Subarea Mobility Enhancements. 5.1 Transit and Pedestrian Improvements

Transcription

1 Section Five

2 Section 5: Subarea Mobility Enhancements 5.1 Transit and Pedestrian Improvements From the outset of the master planning process, one of the primary goals was to integrate transit and pedestrian-oriented improvements into the design of Central Plantation. Transit and pedestrian-oriented improvements include various elements that may be eligible for reimbursement by the Federal Transit Administration through its Livable Communities Initiative (LCI) Program. Eligible elements include, but are not limited to, the following: Sidewalks Lighting Street Furniture (Benches, Trash Receptacles, etc.) Transit Stops/Shelters Utility Relocation Landscaping/Irrigation Pocket Parks Public Art The public visioning workshop and design charrette reinforced these goals by identifying the following transit and pedestrian-oriented concepts as important: Provide alternative transit within the District ranging from low speed vehicles (golf carts) to trolleys to high tech vehicles; Provide mobility connections within the District without the use of the automobile; Provide pedestrian-oriented development; and Promote a transit connection to the expected future premium service along I-595 with a station connection from within the District. The need to incorporate transit and pedestrian-oriented improvements into the Master Plan is seen as twofold: An improved and integrated mobility system encompassing all modes of transportation helps create a viable, 24/7 downtown within Central Plantation, achieving objectives identified by stakeholders; The ability of the District and stakeholders to leverage additional federal dollars to support related transit/pedestrian infrastructure improvements through the Federal Transit Administration s (FTA) LCI is important to the project s ultimate success. To enhance and improve the existing mobility and transit environment, a multi-modal transportation approach is planned including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs, local transit, and regional transit. The local component of the transit element involves a circulator system within the District. The regional transit component plans for premium (high capacity, light rail or bus rapid transit) system routed along Interstate 595 (I-595)

3 The implementation of the planned local transit service will be coordinated with the development of the improved internal roadway/route structure and transit oriented development, connections to premium regional transit systems, and ridership. It is also anticipated that with these factors in play, the funding resources necessary to implement the transit facilities and services will be borne primarily by applicable grant agencies. There are three planning phases for local transit: The Transit Demonstration Project Phase I ( ), Transit Plan Phase II ( ), and Transit Plan Phase III ( ). Phase I includes transit infrastructure improvements and a special demonstration project that will serve to (1) provide local transit connection between the West Transit Terminal, the regional library, the Fashion Mall, the Broward County Office and Broward Mall, among others, and (2) assess the viability of the local circulator through ridership. Phasing the transit plans will enable the City to participate in future transit grant opportunities. A coordinated and cooperative effort between the City and development community will produce the necessary roadway improvements for the transit routes, increased economic development that will generate increased transit ridership and the active requirement for funding by the applicable grant agencies. These Transit Plans are geared towards achieving the pedestrian and transit-oriented improvements articulated by the stakeholders by physically linking key activity centers within Central Plantation. These links will help to provide greater mobility options for employees, existing and future residents, visitors and retail patrons; thereby, achieving the objectives of reduced auto travel, increased pedestrian/transit orientation, increased green space, increased economic development, and improved quality of life. 5.2 Vehicle Technology There are various types of transit vehicles and technologies that can be considered by the City and transit agencies for the local circulator system. Many of these vehicles involve emerging designs and technologies but most deal with proven capabilities such as theme designs, alternate fuels, and readily available chassis and power plants. The actual selection of a vehicle and technology for the local circulator will be made based upon more specific evaluation at the time of the planned implementation. Traditional Rubber Tire Typical vehicle costs: $150,000 to $360,000 per vehicle Typical operating costs: $50 per hour per vehicle O & M Positive and negative characteristics: Easy and fairly inexpensive to implement Responds to winding roadway patterns Variety of vehicle styles, configurations and fuel choices Flexible for route changes Ease of maintenance Rider not encouraged by vehicle design -147-

