Chapter 5 - Bicycle

CHAPTER 5 BICYCLE INTRODUCTION This chapter summarizes existing and future facility need for bicycles that serve the University of Washington. The following sections outline the existing conditions for bicycle use, existing deficiencies and future needs for bicycles in the area and a recommended bicycle plan to address these deficiencies and needs. EXISTING CONDITIONS Bicycles destined to or from the University of Washington are primarily served by one off-street path (the Burke-Gilman Trail) and the surrounding street system. There are a few on-street bike lanes; however, most streets are mixed flow. The Burke-Gilman trail is an off-street path (approximately 10-12 feet wide) which runs along the east side of the campus from north to south, then turns westward and runs along the southern part of campus. It links areas north of Sand Point and areas west of campus toward the Fremont area. The existing on-street bike lanes are located primarily in the southwest area of campus96. Figure 5-1 shows the existing bike facilities around the University of Washington and Table 5-1 indicates the functional classification by jurisdiction for key routes in the area97. The campus contains approximately 760 bicycle racks with a total storage capacity for approximately 6,200 bicycles (about 34 percent of these racks are under cover)98. In addition to these racks, the University of Washington also provides 362 lockers for bicycles on campus99. These lockers are available to rent from the University and protect a bicycle from theft and inclement weather. Use of bicycles on campus is encouraged through the convenient placement of these facilities (particularly near the Burke-Gilman Trail). 96 97 Existing bicycle facilities were verified through field visits to the University of Washington in January 2000. Functional classification for the City of Seattle was verified through their website at: http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/td/bg_u_mont.asp Functional classification by King County verified on their website at: http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/tp/bike/bikemap.htm#biketrails Functional classification by the University of Washington was verified through their 1999-2000 U-PASS Bicycling Guide pages 6-7. 98 Data taken from the University of Washington Bicycle Rack Utilization Study, June 2000. 99 Information provided in the 1999-2000 U-PASS Bicycle Guide page 3. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-1 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 NE 59th Street Co we nP lac e Rave nna B ouleva rd 8th Avenue NE 58t h Street NE 58th Street NE 57th Street NE 56th Street NE 56th Street NE 55th Street ce Pla na ven Ra NE Roosevelt Way University Ave Ravenna Avenue NE NE 52nd Street Brooklyn Ave 7th Avenue 8th Avenue 9th Avenue 12th Avenue 15th Avenue 16th Avenue 17th Avenue 18th Avenue 19th Avenue 11th Avenue 20st Avenue 21st Avenue rail nT ma -Gil rke Bu NE 50th Street NE 50th Street e Plac 22nd 25th Avenue NE Union Bay Pl. NE NE 47th Street 21st Place 9th Avenue NE 45th Street 15th Avenue NE 45th Street NE th 45 Pla ce ry Ma tes Ga Memorial Way 8th Avenue Dr. orial Mem NE 43rd NE 43rd Street Street University Ave lla Wa lla Wa . Rd 7th Avenue NE 42nd Street Brooklyn Ave NE 41st Street Sk ag it Pend NE 42nd Street Oreill e y Wa ns ve Ste Rd. akum Wahki e Lan NE Campus Parkway NE Campus Parkway NE 40th Street Bur ke-G ilman NE Northlake Way Tr ail NE Pacific Street 1 5th Ave nue NE Bo at S tre et University Ave Brooklyn Ave a NE P P cifc e lac Co lum bia Ro ad NE P ac ific Str ee t LEGEND Existing - Bike Lanes - Multi-use Trails (Bike and Ped.) - Shared Use Roadway (Bike and Motor Vehicle) - Direction of Travel Burke-Gilm an Trail Montla ke Boule vard NE DKS Associates Table 5-1 - Bicycle Functional Classification by Jurisdiction Roadway Burke-Gilman Trail Montlake Boulevard Brooklyn Avenue University Bridge Eastlake Avenue (south of University Bridge) Montlake bike path 17th Avenue 20th Avenue Boat Street Stevens Way 40th Street (lower) 40th Street (upper) 40th Street (east of Eastlake) King County100 Paved regional trail Moderate traffic street without wide curb lane or shoulder Low traffic street with wide curb lane or paved shoulder On-street bicycle lane Low traffic street with wide curb lane or paved shoulder City of Seattle101 Bicycle Trail Arterial street commonly used by bicycles Bicycle lane Arterial street commonly used by bicycles Bike Trail Residential Street commonly used by bicycles Arterial Street commonly used by bicycles Bicycle Lane Arterial Street commonly used by bicycles Bicycle lane (east of Brooklyn Ave) Arterial Street commonly used by bicycles (west of Brooklyn Ave) University of Washington102 Bike Path Street commonly used by bicycles Designated Bike Lanes Street commonly used by bicycles Street commonly used by bicycles Street commonly used by bicycles Street commonly used by bicycles As Figure 5-1 indicates, there are multiple off-street multi-use paths leading to campus. These paths range in width from six to ten feet and are either paved or unpaved. The unpaved paths typically collect standing water during inclement weather. Barriers such as Montlake Boulevard and steep grades make access from some directions (from east) difficult by bicycle. Heavy vehicular traffic and non-existent bike facilities impede access through the Montlake Bridge corridor. 