CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA CITY COUNCIL AGENDA Agenda Date: July 20, 2020 Action Required: Vote on Resolution Staff Presenters: Timothy Motsch, Transportation Project Manager Staff Contacts: Alex Ikefuna, NDS Director Martin Silman, Public Works Director Tony Edwards, Development Services Manager Timothy Motsch, Transportation Project Title: Emmet Streetscape – Resolution Approving Design Public Hearing Background: The Design Public Hearing for the Emmet Streetscape project was held on Tuesday, December 3 2019 at Walker Upper Elementary School. The meeting was advertised using the following methods: 1) Daily Progress Advertisement – Sunday, November 3 through Saturday November 9, and Sunday November 10 through Tuesday November 19. 2) Direct Mailing - 17 “Current Residents” + 13 “Owners” (Three University of Virginia entities own over 90% of the frontage on the project). 3) Certified Mailing to Impacted Property Owners (as well as Invitation to Meet) 4) Emailed Citywide mailing list as well as Project mailing list 5) UVA Housing and Residence Life emailed affected student population 6) Updated Project Website’s Main Page 7) Installed signage on Project Corridor 8) Variable Message Sign used on Project Corridor for one week before meeting 9) Posted Notices in Neighborhood Development Services’ lobby Fifteen persons attended the hearing. Project plans, detailed displays, environmental documents and other required project materials were available for public review and discussion from 5:00pm until 7:00pm. The Public Hearing was from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The displays are included as electronic links to this memorandum (Attachment E). From 7:00pm until shortly after 7:25pm public speakers shared comments that were captured by a court reporter (Attachment C). Two citizens spoke during the hearing, two provided comment forms and five written comments via e-mail. All public comments received between December 3 and December 31, 2019 have been provided with project team responses (Attachment D). Comments have been addressed by the project team and these responses have been posted to the project website, including the original comment forms that were submitted. Discussion: After an extensive public involvement process, City Council approved a Preferred Conceptual Design for the Emmet Streetscape project on February 4, 2019 and authorized commencement of final design. As a result, the project team has refined the Preferred Conceptual Design in preparation of the Design Public Hearing. The hearing was held to solicit public comment on the major design features (bicycle and pedestrian facilities, roadway configuration, landscaping) as well as anticipated temporary and permanent impacts on adjacent property owners and the completed environmental document. No comments were received regarding the environmental document which is not surprising given the existing built environment and that this project is proposing modifications to the existing streetscape. No additional environment impacts are expected with this project and the project team will be producing construction documents to ensure the contractor follows current requirements for proper environmental compliance and maintains proper site controls (ex. erosion and sediment protections). As for major design features, a review of highlights from the comments collected is provided: 1) The desire for a shared-use path under the railroad on the east side of Emmet Street was noted by meeting participants based on observations of pedestrian traffic and general origins and destinations for users on the east side of the road. Two people provided written comments regarding this concern. Funding for the project limits the project to the construction of only one tunnel under the railroad in keeping with the approved scope of work in the VDOT SmartScale funding application. A detailed study for determining the best location of the shared-use path tunnel was conducted early in the project design including a public input process. As a result of this study, the west side of Emmet Street was determined to be the optimal location of a shared-use path. In addition to unfavorable conditions on the east side of Emmet Street such as the existing hotel site directly on the south side of the railroad, public safety personnel that have served on the Technical Committee for the project expressed significant concerns about public safety for an east side location. 2) The desire for improved safety at the intersections on the project was expressed by participants and are noted in comments. Improvements at the Emmet/Ivy/University intersection was noted to be a key concern with the volume of vehicles and pedestrians that converge at this key intersection. The proposed improvements at the Emmet/Ivy/University intersection includes the installation of new traffic and pedestrian signalization. A pedestrian safety countermeasure that is being employed on the project signals entails the use of leading pedestrian intervals on the signal timing which gives pedestrians the opportunity to enter an intersection 3-7 seconds before vehicles are given a green indication. With this head start, pedestrians can better establish their presence in the crosswalk before vehicles have priority to turn. Ultimately, vehicles turning right are always expected to yield to pedestrians and non-vehicular traffic. 3) Comments were made regarding the benefits that the project will bring for bike safety and how the separation of bike lanes from the vehicular travel lanes will provide that. The project team evaluated suggestions from comments and has implemented design changes to further enhance the safety features of the project design. 