4 Modified Rubber Tire Typical vehicle costs: $ 390,000 to $ 600,000 (Non-Guideway) Typical vehicle costs: $1.0M to $1.2M per vehicle (Guideway) Typical operating costs: $50 per hour per vehicle O & M Positive and negative characteristics: Technology is innovative and attractive. Vehicle choices are expanding. Uses concrete pathways or shares the roadway with motorists systems are flexible. Can be given signal priorities/preemptions. Vehicles use clean fuel technologies. New technology may need time for testing and adjustments. Modern Streetcar Typical vehicle costs: $600,000 to $2.0M per vehicle Typical operating costs: $50 per hour per vehicle O & M and $14M to $30M per mile rail Small and pedestrian friendly. Conducive to pedestrian and high-density environments. Enables future investment in land use while depending upon fixed alternative travel modes. Expensive start up costs for rail and vehicles. Potentially noisy vehicle operations. Fixed rail complicates route revisions. The preferred initial vehicle type for the local circulator in the Near Term Phase (especially for the demonstration project) is a non-guideway rubber tire vehicle. The unique attributes of the preferred vehicle type and technology for the local circulator should include: Seating Capacity The optimal capacity that supports the expected demand and provides efficient service while resulting in a manageable vehicle size is approximately 25 to 30 seats/vehicles, although future demand may call for vehicles over 30 seats/vehicle. Cost The overall costs associated with purchasing, maintaining and operating the transit technology. Environmental Benefits Technologies that reduce air pollution and fuel consumption provide cost and environmental benefits. Electric powered or hybrid vehicles provide for low or no air pollutant emission

5 Comfort and Ease of Use Ease of boarding and circulation or vehicle smoothness of operation, low step boarding, wide entrances and seating dimensions, and capability of providing rider protection from the elements (heat, rain) are positive characteristics. Economic Development & Visibility This characteristic describes the extent to which economic development opportunities will be enhanced by efficient technology, high visibility, and interesting and enjoyable vehicles. Operating Characteristics Ability to change lanes easily, accelerate rapidly, and brake quickly required in mixed traffic, urban environments. Circulation and Distribution Capability Designed for short trip shuttle service in an urbanized area without requiring special guide way facilities. Transit Stop Locations Designed to serve stops located within ¼ mile of each other. Reliability Technology that has an acceptable history of providing reliable service in several urban settings. Roadway Impacts Technology minimizes the need to alter the roadway, acquire property, and or change the use of property. Aesthetics/Attractiveness The physical design of the vehicle types should enhance the service area. Also, the vehicle design should be attractive for both users and non-users. 5.3 Transit Demonstration Project Phase I -- ( ) and Transit Plan Phase II ( ) The scope of services for the Central Plantation Master Plan requires that the project team evaluate the level and type of public transportation the concept plan can realistically support. Properly evaluating how much, what type, and where transit is justified is important because the existence of transit can provide the justification for many infrastructure and streetscape improvements, which can help to create an environment necessary to sustain a viable, 24/7 downtown. In Central Plantation, the existing distribution of land uses and the extensive distances between major trip generators and an ample parking supply combined with a discontinuous street network pose severe problems for transit service (and transit service planning). Consequently, the project team designed and evaluated several alternate transit route alignments in order to determine how to maximize transit service in the project area. Phase I and II: The Near Term Transit Phase is intended to serve two main objectives. The first is to demonstrate the demand and technology for a local transit circulator within Central Plantation through the development and implementation of a special demonstration project. The second is to expand upon the demonstration project with an overall local transit circulator system in preparation of connections to a premium regional transit system. Exhibit 47 presents the general layouts of the demonstration and the Near Term prime transit circulator routes within Central Plantation. The planned routes and transit stops provide efficient and timely service for commuter and patron users. The routes include stops that connect the largest employers and businesses in the District with vital connections to regional transit linkages and the emerging sub-districts

6 5.4 Transit Plan Phase III-- ( ) Phase III: The Long Term Phase serves two primary purposes. The first is to expand upon the Near Term Transit circulation area. The second is to connect the local circulator transit system with the premium eastwest regional transit service that will potentially have connections at Interstate 595 (I-595). The expansion of the Near Term Phase includes two proposed routes: Route A, which travels north and south from American Express to the I-595 transit center and Route B, which travels north and south from the Broward Boulevard Intermodal transit Connector to the I-595 Regional Transit Center via Broward Mall and the Fountains. Both routes are a two-way service. Exhibit 48 presents the general layouts of Routes A and B for the Long Term prime transit circulator routes within Central Plantation. A summary of the near term and long term transit service characteristics and costs are provided in Table

7 N:\tranplan\projects\2002\16943\Graphics\Revised Near Term Transit Phase ( ) Exhibit 47 KEITH and SCHNARS, P.A. ENGINEERS, PLANNERS, SURVEYORS Rev. 3/10/03