100 Functional classification taken from the King County Department of Transportation. Functional classification maps can be found on-line at: http://www.metrokc.gov/kcdot/tp/bike/bikemap.htm 101 Functional classification taken from the City of Seattle Comprehensive Plan, Adopted July 25, 1994, Figure 5. 102 Functional classification taken from the 1999-2000 U-PASS Bicycling Guide, pages 6 and 7. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-3 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates A “dismount zone” has been designated on campus to help reduce conflicts between bicycles and pedestrians during class breaks. This area is located along Spokane Lane (from Kane Hall to Suzzallo Library) and generally bounded by Suzallo Library/Allen Library to the west, the Student Union Building (HUB) to the east, Seig Hall to the south and Thompson Hall to the north103. There is also a “sidewalk zone” established along Stevens Way which does not permit riding of bicycles on the sidewalk during class breaks. There are currently no bike lanes accessing the campus from the north. The following list summarizes the bicycle lanes located on or near campus: ä ä ä ä ä 40th Avenue (east of Brooklyn Avenue to just west of the University Bridge) Pacific Street (between the University Bridge and Brooklyn Avenue) University Bridge Boat Street east of Brooklyn Avenue to Columbia Road Brooklyn Avenue south of 40th Street The University of Washington also promotes bicycle use through the U-PASS program by offering merchant discounts at various other bicycle shops in the area. In addition, the placement of bicycle racks and lockers around campus help promote the use of bicycling to campus by offering secure and dry storage of a commuter’s bicycle. Survey Data The University of Washington conducts a biennial U-PASS survey that helps estimate the mode choice by users to and from the campus based on statistical sampling methodology104. The most recent survey data indicated that on average, 6% of the students, faculty and staff use bicycles to commute to and from campus in 1998105. This indicates a slight reduction in use of bicycles from 1994 and 1996 where the number of users was 10% (1994) and 8% (1996)106. The survey also explored reasons as to why students, faculty and staff do not commute to campus by bicycle. The largest reason as to why the campus population does not bike to campus is that the distance is too far (37% of respondents). The second highest reason was that the person did not have a bicycle available for commuting (31% of respondents). Multiple other responses were given ranging from the fact that walking is a more convenient commute due to how close the person lived to the fact that bicycling to campus was perceived as too dangerous. All of these other individual responses were less than 10% a piece. The survey also indicates a high number of potential bicycle users. The survey showed that onequarter of the University of Washington population (faculty, staff and students) had at some point used a bicycle to commute to campus. In fact, the number of faculty and staff that had 103 104 Information provided in the 1999-2000 U-PASS Bicycle Guide pages 13-14. Please see the technical appendix of the U-PASS Telephone Survey 1998 conducted by the Gilmore Research Group prepared for the King County Department of Transportation and the University of Washington for a detailed explanation of the survey methodology with a +/- 4% margin of error. 105 Information provided in The U-PASS Telephone Survey 1998 prepared for the King County Department of Transportation and the University of Washington, June 1999, pg. 11. 106 Information provided in The U-PASS Telephone Survey 1998 prepared for the King County Department of Transportation and the University of Washington, June 1999, pg. 11. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-4 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates commuted to campus by bike has risen over the past few years, while student use has fallen. Figure 5-2 shows surveyed use of bikes by students, faculty and staff for 1996 and 1998 (relating to whether they had used a bicycle to commute to campus this year). Figure 5-2 – Historic Use of Bike to Commute to Campus by Students, Faculty and Staff Use of Bike to Commute at Some Time to/from Campus 40% 35% Percent of Use 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Students Faculty User Group Staff 1996 1998 Figure 5-2 shows that over the past few years, the potential to use a bicycle to commute by faculty has grown from 27% to 34% and use by staff from 19% to 24%. However, the potential to use a bicycle to commute by students has dropped from 30% to 24%. This indicates that on average, there are still 75% of students, faculty and/or staff that have never commuted to campus by bike107. Existing Count Data Existing bicycle count data was collected around the University of Washington to determine the number of bicycle users entering and leaving campus during the AM and PM peak periods108. The locations selected for counts created a border around the University to help capture the total amount of bicycle users entering or leaving campus. A series of peak hour volume counts by direction were also conducted along the Burke-Gilman trail109. These counts were aimed at helping determine the highest used points along the BurkeGilman trial and how these points corresponded to access points for the University of Washington. Figure 5-3 summarizes the count data along the Burke-Gilman trail during these peak conditions. 