US 11/78 CORRIDOR STUDY BIRMINGHAM, AL EXISTING CONDITIONS REPORT FEBRUARY 2014 US 11/US 78 East Corridor Study Existing Conditions Report TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... I LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ III LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... VI 1 CORRIDOR PROBLEMS AND EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES ................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 CORRIDOR PROBLEMS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 2 US 11 – US 78 CORRIDOR ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 SUBAREAS ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 PLANNING FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 2.3 CORRIDOR DEMOGRAPHICS ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 EMPLOYMENT ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 2.5 NATURAL/CULTURAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 27 2.6 LAND USE .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29 3 TRANSIT EXISTING CONDITIONS ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 3.1 TRANSIT SERVICES IN JEFFERSON COUNTY ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 43 3.2 TRANSIT SYSTEM PEER COMPARISON........................................................................................................................................................................................... 47 3.3 STATUS OF TRANSIT PLANNING ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 50 3.4 US 11/US 78 TRANSIT SERVICES ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 4 TRAFFIC EXISTING CONDITIONS ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 4.1 ROADWAY NETWORK ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 57 4.2 TRAFFIC DATA AND ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 4.3 TRAVEL OBSERVATIONS............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 82 4.4 TRAFFIC SAFETY ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 88 4.5 POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF COMPLETE STREETS ........................................................................................................................................................................... 88 4.6 PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE PLANNING ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 91 4.7 TRUCK TRAFFIC ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 93 4.8 AIRPORT CONNECTIVITY ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 95 i US 11/US 78 East Corridor Study Existing Conditions Report 4.9 RAIL NETWORK ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 95 4.10 PARKING ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 98 5 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ............................................................................................................................................................................ 99 5.1 CLOSE-IN US 11 EAST CORRIDOR STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................................................................... 100 5.2 STRENGTHS .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 104 5.3 WEAKNESSES ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 105 5.4 OPPORTUNITIES ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 106 APPENDIX I - SUBAREA CHARACTER ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 107 DOWNTOWN .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 107 UAB / FIVE POINTS SOUTH ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 108 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 109 AIRPORT .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 110 CRESTWOOD/AVONDALE .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 111 WOODLAWN ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................