8 Table 5-1 Near and Long Term Transit Operations Estimates Element Demonstration Project (2005) Near Term Phase ( ) Long Term Phase ( ) Total Number of vehicles (1) Average Unit Capital Cost $420,000/veh $420,000/veh. $420,000/veh. Total Capital Cost (2) $1.26M [$630K local/$630k grants] 3 vehicles $1.26M [$630K local/$630k grants] 3 additional vehicles $1.26M [$630K local/$630k grants] 3 additional vehicles 2-Way Route Length (Miles) Headway (Minutes) Operating Period 6 AM 7 PM 6 AM 7 PM 6 AM 11 PM Daily Passengers (Min. Max.) ,140 Annual Passengers (Min. Max.) (4) Annual Operating Costs O & M (20%Local/80% Grants) 101, , , , , ,300 $571,000 $1,142,000 $1,713,000 $114,200/$456,800 $228,400/$913,600 $342,600/$1,370,400 NOTES: All dollar values are represented in constant 2002 values. The number of vehicles does not include replacement costs. (1) Includes one spare vehicle for each phase. (2) Assumes 50% - 50% local/state other share. (3) Based on 253 operating days

9 N:\tranplan\projects\2002\16943\Graphics\Revised Long Term Transit Phase ( ) Exhibit 48 KEITH and SCHNARS, P.A. ENGINEERS, PLANNERS, SURVEYORS Rev. 3/10/03

10 5.5 Long-Term 2025 Transit Analysis Estimating transit ridership in 2025 is difficult because of uncertainty about key variables that dictate current behavior. Continued low-density suburban development, freeway construction, energy availability and cost, the number of workers telecommuting and the number of days in the workweek, all have a significant impact on transit ridership independently. Two or more of these variables together can at times have an immeasurable impact on transit ridership, especially when looking 20 years into the future Local Circulator Ridership and Costs Regardless of these variables, the Near Term Transit recommendations are important now and should be continued into the future. Some modifications will be necessary depending on the sequence of future development and the role of the existing transit terminal in Broward County Transit s future plans. Ridership on these routes will likely increase in proportion to the increase in daily trips. According to the projected increases in land uses for Central Plantation through the year 2025, a realistic resultant increase in daily transit trips is approximately 32%. Applying an increase of approximately 32% to the previously presented ridership estimates would result in a daily ridership estimate of between 570 and 1,330 daily trips on the circulators Ridership with the Premium East-West Regional Transit Service Along with the anticipated growth and trip-making activity in Central Plantation, the provision of express premium east-west regional transit service and a possible station along I-595 at or near the southern end of the District will significantly accelerate development patterns and the transit service to support it. This possible future transit service may also impact the role and even the location of the current transit terminal and would require a linkage to the project area s biggest buildings, requiring a minimum of 12 hours of transit service. Employment in Central Plantation currently exceeds 20,000 employees. With the proposed Master Plan and with the implementation of express premium regional transit service along I-595, District employees could increase by 30%. Many of the District employers are large corporate offices (e.g. American Express, Kemper). This employer profile is conducive to encouraging employee transit use and TDM programs. A transit link to a possible premium transit service operating adjacent to I-595 can be characterized as an express circulator service shuttling transit arrivals from the station at I-595 to the major buildings in Central Plantation. Two examples of such routing are presented as Prime Transit Circulators A and B (see Exhibit 48). Both of these routes would run concurrently. Because the proposed land uses contained within the Conceptual Master Plan generally maintain the lowdensity, urban fabric that exists within Central Plantation in the Near Term, the opportunities for transit, and by extension, funding through the implementation of transit are limited in the short term. Transit usage will play a minor role in Central Plantation until such time as transit access to a regional system via I-595 attracts a significant ridership. Consequently, only a limited portion of the project area could be deemed eligible for federal funding reimbursements at this time. Regardless, the portions of the Conceptual Master Plan and the routes proposed that could be eligible for federal funding reimbursements, as well as other funding opportunities, should be explored