107 Information provided in The U-PASS Telephone Survey 1998 prepared for the King County Department of Transportation and the University of Washington, June 1999, pg. 19. 108 Bicycle counts were performed in October 1999 and were only conducted on days where the weather was not inclement. Based on full time period counts at three locations (17th Avenue entering campus, the middle pedestrian bridge across Montlake Boulevard to campus from the south end of the E1 parking lot, and at the intersection of 15th Avenue/NE Pacific Street from 7:00 AM through 6:00 PM) peak times of the day were determined to be between 7 AM and 9AM for the morning and between 3 PM and 6 PM for the evening. 109 Bicycle counts were performed in October 1999 and were only conducted on days where the weather was not inclement. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-5 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates Figure 5-3 – AM and PM Peak Hour Directional Volume Counts on Burke-Gilman Trail Peak Hour Bicycle Volumes Along Burke-Gilman Trail 250 AM Peak Eastbound/Northbound AM Peak Westbound/Southbound 200 PM Peak Eastbound/Northbound PM Peak Westbound/Southbound Volume 150 100 50 0 West of University Bridge West of 15th Avenue West pedestrian bridge across Pacific Streeet East pedestrian bridge across Pacific Streeet South pedestrian bridge across Montlake Blvd. Middle pedestrian bridge across Montlake Blvd. North pedestrian bridge across Montlake Blvd. North of 45th Street Location Movements along the Burke-Gilman trail during the AM peak show a higher use on the east and north ends of the trail near campus while the PM peak shows a higher use in the middle (near Rainier Vista). This is consistent with the higher bicycle movement along 40th Avenue during the AM peak and the higher PM peak use of the pedestrian bridge near HEC Edmunson Pavilion. Figures 5-4 and 5-5 summarizes the AM and PM peak period bicycle count locations. During the AM peak hour there were a total of 324 entering bicycles and 30 exiting bicycles from the campus border locations shown in Figure 5-4 (this excludes the counts along BurkeGilman trail). The top five bicycle activity points, excluding Burke-Gilman trail, comprise 76% of the total AM bicycle activity. The highest bicycle activity occurs along the 40th Street and 15th Avenue from the west, compromising approximately 30% of the AM bicycle activity. The second highest AM activity occurs along the 17th Avenue/Memorial Way access to campus from the north (approximately 20% of the AM bicycle activity). Together, these two access points serve 50% of the existing AM peak bicycle movements. During the PM peak hour there were a total of 146 entering bicycles and 210 exiting bicycles from the campus border locations shown in Figure 5-5 (this excludes the counts along BurkeGilman trail). The top five bicycle activity points, excluding Burke-Gilman trail comprise approximately 76% of the total PM bicycle activity. The highest bicycle activity in the PM peak is different from the AM route – it is the southern most pedestrian bridge crossing over Montlake Boulevard near the IMA (25% of the PM bicycle activity). The second highest PM bicycle activity is similar to the AM. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-6 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 NE 50th Street 20 Avenue University Way NE Avenue Avenue Way Roosevelt NE 45th Street 15th 17th 14 A Q B C D NE 43rd Street 7th Avenue 122 11th E 178 NE NE 42nd Street P 168 F Boule va rd NE 41st Street O G 54 40 NE Bo at Str e BurkeGilma 16 et 8 n M I NE A 51 2 Pa ci f 0 ic St re et 16 K L J 134 B 6 0 C 14 1 62 D 11 2 E 19 0 F 0 0 G 31 2 H 5 0 I 189 Montlak e 206 H NE 40th Street Trail N 34 0 J 19 0 1 5 K 4 5 L 0 0 M 14 0 N 8 74 O 1 16 P 5 24 Q LEGEND A - Directional Data Count Location 134 - AM Peak Hour Volume on Burke-Gilman Trail 40 - AM Total Peak Hour Volume (both directions) XX XX - AM Peak Hour Volume by Direction NE 50th Street 13 Avenue University Way NE Avenue Avenue Way Roosevelt NE 45th Street 15th 17th 12 A Q B C D NE 43rd Street 7th Avenue 150 11th E 222 NE NE 42nd Street P 195 F Boule va rd NE 41st Street O G 32 153 NE 3 Bo at Str e BurkeGilma n 22 et M I NE A 15 57 2 Pa 20 c ific St re et K L J 260 B 2 5 C 12 28 84 D 19 3 E 2 12 F 0 0 G 7 10 H 6 4 I 245 Montlak e 139 H NE 40th Street