2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the Battle Creek Area Transportation Study November, 2016 601 Avenue A, Springfield, MI 49037 269/963-1158 e-mail: [email protected] web: www.bcatsmpo.org ‐ii‐ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This document partially fulfills the Federal requirements for the development of a twenty‐year long range Transportation Plan by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), in this case the Battle Creek Area Transportation Study (BCATS). This Plan was prepared under work activity 2.0428 of the Unified Work Program of BCATS. The contents of this report reflect the analysis, findings and recommendations of the BCATS planning process and do not necessarily represent programs or projects that have been approved for final funding and implementation by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), or any local road or transit agency. The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the official views or polity of the U.S. Department of Transportation. This document does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. Final funding and implementation approvals are carried out through the Transportation Improvement Program process. This Plan and document were financed by the following means: through grants from the FHWA and FTA; with funds provided by the MDOT (for its staff time); and locally with matching funds provided by the City of Battle Creek, the Calhoun County Road Department, and the City of Springfield. The BCATS 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan was formally approved by the BCATS’ Policy Committee on November 30, 2016. Battle Creek Area Transportation Study 601 Avenue A — Springfield, MI 49037 269/963‐1158 e‐mail: [email protected] website: www.bcatsmpo.org ‐iii‐ Statement of Vision 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan “The 2040 Transportation Plan for the Battle Creek Area Transportation Study is a vision of the area’s transportation system through the year 2040. The transportation improvements in the first four years (2017‐ 2020) of the Plan are considered firm commitments by the implementing agencies. This means that the improvements in the first four years will be completed unless unforeseen circumstances prevent completion. The remaining years of the Plan are a vision of how the transportation system may develop based on the existing master and zoning plans of the cities and townships in the Battle Creek Area Transportation Study area, transit development programs, and the current projections of available revenues. The transportation improvements in the later years (2021‐ 2040) represent current priorities for the future. The transportation plan is updated every four to five years and the priorities for the later years can and will change as conditions warrant.” ‐iv‐ Battle Creek Area Transportation Study Page 4 of 184 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan BATTLE CREEK AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY 2040 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN November 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments .......................................................... iii Statement of Vision ......................................................... iv Glossary of Transportation Planning Terms...................................vii–x Chapter I Executive Summary ..................................................... I‐1–16 Chapter II Introduction.............................................................II‐1–6 Chapter III Goals and Objectives .................................................... III‐1–4 Chapter IV Public Participation..................................................... IV‐1–10 Chapter V Consultation.............................................................V‐1–6 Chapter VI Intermodal Considerations ‐ Air, Rail and Trucking ............................. VI‐1–8 Chapter VII Intermodal Considerations ‐ Pedestrian and Non‐motorized .................... VII‐1–4 Chapter VIII Intermodal Considerations ‐ Transit, Taxicab, Intercity Bus, & Ridesharing ......... VIII‐1–4 Chapter IX Coordination with the State Long Range Plan & Long Range Planning.......... IX‐1–4 Chapter XSocio‐Economic Data.....................................................X‐1–6 Chapter XI Travel Demand Forecast Model (TDFM).................................... XI‐1–4 Chapter XII Transportation Deficiencies and Alternatives.............................. XII‐1–20 Chapter XIII Operational and Management Strategies.................................. XIII‐1–4 Chapter XIV Financial Plan......................................................... XIV‐1–14 Chapter XV Environmental Mitigation .............................................. XV‐1–20 Chapter XVI Recommended 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Improvements.........XVI‐1–8 Chapter XVII Air Quality Conformity................................................. XVII‐1–2 Chapter XVIII Environmental Justice Analysis..........................................XVIII‐1–8 Appendix ............................................................. A‐1–22 Committee & Staff Lists Minutes of November 30, 2016 BCATS Policy Committee meeting Plan Approval Resolution Travel Time Reliability brochure Transportation System Resilience flyer Fort Custer Training Center as Potential US Dept of Defense ‐ Missile Defense Agency ‐ Continental Interceptor Site ‐fact sheets & site maps Appendix B .......................................................................... Air Quality Technical Documentation ‐v‐ [due to size and format, Appendix B is available only as a separate document, to review at the BCATS office or by request (and copying charge), and is not available electronically at present] ‐vi‐ Battle Creek Area Transportation Study Page 6 of 184 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Glossary of Transportation Planning Terms 3‐C AGENCY ‐ The local agency or group responsible for the conduct of the Continuing, Cooperative, Comprehensive transportation planning process. AGRICULTURE/MINING (AG/MNG) ‐ An employment category comprised of workplaces related primarily to agriculture (including agricultural services such as veterinarian and landscaping services), forestry, fishing, and mining (including oil and gas extraction). ALL‐OR‐NOTHING ASSIGNMENT ‐ The process of allocating the total number of trips between each pair of traffic analysis zones (TAZ) to the path or route with the minimum traveltime. ANALYSIS AREA ‐ Any geographic area such as a TAZ or group of TAZs combined for the purpose of making an analysis. ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (AADT) ‐ The total number of vehicles passing a given location on a roadway over the course of one year, divided by 365 (days in the year). Requires permanent traffic recorder to measure annual total. ARTERIAL ‐ Class of street serving major movement of traffic not served by freeways. ASSIGNMENT ‐ See traffic assignment. ATTRACTION ‐ The pull or attracting power of a traffic analysis zone. For non‐home based trips, attractions in a TAZ can be considered synonymous with trip destinations in that TAZ. AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (ADT) ‐ The average number of vehicles passing a specified point during a 24‐hour period, calculated from an approximation of AADT based on a limited number of 24‐hour counts, adjusted for known variation in levels of travel by month of year and day of week. AVERAGE VEHICLES/DWELLING UNIT ‐ A socio‐economic variable input to determining trip generation. A "surrogate" variable for household income, which relates directly to the number of vehicles available and consequently to the number of trips per day by household members. BASE YEAR ‐ The year selected to which the major portion of data is related. BCATS ‐ Battle Creek Area Transportation Study BLOCKS ‐ The smallest Census Geographic area used as basic tabulation units in urbanized areas with populations of 10,000 or more. CALIBRATION ‐ The procedure used to adjust travel models to simulate base year travel. CAPACITY RESTRAINT ‐ The process by which the assigned volume on a link is compared with the practical capacity of that link and the speed of the link adjusted to reflect the relationship between speed, volume, and capacity. The procedure is iterative until a realistic balance is achieved. CAPACITY ‐ The maximum number of vehicles that can pass over a given section of a lane or roadway in one direction (or in both directions for a two‐lane or three‐ lane highway) during a given time period under prevailing roadway and traffic conditions. It is the maximum rate of flow that has a reasonable expectation of occurring. The terms "capacity" and "possible capacity" are synonymous. In the absence of a time modifier, capacity is an hourly volume. The capacity would not normally be exceeded without changing one or more of the conditions that prevail. In expressing capacity, it is essential to state the prevailing roadway and traffic condition under which the capacity is applicable. Refer to the revised edition of the "Highway Capacity Manual" for more detail. CBC ‐ City of Battle Creek CCRD ‐ Calhoun County Road Department, a department under the governing body of Calhoun County, Michigan CENSUS TRACT ‐ Small areas into which large cities and adjacent areas are divided for the purpose of providing comparable small area population and housing census tabulations. CENSUS TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PACKAGE (CTPP) ‐ Results of appropriate data items from the 1990 Census tabulated at the TAZ level by the Census Bureau for transportation planning applications. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD) ‐ Usually the downtown retail trade area