11 5.6 Funding Opportunities Through the development of the, the City of Plantation and the District has begun to create the necessary framework to achieve the primary objective identified at the outset of the planning process the creation of a viable, 24/7 downtown in Central Plantation. In order to implement the Plan successfully, however, the Plan will depend upon (1) the ability of the City to identify and secure adequate financial resources and (2) public/private cooperation over time. Implementation From the beginning of the project and in its review of the initial Conceptual Master Plan, the FTA s Livable Communities Initiative was identified as a primary potential financial resource that could be utilized to support the development of pedestrian/transit infrastructure in Central Plantation. As the Conceptual Master Plan continues to develop, the District should consider the following implementation measures in order to capitalize on all the opportunities the LCI program provides: 1. LIVABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE (LCI) The pursuit of designation by the Federal Transit Administration for a portion of the Plan as a Livable Communities Initiative transportation corridor project will enable the City of Plantation to maximize federal support for pedestrian/transit infrastructure along the portions of the Plan that are eligible. 2. LETTER OF NO PREJUDICE (LONP) After the City of Plantation identifies infrastructure expenditures, land acquisition, District assessments and/or community redevelopment projects which improve access to transit, the City should pursue a LONP that covers all eligible, future pedestrian/transit related improvements, which will enable the City to utilize local funding commitments to implement improvements while preserving the opportunity to use the value of local support to leverage future federal funding. 3. CAPTURE LOCAL VALUE The City of Plantation should identify existing and future components of local value which might be captured to help leverage future federal funding such as land, rights of way, leases for real property upon which future transit components of the plan may be developed, such as transit stations, parking/transit terminals, etc. 4. FEDERAL JOINT DEVELOPMENT PROVISIONS Alternatives developed for the Central Plantation Conceptual Master Plan emphasize residential and business development in greater densities than currently exist, combined with other mixed uses. This orientation provides the opportunity to eliminate acres of surface parking in exchange for structured parking, which may provide shared use opportunities linked with transit through a terminal. The creation of a transit terminal/parking structure enables the development of joint use space for uses compatible with transit access such as day care, banking, community meeting rooms, etc. In addition to maximizing funding opportunities through LCI provisions, the City of Plantation should also pursue the local programming of funding derived through the Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program within the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the Broward County area. These funding resources could be secured through the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) process to be used to support certain aspects of the Central Plantation improvement program. Other federal funding that can be pursued by the City of Plantation to support up to eighty percent of the cost of acquiring transit equipment, facilities, or pedestrian related improvements, are as follows: -155-

12 TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNITY AND SYSTEMS PRESERVATION (TCSP) The City of Plantation is currently seeking a TCSP earmark through the FY 2003 Congressional appropriations process, which can be utilized to support all transit related activities, including LCI-related components. FTA SECTION 5309 (BUS) This is funding available through annual appropriations by Congress for the support of all transit related activities, including LCI components. Broward County is a designated recipient of these funds. STATEWIDE TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (STEP) Pursuant to the TEA-21 and most certainly to be continued through any reauthorization, will be the availability through the FDOT of STEP funding for enhancements to the mobility system. STEP funding can be utilized for enhancements related to better pedestrian mobility access. TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (TEA-21) Recognition through congressional reauthorization, which will occur beginning in January 2004, establishes projects as a funding priority for the life through the authorization period. INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (ITS) This program supports the acquisition, implementation, and/or construction of technology required to facilitate an efficient and effective mobility system oriented toward communications and information. The City should consider ITS alternatives to support multimodal transit access. Systems are available to identify in real time the availability and scheduling of transit vehicles through transportation information centers strategically placed through the District. FEDERAL JOB ACCESS PROGRAM Many transit entities have benefited from the availability of federal Job Access funding, which pays 50 percent of the additional operating cost that is oriented toward public transit access for employees. To the extent that future mobility for Central Plantation will facilitate Job Access, this funding source should be considered. Public Private Partnerships Support for any future federal investment and equipment, facilities, and pedestrian infrastructure integrated as part of the would require a commitment by major employers and the City of Plantation to the fundamental principles that underscore the creation of a pedestrian/transportation environment as follows: Major employers should take an active role in subsidizing employee use of public transportation and to use carpooling/vanpooling to eliminate single occupant automobile vehicle miles traveled; Major employers should consider creation of a Transportation Management Association (TMA) through the Public Improvement District (PID), which will open up other avenues of financial support for an on-going dedicated administrative presence to facilitate pedestrian/transit objectives; The City of Plantation should consider a reduction of surface parking in exchange for structured transit oriented parking to enable more effective land use and the opportunity for federal funding to support existing/future parking requirements