Trail N 56 18 J 14 14 0 0 K 2 7 L 0 1 M 0 0 N 5 1 O 16 8 P 20 12 Q LEGEND A - Directional Data Count Location 260 - PM Peak Hour Volume on Burke-Gilman Trail 32 - PM Total Peak Hour Volume (both directions) XX XX - PM Peak Hour Volume by Direction DKS Associates peak, occurring along the 17th Avenue/Memorial Way access to campus (about another 25% of the PM bicycle activity). Together, these two access points serve 50% of the existing PM peak bicycle movements. The Burke-Gilman trail acts as a thoroughfare for bicycles in the area. While the Burke-Gilman trail provides entrance points to the University of Washington, the nature of the trail acts as a throughway for bicycle use. While bicycle volumes generally decrease during the AM peak on the approach to campus, and increase on the departures from campus (see Figure 5-3), the Burke-Gilman is servicing more than just the University of Washington needs. Particularly on weekends, Burke-Gilman trail serves a significant role as a recreational trail route. Recent bicycle rack utilization studies conducted by the University of Washington show that on average bike rack utilization is approximately 33% for the entire campus110. Areas in which bicycle racks are covered have greater utilization (44%) and areas where the bike racks were uncovered the utilization was much lower at 28%. The provision of bike racks on campus adequately serves the demand for parking; however, more and convenient locations for additional parking are needed. The utilization of bike lockers is high (fully utilized) close to the Burke-Gilman trail and tapers off the further one travels from the Burke-Gilman trail111. The desire for having a secure place to place a bicycle to protect from theft and/or the elements is evident from the higher utilization of these facilities over uncovered bike racks. NEEDS There are two broad categories of needs for bicycle use around the University of Washington. These two categories are connectivity and improved facilities. A comprehensive set of bicycle connections to and from campus is not provided today, limiting efficient campus access from multiple directions. A few examples of this are the connection from the University Bridge to campus and also the Montlake Bridge to campus. Both of these connections have safety conflicts between bicycles and motor vehicles. Currently the surrounding roadway network has some bicycle lanes in place (primarily in the southwest area) which improves bicycle safety; however, these lanes do not connect with one another. For example, bike lanes are found on the University Bridge, but do not continue on the adjacent streets. The same is true on Brooklyn Avenue. Improved facilities can be as large scale as bike lanes on roadways or as small scale as convenient locations for bike racks and bike lockers for storage to help promote the use of bicycles use to/from campus. There are some existing locations that clearly indicate a need for improved bicycle facilities based on the existing peak count data. One of these is along 17th Avenue into campus. Currently there are no bicycle facilities that access the University of Washington north of 45th Street (with the exception of the Burke-Gilman trail to the east). Multiple bicyclists are accessing campus from the north via 17th Avenue today in both the AM and PM peak periods. Topographic and other physical constraints (the raised elevation of campus) make crossing 15th Avenue onto campus using a bicycle difficult from the west. Currently bicycle lanes on 40th Avenue are the only on-street bicycle facilities for users that serve the central campus (with the exception of Burke-Gilman trail). Additionally, bicyclists can access campus via paths from the 110 111 Data derived from the 1999 Spring Quarter bike rack inventory and utilization survey provided by the University of Washington. Based on conversations with the University of Washington Transportation Services Department. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-9 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates termination of 41st Street and 42nd Street at 15th Avenue. Existing counts show that the preferred route to do this is 42nd Street with higher AM and PM bicycle counts than 41st Street. Improving this connection at 42nd Street from the west would help reduce the dependence on 40th Street as the only bike lane servicing the University from the west. Surveys of existing use on campus show that covered bicycle parking spaces and locker storage for bicycles are more desirable and in greater demand than uncovered bike racks. Achieving a higher mode share for bike use in the future would require more bike parking on campus in order to maintain, at a minimum, the same utilization of bike parking that exists today. These additional bike facilities would best serve users through covered and/or secured facilities. There are about 6,200 bicycle parking spaces on campus with about 14,887,000 square feet (SF) of development. That would relate to 0.41 bicycle parking spaces per 1,000 SF. With approximately half in use, that would relate to 0.21 bicycles of