SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN UPDATE Submitted for: FINAL South Central Region Council of Governments June 2017 Submitted by: South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update 1 4 9 This page has been intentionally left blank. 10 14 14 15 18 22 23 25 30 63 64 65 87 88 92 94 98 2 South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 II. INTRODUCTION 9 A. The Value of Bicycling and Walking 10 B. Plan Purpose 14 C. Planning Process 14 D. Community Outreach 15 III. VISION, GOALS & ACTION STRATEGIES 18 IV. BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN TRAVEL 22 A. Statewide Overview 23 B. Regional Overview 25 C. Municipal Overview 30 V. SAFETY & CRASH ANALYSIS 63 A. Methodology 64 B. Findings 65 VI. RECOMMENDATIONS 87 A. On-Road Priority Areas 88 B. Off-Road Priority Areas 92 C. Design Recommendations 94 D. Policy Recommendations 98 South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update 3 South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update Chapter I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update Chapter II introduces the South Central The vision is stated as: Each goal includes a number of action Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update strategies that propose specific ways in which (Regional Plan Update). It describes SCRCOG and its member municipalities the goals could be implemented. the importance of bicycling and walking will encourage, promote; and continue as modes of active, or human-powered, to improve the conditions for bicycling, transportation. Some of the valuable benefits walking, and other forms of active of active transportation and its associated transportation, so that any person, infrastructure include: regardless of age, ability, or income will be able to walk, bicycle, or use other types • Healthy living – walking and bicycling of active transportation modes safely and promote good health conveniently throughout the Region. • Accessibility and choice – access The four goals are as follows: to a viable network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities allows for Goal 1: Improve safety of walking and greater independence and choice in bicycling to reduce the number of crashes determining travel modes involving pedestrians and cyclists. The Connecticut Shoreline Bike & Boat Tour in Guilford (Image credit: Trip Advisor) • Strong communities – bicyclists and pedestrians enhance a sense of Goal 2: Promote transportation choice community by increasing face-to-face by creating a balanced transportation interactions system that offers a variety of practical • Cost effective – sidewalks and bicycle and pleasant transportation options and facilities cost less to build than vehicular allows residents to make walking and roads and parking facilities bicycling part of their everyday lives. • More sustainable environments – fewer Goal 3: Increase connectivity between persons traveling by motor vehicle can various modes of transportation (walking, reduce congestion and pollution trains, bicycling, private automobile, bus) Chapter II also describes the purpose and and between neighborhoods, commercial process of, as well as the community outreach areas, schools, parks, and other major that occurred during, the development of the community-serving destinations. Regional Plan Update. Notably, a Project Goal 4: Provide access to community Technical Committee guided the development facilities, businesses, and neighborhoods of the Regional Plan Update. for residents of all ages, all abilities, and Chapter III outlines the vision, goals, an all income levels. Corner of Main St and Campbell Ave (Image credit: Wikipedia) action strategies for the Regional Plan Update. South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update 5 Chapter IV provides details on bicycle and Crashes on U.S. Routes and state routes were pedestrian travel in the SCRCOG region. It analyzed for the years of 2012- 2014. Crashes begins with providing accomplishments on on U.S. Routes, state routes, and local roads the statewide level, including legislation that were analyzed for the year of 2015. has passed and Connecticut Department of Transportation plans, programs, and policies The crashes were analyzed by municipality, that have improved the quality of bicycling instead of looking at the SCRCOG region as and walking in the SCRCOG region and a whole. With this, municipalities that were statewide. smaller in size / population and had fewer bicycle and pedestrian crashes were still Chapter IV next provides a regional analyzed in the same level of detail. Most overview and discusses some of the studies crashes occurred in the more urbanized areas completed related to traffic calming, transit- such as Hamden, Meriden, New Haven, and oriented development, and specific