicles, reduces delay and allows other vehicles, reduces delay and allows for more efficient and safer flow. for more efficient and safer flow. If successful, other locations would be identified and pursued. Advance Signals are proposed at three locations along Hylan Pedestrian Safety: Where sufficient space exists and geometrically Boulevard. feasible, medians at several signalized intersections along Hylan Boulevard and Richmond Avenue would be extended into crosswalks to reduce the crossing distance and provide refuge for pedestrians to cross the road in stages. Sidewalks would be constructed where none exist to improve access to bus stops. Pedestrian ramps that conform to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requirements would be provided where none exist at SBS stations. Roadway Improvements: Portions of Hylan Boulevard that are in need of repair would be resurfaced. Lane lines and crosswalks would be refurbished as required to improve visibility. Medians would be widened and landscaped, where sufficient space exists, to provide greater separation between opposing lanes of traffic, to beautify the street and reduce surface runoff. Conclusion: The recommended plan was developed in conjunction with stakeholders. It is multimodal, combining improvements for bus customers, pedestrians and drivers. Bus customers would experience faster and more reliable service through the combination of priority bus treatments, TSP, a streamlined route path and less congested bus stops. When buses move faster, all traffic moves faster. Drivers gain traffic flow and safety benefits from improved traffic signal timing, the addition of left turn lanes, refurbished roads and pavement markings. Pedestrian safety improvements along the corridor include the addition of median islands where pedestrians can wait or find refuge while crossing Hylan Boulevard, as well as the addition of curb cuts and sidewalks