demand per 1,000 SF. For example, 100,000 square foot building would have 21 bicycles parking in about 41 bicycle parking spaces (rack or locker). In the future, more and better bicycle parking will be needed to attempt to approach a high bicycle mode share. Using the forecasted population and building square footage numbers (64,645 population and 17.8 million SF), there are approximately 3.6 people/1,000 SF. If we intend to expand bicycle mode share to 8 percent, we would need bicycle parking of approximately 1 space per 2,600 GSF of Master Plan building (derived from 3.6 x 8% divided by 75% usage factor, i.e. not every last space would be used). With an expected increase in mode share through the implementation of the TMP, it would be advantageous to increase the ratio of provided bike storage space per 1,000 GSF for new developments to handle this growth in mode share. By providing 1 bicycle space per 2,600 SF, an additional 1,150 bicycle spaces would be added at the University of Washington. A secondary deficiency is to keep a consistent maintenance plan in place for the bicycle facilities. Allowing debris or standing water to accumulate can only perpetuate a lack of interest in using bicycles to commute. Keeping access to campus clean and safe (well drained) for users should be a priority. Racks should be evaluated to make sure that they provide adequate access, are visible and are allocated around campus to best suit demand, then be repositioned accordingly. The bicycle plan will need to address these deficiencies, allowing for access to surrounding areas of the University of Washington through a series of bicycle lanes and shared roadway connections. Providing safe and efficient connections to and from campus through more facilities will increase the number of bicycle users to and from campus. Improving connections for bicycles on the roadway can improve safety for riders and would increase the number of new riders due to safer riding conditions. The primary safety concern for bicyclists is conflicts with motor vehicles. Providing bicycle lanes can decrease the number of potential collisions between bicycles and motor vehicles. Studies have shown that providing University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-10 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates bike lanes on roadways can reduce the collision rate for bicycles by up to half while increasing ridership112. Another safety aspect for bicyclist is the timing and detection of bicyclists at traffic signal. The predominate timing at traffic signals is for motor vehicles, which at speeds of 10 to 15 miles per hour can be conducive for bicycle progression. Loop detectors can be placed in the ground that can detect bicycle presence (either in bicycle lanes or in the shared roadway). For actuated traffic signals, this can reduce bicycle delays on cross streets. Pedestrian push buttons can be modified to allow for easy activation by bicyclist on shared paths. This can require additional or modified poles in convenient/safe places for bicyclist to activate. Additionally, pavement markings at intersections can be used to delineate the bicycle conflict areas (blue and green pavement markings have been used in other cities). In addition to all of these physical improvements for bicycle safety, programmatic changes can be made in how bicyclists are educated about riding on the roadways and also how to protect their bicycle from theft. These two areas are frequent means by which potential bicycle trips are lost. Improved education can also result in increased use of bicycles once every week or so which can significantly reduce vehicle trips. Part of this bicycle education comes in the form of “effective cycling”. Effective cycling is a term used that refers to educating both cyclists and motorists on how to effectively share the roadway. Elements of effective cycling contain selecting optimal routes, increasing confidence in riding in a shared roadway environment, building riding skills, educating cyclists on local traffic laws, and teaching emergency maneuvers. FORECASTED CONDITIONS The University of Washington Master Plan has projected increases in student, faculty and staff population up to 64,645 from a current population of 55,525113. Based upon a current bicycle mode share of 6% and improved bicycle facilities resulting in more bicycle riders, an 8% mode share (on average) is forecasted. Table 5-2 summarizes the forecasted estimate for new bicycle users by 2012. The 8% bicycle mode share is not an unrealistic forecast for this transportation management plan since UW has experienced up to 10% bicycle mode share in the past (1994 survey of UW documented a 10% bicycle share). However, the key competitor for these shorter trips is actually transit (bus) use. It is desirable to preserve all the transit seats for longer trips as possible by maximize the opportunities for bicycle commuting. 