4) A concern was expressed regarding erosion of soil during and after the project construction. Runoff from the project is being collected and treated via a modular, underground bioretention system along the project that utilizes the capacity of soils for stormwater management and integrated into the landscaping. An erosion and sediment control plan that meets all current environmental requirements is included the design and will be implemented during construction. The project team appreciates all of the comments offered by the public and has responded to each comment in Attachment D. Several comments complimented the public process, overall project and expressed the feeling that participants were heard during the process. As a result of the comments received, the project team is suggesting the following changes: 1) The location of the bike lanes on western side of Emmet Street have been revised to be adjacent to the shared-use path in order to increase the separation of the raised bike lanes from vehicular travel lanes to provide improved safety for bicyclists on the corridor. The shared-use path and bike lanes will be clearly identified with pavement markings and signs and will be separated by a directional tactile strip that provides a height, texture and color contrast that instantly warn users if they stray from the proper path. 2) Incorporating the change to the bike lane location has also entailed improving safety at intersections and entrances in which the bike lane and pedestrian paths are set back from the intersection to provide better visibility and give bicyclists and pedestrians more time to notice and react to turning vehicles. Alignment with City Council’s Vision Areas and Strategic Plan: Advancing Emmet Streetscape project upholds the City’s commitment to create “a connected community” by improving upon our existing transportation infrastructure. In addition, it would contribute to Goal 3 of the Strategic Plan, Beautiful Environment; 3.1 Engage in robust and context sensitive urban planning and implementation; 3.2 Provide reliable and high quality infrastructure and 3.3 Provide a variety of transportation and mobility options. Community Engagement: This agenda item is approving the results of the latest public meeting held for the Emmet Streetscape project. Going forward, bi-monthly reports will be issue to update the public on project status as final construction documents are produced, right of way secured and construction commences. To help guide the project, the City Council appointed a project Steering Committee composed of: • Gregg Bleam, Lewis Mountain Neighborhood Association • Thomas Funari, Federal Realty, Barracks Road Shopping Center • Lisa Green, Planning Commission • Alex Ikefuna, Neighborhood Development Services • Brian Menard, Tree Commission • Hamilton Lombard, Venable Neighborhood Association • Mary Hughes, University of Virginia • Beth Meyer, Lewis Mountain Neighborhood Association • Claude Morris, Buckingham Branch Railroad Company • Peter Ohlms, Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee • Abigail Palko, The Meadows Neighborhood Association • Vipul Patel, Gallery Court Hotel • Nat Perkins, P.E., UVA Foundation • Rebecca White, University of Virginia • Peter Russell, Tree Commission • Jess Wenger, Fry’s Spring Neighborhood Association • Bobbie Williams, Jefferson Park Avenue Neighborhood Association The process also involved coordination with the following City Council appointed stakeholder groups: • Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee • PLACE Design Task Force • ADA Advisory Committee • Planning Commission • Tree Commission • Technical Committee Coordination with the following stake holders also took place during the development of the project design: • Office of the Architect for UVA • The UVA Foundation • Barracks Road Shopping Center • Buckingham Branch Railroad The City of Charlottesville has provided multiple opportunities for the public to provide input into the plan development process. A project website with an on-line surveys, two community events (Community Information Meetings) as well as three stakeholder meetings occurred between April 18, 2018 and December 3, 2019. Information presented and gathered at the meetings can be found at https://www.easthighstreetscape.org/, however a summary of each event is below: Project Website: The Project website (https://www.emmetstreetscape.org/) contains information that has been presented to date as part of the process. Information presented includes: • Project background • Project schedule • A “resource” page that provides access to the traffic analysis and information presented and gathered from community events, and information presented at the stakeholder meetings • A contact e-mail • A “get involved” page Community Event 1: Community Information Meeting, May 12, 2018 The first community meeting for the Emmet Streetscape project occurred on May 12, 2018 at the Cavalier Inn in Charlottesville. A total of 21 people signed into the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to gather ideas to help the design team develop concepts for the future of the street. The meeting yielded information on common destinations for Emmet Street users, issues related to walking and bicycling, needs that the design could address, and preferences for various improvements that could be implemented through the project. Following a brief presentation, the meeting followed an open house format, with six activity stations where people shared their ideas and preferences including the following aspects of the project: • Activity 1 – How Do You Use Emmet Street? • Activity 2 – Now and Then (Opinion on key attributes that Emmet Street should achieve with the