corridors. West Haven. Regional greenways and their planning efforts are described and displayed in a map. Chapter VI includes the recommendations. The recommendations are a compilation of The remainder of Chapter IV describes municipal the recommendations that are described in Woodland Trail (Image credit: Orange 2015 Plan of planning efforts related to bicycle and pedestrian the Municipal Overview section of Chapter Conservation and Development) travel. For each of the 15 municipalities, their IV and the crash analysis in Chapter V within recent planning, design, and construction this document. The recommendations also accomplishments are first discussed, followed include priority off-road routes for bicycling by their on-going concerns and upcoming and walking as well as design and policy efforts. Many of the improvements to bicycle recommendations that can be implemented and pedestrian travel conditions are a direct for those priority area routes as well as result of the diligence of the municipalities that throughout the region. The primary reason have prioritized this work. to improve the on-road priority corridors and intersections in the region is to improve Chapter V of the Regional Plan Update bicycle and pedestrian safety. The primary includes a safety and crash analysis. Early reason for completing the off-road trails in the in the planning process, safety emerged as region is to strengthen bicycle and pedestrian a primary concern and consideration within connectivity. all the municipalities for any improvement project. Bicycle and pedestrian crash records The top on-road and off-road were obtained for the years of 2012-2015 recommendations are displayed in matrices Elm Street bike lane (Image credit: New Haven Register) from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository. on the following two pages. 6 South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update Design recommendations are categorized by urban, suburban, and greenway applications. Examples of policy recommendations include a bicycle and pedestrian count program, continued development of and utilization of a Complete Streets toolbox, and others. Priority Matrix (excerpt of highest priority on-road recommendations CRASH INCLUDED IN 2007INCLUDED IN COMMUNITY INCLUDED IN STATEWIDEHIGH RIDERSHIP PRIORITY MUNICIPALITY AREA TYPE CORRIDOR/ INTERSECTION BEGIN/END OCCURRENCE SCRCOG PLAN MUNICIPALITY’SCONNECTIVITY POCD BIKE/PED RSA PLAN(STRAVA)SCORE LEVEL Suburban Route 1 (Boston Post Madison Entire length town-wide 7 bike crashes X X X X 4 Very High Corridor Road) Suburban Route 1 (Boston Post 15 ped crashes Milford Entire length town-wide X X X X 4 Very High Corridor Rd/ Bridgeport Ave) (1 fatal) Urban From Ridge Road to 5 ped crashes, Hamden Route 5 (State Street) X X X 3 High Corridor Cook Street 1 bike crash Urban Route 5 (South/North From Parsons Street to 4 ped crashes, Wallingford X X X 3 High Corridor Colony Road) Church Street 3 bike crashes Route 1 (West Main From western town line Branford Urban Corridor 4 ped crashes X X 2 Medium-High Street) to Short Beach Road Suburban Route 146 (Montowese From Meadow Street to Branford 3 bike crashes X X 2 Medium-High Corridor Street) Pine Orchard Road Suburban Route 1 (Boston Post 500 feet east and west Guilford 2 ped crashes X X 2 Medium-High Corridor Road) of Tanner Marsh Road Route 10 (Dixwell 500 feet north and south Hamden Urban Corridor 4 ped crashes X X 2 Medium-High Avenue) of Arch Street Route 10 (Dixwell 1000 feet north and 7 ped crashes, Hamden Urban Corridor X X 2 Medium-High Avenue) south of Church Street 2 bike crashes Suburban Route 10 (Dixwell 2 ped crashes (1 Hamden At Hillcrest Avenue X X 2 Medium-High Intersection Avenue) fatal) South Central Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan Update 7 Off-Road Priority Areas The East Coast Greenway is planned to extend through Hamden, New Haven, West Haven, and Milford. The East East Coast Greenway Coast Greenway in the SCRCOG region is made up in part by the Farmington Canal Trail, Savin Rock Trail, Wharf (Trail of Regional Significance) Nature Preserve Trail, and Silver Sands State Park Path. Both the Savin Rock Trail, and the Farmington Canal Trail are in need of full completion. Within the SCRCOG region, the Farmington Canal Trail is planned to run through New Haven and Hamden. The Farmington Canal Trail portion of the trail within New Haven that extends from the West Haven town line to the city center is still in need (Trail of Regional Significance) of completion. This segment of the trail is currently in construction. Shoreline Greenway The Shoreline Greenway Trail is planned to extend through New Haven, East Haven, Branford, Guilford, and Trail Madison. The trail is still in need of completion in the municipalities of Branford, Guilford, East Haven. (Trail