112 Federal Highway Administration, Bicycle Safety-Related Research Synthesis, 1995. This showed that in Santa Barbara, California, bicycle lanes would have prevented approximately 14% of crashes, and the addition of bike lanes in Eugene, Oregon increased bicycle use and substantially reduced the bicycle accident rate. 113 Based on conversations and correspondence with the University of Washington. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-11 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates Table 5-2 – 2012 Estimates of Daily Bicycle Users for Campus 1999 Population Estimate 35,062 6,035 14,428 55,525 1999 Percentage of Bike Users 5% 10% 5% Average 6% 1999 Estimated Bike Users* 1,470 505 605 2,580 2012 Forecasted Population 39,182 7,435 18,028 64,645 2012 Percentage of Bike Users 8% 11% 6% Average 8% 2012 Estimated Bike Users* 2,635 685 910 4,230 Users Students Faculty Staff Totals * Estimates are based on population, mode share and arrival rate of 4.2 times per week to campus which is similar to U-PASS survey results. For example existing student users is calculated by 35,062 x 0.05 x 0.84 = 1,470. Final estimate is rounded to the nearest integer of five. As Table 5-2 indicates, there is a significant increase in the number of estimated bicycle users by 2012. This forecasted number of users is based on an increase in the bicycle mode split percentage and an increase in the population of campus users. An increase in the mode split for students and staff would be required, while the mode split for the faculty would need to be retained. The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Travel Demand Model was used to estimate the total number of households within each Transportation Analysis Zone (TAZ) for a three-mile radius surrounding the University of Washington114. The housing information within these TAZs was then divided to represent areas that could access the University of Washington from the north, south, east and west. Figure 5-6 – Three-Mile Radius from Campus Assuming that each household within these North = 23% TAZs has an equal South = 16% opportunity to commute West = 59% to the University, an East = 2% estimate was made on percentage of housing in each area that could represent the potential for a University user to University of bike to campus. This Washington information was compared and validated through the zip code data provided by the LEGEND University of - 1 Mile Radius - 2 Mile Radius Washington. Figure 5-6 - 3 Mile Radius - Transportat ion Analysis summarizes the relative Zone (TAZ) shares of population that live north, south, 0 1 2 3 Miles east and west within the 114 The three-mile radius was selected based on the average commute distance for cyclists in King County. This was determined from responses to a 1996 North American Bicycle Commuters Survey conducted by the University of Washington. 28 University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-12 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates three-mile radius from the University of Washington campus. This includes areas such as Greenlake, Wallingford, Ravenna, Laurelhurst, parts of downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Phinney Ridge, Greenlake, Maple Leaf, Wedgwood, Montlake, Eastlake and Fremont. The greatest number of potential bicycle users would access campus from the west followed by the second largest group access from the north. Together, these two directions would comprise 82% of the access to the University campus by 2012. This indicates that improvements to the north and west access to campus would benefit future bicycle users greatly. MASTER PLAN BICYCLE GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT The following are guidelines found in the Master Plan for bicycle facilities and circulation for future development and/or redevelopment for the University of Washington. · · · Directly connect campus bicycle routes to external routes to facilitate commuting by bike. Establish external routes with the City of Seattle, and improve interfaces and continuity with internal routes. Place and sign so as to avoid conflicts with pedestrian circulation. Restrict circulation in the densest areas within the central campus. Establish bike routes on vehicular and service roads rather than on pedestrian pathways. Develop bicycle lanes as outlined in the plan to avoid vehicular conflicts. Separate bike lanes or off-street paths shall be established on or near uphill grades of vehicular roadways. Table 5-3 outlines the bicycle facility width guidelines (in unobstructed widths): Table 5-3 – Bicycle Related Improvement Standards Desired Width Multi-use Trails On-street Bicycle Lanes · 12 feet 6 feet Minimum Width 8 feet 5 feet · · Provide bicycle parking at a minimum rate of 1 space per 2,000 GSF of development. Of this amount, a minimum of 75% shall be covered secured bicycle storage with each new building project. All spaces should be located near entrances and vertical circulation of buildings but not in conflict with pedestrian access. If bicycle lockers are included in new building design, they should be placed out of sight as much as possible (while still providing access) without conflict to the landscaping or building. A bicycle “center” for storage, possibly including