Scenic Conservation Plan, Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway Existing Conditions Report Delaware Greenways February 2011 0 SCENIC CONSERVATION PLAN, BRANDYWINE VALLEY NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT 1 SCENIC CONSERVATION PLAN, BRANDYWINE VALLEY NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 The Scenic Conservation Plan ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Previous Efforts............................................................................................................................................................ 2 1.4 The Planning Process ................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.5 Study Areas .................................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Land Use ................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Geography and the Natural Environment ......................................................................................................... 7 Landform ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Water Resources ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 2.2 Historic and Current Population ......................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Historic and Current Land Use ............................................................................................................................ 13 Residential Development.......................................................................................................................................... 15 Commercial, Office, and Industrial Development ........................................................................................... 16 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space ...................................................................................................................... 17 Future Land Use County Comprehensive Plan 2007 ................................................................................. 20 2.4 Protected Lands— ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.5 Current Zoning ........................................................................................................................................................... 24 2.6 Infrastructure and Services ................................................................................................................................... 26 Water Supply ................................................................................................................................................................. 26 Wastewater .................................................................................................................................................................... 29 2.7 Land Use Contexts ..................................................................................................................................................... 30 3. Transportation ................................................................................................................................................................... 34 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 34 3.2 Physical Characteristics of the Study Area Roadways ............................................................................... 35 3.3 Crash Analysis ............................................................................................................................................................. 39 Crash Rates ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Day of Week.................................................................................................................................................................... 44 Lighting Conditions ..................................................................................................................................................... 44 Pavement and Weather Conditions ...................................................................................................................... 45 2 SCENIC CONSERVATION PLAN, BRANDYWINE VALLEY NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT Manner of Impact ......................................................................................................................................................... 45 First Harmful Event ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Findings............................................................................................................................................................................ 46 3.4 Functional Classification ........................................................................................................................................ 47 3.5 Traffic Volumes .......................................................................................................................................................... 49 3.6 Roadway Typology ................................................................................................................................................... 50 3.7 Currently Planned Roadway System Improvements ................................................................................. 54 3.8 Non-motorized Transportation ........................................................................................................................... 54 Pedestrian and Trail Network ................................................................................................................................ 54 Bicycle Network............................................................................................................................................................ 55 Active and Operating Railroads ............................................................................................................................. 56 Rail to Trail/Rail with Trail Opportunities........................................................................................................ 56 3.9 Public Transportation Facilities .......................................................................................................................... 57 4. Synthesis of Existing Key Issues ................................................................................................................................. 59 4.1 Linking Land Use and Transportation .............................................................................................................. 59 4.2 Transportation Design Implications ................................................................................................................. 61 4.3 Emerging Issues ......................................................................................................................................................... 62 Waste Water and Water Resources ...................................................................................................................... 62 Large Land Owners ..................................................................................................................................................... 62 Public Water and Sewer ............................................................................................................................................ 63 Pedestrian and Bicycle Access ................................................................................................................................ 63 Access to Trails and Scenic Areas.......................................................................................................................... 63 Traffic Signing and Signing by Property Owners ............................................................................................ 63 Development Access and Development Layout .............................................................................................. 64 Context Sensitive Design Manual .........................................................................................................................