SESSION 2.3 Pedestrian Bridges in the Rochester, Genesee Valley & Western Finger Lakes Region Steve Beauvais NYSDOT – Region 4 Regional Transportation Enhancements Program Coordinator 1530 Jefferson Road Rochester, NY 14623 (585)272-3466 [email protected] Synopsis: This presentation will provide an overview of a variety of pedestrian bridge projects that have been rehabilitated using federal, state and local funding in the Rochester-Genesee Valley- Western Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Rehabilitation and re-use of existing railroad bridges, railroad bridge foundations and canal-related structures such as waste weirs and stone culverts preserves historic transportation corridors. The use of public tax dollars for the development of non-motorized transportation facilities is supported by the public, the Federal Highway Administration, the New York State Department of Transportation and local governments. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities have the advantages of being environmentally clean and help to promote a healthy lifestyle. About the Presenter: Steve Beauvais is a graduate of the University of Colorado - Boulder’s College of Geography. He has worked for 21 years at NYSDOT in project planning & development, project management and as a Local Project Liaison for the past 11 years. Steve has worked on about forty locally administered federal aid projects involving 135 miles of multi-use trails, pedestrian facilities along streets, local highway projects, ferry terminal facilities and port access improvements, a scenic overlook, a canal lock rehabilitation project, a canal guard gate rehabilitation and canal bridge rehabilitation projects. PedestrianPedestrian BridgesBridges inin thethe Rochester,Rochester, GeneseeGenesee ValleyValley && WesternWestern FingerFinger LakesLakes RegionRegion • Local, Regional & State Multi-Use Trails developed mostly with Federal Transportation Funds, State and Local matching funds. • Steve Beauvais, Region 4 Transportation Enhancements Program Coordinator ReuseReuse ofof AbandonedAbandoned RailroadRailroad BridgesBridges • The abandoned Lehigh Valley Railroad freight mainline corridor was purchased by Monroe County in 1979. • It has six existing railroad bridges – two steel trusses and four steel girder structures that have recently been rehabilitated and converted to pedestrian bridges. Lehigh Valley Trail/Genesee River looking west Lehigh Valley Trail/Genesee River Westbound Approach Lehigh Valley Trail/Genesee River Eastbound Approach Lehigh Valley Trail/Honeoye Creek Lehigh Valley Trail/Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad Lehigh Valley Trail/River Oxbow & LA&L RR Lehigh Valley Trail grading of the former railroad bed Lehigh Valley Trail Surface Improvements – Stone Dust ReuseReuse ofof AbandonedAbandoned RailroadRailroad BridgesBridges (continued)(continued) • The Genesee Valley Greenway reused a former Pennsylvania Railroad bridge in the Village of Scottsville as shown in the next slide. Genesee Valley Greenway/Oatka Creek ReuseReuse ofof AbandonedAbandoned RailroadRailroad BridgeBridge FoundationsFoundations • The Genesee Valley Greenway – an 80 mile long trail of regional significance (currently under development) has placed pre-fabricated weathering steel pedestrian bridges on former RR bridge abutments. Genesee Valley Greenway/Beards Creek Close-Up of Greenway Bridge Deck Genesee Valley Greenway/Oxbow of Beards Creek Genesee Valley Greenway – Tracy’s Basin Culvert GeneseeGenesee ValleyValley GreenwayGreenway CulvertsCulverts • The State Historic Preservation Office has determined that the former Genesee Canal (mid-1800s) and the Pennsylvania Railroad facilities are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. • The Genesee Valley Greenway has several large stone arch culverts in varying stages of deterioration. Stone Arch Culvert – downstream view Stone Arch Culvert – upstream view Former Genesee Canal Aqueduct over Black Creek ErieErie CanalwayCanalway TrailTrail StructuresStructures • What follows are images of canal weir gates and other structures that have been rehabilitated to carry Canalway Trail traffic. Canalway Trail Bridge/Weir Gate, Brockport Canalway Trail/Weir Gate, Spencerport Erie Canalway Trail/Ganargua Creek Canalway Trail/Ganargua Creek AldrichA Change Bridge built 1858 – looking west l d Future Canalway Trail Pedestrian Bridge Foundation Edgett Street Bridge/Canal, Village of Newark, Wayne County Boardwalk Connection to the Genesee Valley Greenway OntarioOntario PathwaysPathways • Ontario Pathways is a Not-for-Profit Trails Group that has converted abandoned RR bridges to pedestrian bridges with private donations and volunteer efforts. To date, no public funds have been used for Ontario Pathways trail development work. Ontario Pathways/Flint Creek, Stanley, NY Volunteer Ontario Pathways Bridge Builders Lehigh Valley Trail/Branch of Red Creek Lehigh Valley Trail in the Town of Henrietta Small pedestrian bridge with open steel deck LessonsLessons LearnedLearned FromFrom NYSDOTNYSDOT RegionRegion 4’s4’s AdministrationAdministration ofof thethe TransportationTransportation EnhancementsEnhancements ProgramProgram TEPTEP InnovationsInnovations • The Transportation Enhancements Program allows for Force Account Construction where Local Sponsors can demonstrate it is in the public’s interest. • TEP also offers Local Sponsors other Innovative Financing options to meet your local matching fund requirements. Check with your NYSDOT Regional TEP Coordinator for more information. EarlyEarly ProjectProject CostCost EstimatesEstimates • Because NYSDOT policy “caps” the federal share at the funding application approval stage, the project funding application’s cost estimate is crucial to each local project sponsor. CostCost EstimatesEstimates (cont.)(cont.) • Planning & Design Professionals can help local sponsors with providing accurate funding application project cost estimates. We suggest local project sponsors include a large contingency factor (ex. 25%) in their project planning level cost estimates. ExtensiveExtensive ProjectProject RequirementsRequirements • Local Project Sponsors need to know up front about how federal requirements will impact project scope, schedule and cost. • NYSDOT Regional Local Project Liaisons are here to help you with learning these requirements. ProjectProject CostCost IncreasesIncreases • Inflation of project costs has occurred over the typical multi-year project implementation process. The recent doubling of steel prices is an example of a cost increase that local project sponsors didn’t anticipate. With fixed federal funds this often creates major problems. CostCost IncreasesIncreases (continued)(continued) • Local project sponsors should figure that preliminary engineering and environmental study costs will be between 15-25% of their project’s construction costs depending on the size/cost and complexity of their project. CostCost EstimatingEstimating • Property Acquisition Costs when applicable are significant due to federal requirements. • We estimate a cost of about $5,000 per Right-of-Way Map plus the actual cost of the property..