shower facilities and lockers should be considered adjacent to the Burke-Gilman trail. Shower and locker facilities should be considered elsewhere on campus accessible by bicycle and close to large population concentrations. Some showers already exist on campus today. A campus-wide system should be developed utilizing a SMART card that allows limited access to the showers (new and old). University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-13 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates FUTURE BICYCLE STRATEGIES The University of Washington has developed and implemented a Transportation Management Plan (TMP) to help guide and direct transportation choices for trips to and from campus. This TMP provides strategies for each mode of travel. The recommended strategies found in the TMP cover a wide variety of options. Table 5-4 summarizes the bicycle strategies found in the TMP and their estimated effectiveness in reducing vehicle trips. The effectiveness percentages shown in Table 5-4 relate to the effectiveness to shift a vehicle trip to a pedestrian trip and the range of effectiveness is shown due to the synergistic effect of implementing multiple strategies that could increase the effectiveness of one strategy. Table 5-4 – Bicycle Strategies and Effectiveness Strategy Create additional secured covered bike lockers and shower facilities on campus to promote bicycle use. Implement a bicycle/pedestrian safety program with measurable goals. Subsidize bicycle sales or leases for students, faculty and staff to help increase bicycle ownership. Coordinate with the city of Seattle to enhance corridors identified for use by bicycles. Develop intelligent transportation system (ITS) solutions to help “track” individual bicycle use to/from campus which in turn offers parking subsidization for the individual for selecting an alternative mode to school/work. Increase marketing of bicycling. Effectiveness1 0-3% 0-1% 0-3% 1-2% 1-2% 1-2% 1 Effectiveness indicates the potential for shift from total campus SOV use to other modes of travel. SOURCES: Guidance for Estimating Trip Reductions From Commute Options, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, August 1996 Guide to Calculating Transportation Demand Management Benefits, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, November 1999. RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS A list of projects was developed into a Bicycle Improvement Plan to address the forecasted bicycle needs for the University of Washington and the surrounding area. This Bicycle Improvement Plan is an overall plan and summarizes the “wish list” of bicycle-related projects for the University of Washington and is shown in Figure 5-7. This includes on-street bicycle lanes, multi-use paths and shared facilities115. From this Improvement Plan, a more specific shorter term Action Plan specific to the University was developed. The Action Plan consists of projects that the University of Washington should actively pursue and which are in direct interest to promoting bicycle use to and from campus. Figure 5-8 identifies the Action Plan projects. Table 5-5 summarizes the Bicycle Improvement Plan and Bicycle Action Plan projects. The project ID# corresponds to the numbers shown on Figure 5-8. This table is in no particular order and does not place a priority on the projects listed. 115 A shared facility is a roadway or path that is used by both bicycle and vehicles or bicycles and pedestrians, but does not have any specific striping or lanes for bicycles. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-14 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates Table 5-5 – Recommended Bicycle Improvement Plan and Bicycle Action Plan Project Project ID # Improvement Plan Projects On-street Bike Lanes On-street Bike Lanes On-street Bike Lanes On-street Bike Lanes Multi-use path Multi-use trail Improved connection Improved connection Improve existing trail Loop detectors Signage Shared Facility Location Ravenna Boulevard from 15th Avenue to Burke-Gilman trail. NE 45th Place from NE 45th Street to 50th Street with access to the Burke-Gilman trail. 47th Street from 17th Avenue to 7th Avenue. Establish bike lanes on 20th Avenue from 80th Street to 45th Street. Along 7th Avenue from 47th Street to 50th Street with widened I-5 over-crossing along 50th Street then along 5th Avenue south to 47th Street. Connect south campus waterfront area to area east of Montlake Bridge through existing service roadway and the sloped embankment of the north abutment Improve intersection of Eastlake and Campus Parkway. Improve access through Montlake neighborhood to Burke-Gilman trail. Improve connection from Canal Road (east campus) to Walla Walla Road to Montlake Bridge Assure vehicle activated signals can detect bicycles on bike routes leading to campus. Install ped/bike activated overhead lighted sign on Brooklyn Avenue at the Burke-Gilman trail (possibly with in-road lights). Brooklyn Avenue from 47th Street to Ravenna Boulevard. 17th Avenue from 47th Street to Ravenna. 20th Avenue from Burke-Gilman trail to 65th Street. 47th Street from 20th Avenue to 17th Avenue. Increase covered secured bike storage campus wide. New buildings provide 1 space/2,000 GSF with 75% covered & secure. Improve drainage, pave shoulder areas, improve sight lines and lighting of Burke-Gilman trail intersections with pedestrian paths. Connecting east end of Boat Street to south campus waterfront area. Connecting south waterfront area to Montlake Bridge. Improve the connection from Montlake Bridge to Burke-Gilman trail. Shared Roadway Shared Roadway Shared Roadway Action Plan Projects Improved facilities 1 2 3 Improved facilities Off-street multi-use trail Off-street multi-use trail Improve existing trail University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-15 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 DKS Associates Table 5-5 – Recommended Bicycle Improvement Plan and Bicycle Action Plan (cont.) 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 A B Improve existing trail Bike lanes Bike lanes Bike lanes Bike lanes Bike lanes Improve existing connection Shared Facility Multi-use trail Shared Facility Shared Facility Improve conditions from Pacific Place to Stevens Way along Rainier Vista Along Brooklyn Avenue from 40th Street to 47th Street Along 40th Street from Brooklyn Avenue to Lower 40th – stripe bike lanes Along Campus Parkway from Brooklyn Avenue to the University Bridge – stripe bike lanes in realigned street Along 17th Avenue from 47th Street to Stevens Way – create bike lanes on left Extend Pacific Street bike lanes west to Northlake Way between the Ship Canal bridge overpass and the University Bridge overpass Along the north side of Pend Oreille Road as an offstreet path. 42nd Street from Brooklyn Avneue to 15th Avenue Widen and paved Burke-Gilman trail to a minimum 15 feet (where possible) Improve connection from Klickitat Lane (north of Stevens Way) to Klickitat Lane (south of Stevens Way) Improve Whatcom Lane connection from Burke-Gilman trail to Pend Oreille Road through the use of grooves in the stairwell edges for bicycles to be pushed up or down the stairs in the grooves. Improve Snohomish Lane connection from BurkeGilman trail to Stevens Way Improve connection from Kincaid Hall pedestrian bridge/Burke-Gilman trail to Stevens Way Improve Grant Lane connection from Stevens Way to Allen Library with designated bike path area. Improve Spokane Lane connection from Memorial Way to Allen Library with designated bike path area. Improve Skagit Lane connection from Stevens Way to Allen Library with designated bike path area. C D E F G Shared Facility Shared Facility Shared Facility Shared Facility Shared Facility These projects help build connectivity to and from campus as well as create a network of facilities that are interconnected. This should help to provide the most safe and efficient connections to and from campus while helping to promote the use of bicycles as a primary mode of commuting. University of Washington Master Plan Bicycle Element Page 5-16 Transportation Technical Report August 2001 Rave nna Bo uleva rd NE 58th Street NE ce Pla na ven Ra Roosevelt Way Brooklyn Ave University Ave 17th Avenue 12th Avenue 15th Avenue 11th Avenue 20st Avenue 8th Avenue 9th Avenue 7th Avenue nT ma -Gil rke Bu rail NE 50th Street NE 50th Street NE 45th Street al Dr. emori sM ate ry G Ma 15th Avenue NE 43rd NE 43rd Street Street University Ave Memorial Way 25th Avenue NE alla la W Wal Rd. 7th Avenue NE 42nd Street NE 42nd Street Brooklyn Ave Sk ag it Pen d Oreill e Rd . ns ve Ste ay W NE 41st Street e Lan kum Wahkia NE Campus Parkway NE Campus Parkway Trail NE Northlake Way NE Pacific Street NE 15th Ave nue Boa t Str eet NE Pa cific Str e et Co lum bia Ro a d LEGEND Existing Proposed - Bike Lanes - Multi-use Trails/Paths (Bike and Ped.) - Shared Facility - Bike Linkages - Direction of Travel Montlak e Boulev ard NE Burk e-G ilman Burke-Gil man NE 40th Street Trail Rave nna B ouleva rd NE 58th Street na ven Ra ce P la NE Roosevelt Way Brooklyn Ave University Ave 17th Avenue 8th Avenue 9th Avenue 12th Avenue 15th Avenue 11th Avenue 20st Avenue 7th Avenue an ilm -G rke Bu il Tra NE 50th Street NE 50th Street 8 NE 45th Street tes Ga ry Ma 15th Avenue Memorial Way 25th Avenue NE r. orial D Mem NE 43rd NE 43rd Street Street University Ave lla Wa lla Wa Rd. 5 7th Avenue NE 42nd Street 11 Brooklyn Ave NE 42nd Street F Sk ag it G 10 Pen d Or eille Rd. A Ste ay W ns ve B akum Wahki e Lan NE 41st Street 7 6 Bur NE Campus Parkway NE Campus Parkway Burke-Gil man 12 Trail NE 40th Street 9 NE Northlake Way ail NE Pacific Street C NE Bo at S tr e et ue 15th Ave n D NE Pa cif ic 4 Str ee t Co lu 1 mb ia Ro a d 3 2 LEGEND Existing Proposed - Bike Lanes - Multi-use Trails/Paths (Bike and Ped.) - Shared Facility - Bike Linkages - Direction of Travel ON CAMPUS LOCATIONS FOR IMPROVED CONNECTIONS A - Improve Klickitat Lane Connection B C D E F G - Improve Whatcom Lane Connection - Improve Snohomish Lane Connection - Improve Grant Lane Connection - Improve Spokane Lane Connection - Improve Skagit Lane Connection 10 - Project ID # Montlake Boulevar d NE ke-G ilma n Tr E