project) • Activity 3 – How is Emmet Street Working for You? • Activity 4 – Design Principles • Activity 5 – Visual Preference Survey • Activity 6 - West Side / East Side Shared Use Path • Activity 7 – Walking Tour Summary The public outreach and engagement from this community meeting yielded the flowing feedback highlights: • Understanding use and perceptions of the corridor o Auto-centric, congested, unsafe • Understanding vision for future use o Safe, walkable, bike and pedestrian friendly • East or West Side Tunnel location o 11 of 14 prefer West side Display materials and information used during this community meeting are provided on the project website (www.emmetstreetscape.org/resources/) page. The meeting also featured a facilitated walking tour as Activity 7 from Ivy Road to the Goodwin Bridge and back. Participants recorded their observations on the existing conditions during the tour. This activity was highly productive in generating input from the participants by directly experiencing existing conditions on the corridor. Valuable input and comments were received on the comfort, safety, behaviors and overall impressions of this segment of Emmet Street. A summary document provided on the resources page (www.emmetstreetscape.org/resources/) summarizes the community input data collected at the event and offers stakeholders and community members the opportunity to see the thoughts of others in the community. On-Line Survey: The online Emmet Streetscape Needs and Preferences Survey became active on May 12, 2018 and is currently still open. A total of 69 participants provided 2,067 data points and 67 written comments. The goal of the survey was to educate the public about the project and collect feedback on project priorities, tradeoffs to help direct design, and design preferences related to function and aesthetics. The survey was designed to mirror the activities of the in-person activities at the Streetscape Community Meeting, and included questions on the following topics: • Trips and mode of travel o The 69 respondents reported on a typical week making 636 drive trips, 44 bike trips, 160 walking trips, and 113 transit trips on Emmet Street in the study area. • Priority ranking of potential improvement strategies o The three highest rated improvements were accessible and safe crosswalks, coordinated traffic signals, and shade trees. • Vehicular speeds o 51% of respondents selected that reducing the speed limit in the study corridor is “very important” or “moderately important” and 49% selected that it’s “not important.” • Physical separation of bicycles and pedestrians from vehicles o 94% of respondents selected that it’s “very important” or “moderately important” to provide separate dedicated spaces for pedestrian and bicycles. • Protection of bicycles and pedestrians with design features o 81% of respondents selected that it’s “very important” or “moderately important” to protect pedestrians and bicycles from vehicle traffic through features such as a curb, plantings, or bollards. • The preferred location of the shared-use path (east of west side of the street) o 60% selected a preference for the west side (JPJ Arena side). The project website has served as an excellent tool for public outreach and awareness for the project. Over the last 12 months, the website has seen an average of 69 visits per day and 2,065 visits per month. Community Event 2: UVA Student Information Meeting, September 17, 2018 The Emmet Streetscape project team held an open house for the UVA community on September 17, 2018 from at the Lambeth Commons. A total of 17 people signed into the meeting. The Lambeth Field Apartments are in the heart of the study area, and Lambeth Commons is a central gathering place for the 174 UVA apartment complex. The students that live in the apartments frequently use Emmet Street, and are a key stakeholder representing the UVA community and future generations of students. The purpose of the meeting was to gather input from residents, other students, staff, and faculty at UVA who depend on Emmet Street for access to Central Grounds, North Grounds, and shopping and entertainment destinations in the city. The meeting yielded information on common routes people use in this area, issues related to walking and bicycling, needs that the design could address, and preferences for various improvements under consideration in the concept development phase of the project. Displays were provided with questions about how students use the Emmet Street corridor, destinations around the campus that they frequently travel to, how they cross Emmet Street and comments on the conceptual design. Information summarizing input received at this meeting is summarized and provided on the project website https://www.emmetstreetscape.org/. The overview points out common themes and takeaways from the feedback received during the event, as well as noting the written comments received on the worksheets. Highlights of the feedback from this meeting includes the following: • Understanding student use o Improve bike/ped facilities, safety at Emmet/Ivy/ University is important, Central & North Grounds, Barracks Road Shopping Center are major destinations • Vision for future use o Protected and raised bicycle lanes, better bike and pedestrian accommodations at Emmet/Ivy/University • East or West Tunnel location o East side preferred by some because it’s convenient for Lambeth residents, west side preferred by some because of major destinations, east side deviation from the street would be a safety concern Steering Committee and Stakeholder Meetings Throughout the process, the design team collaborated with the Steering Committee and various other boards, committees and agencies to receive input and feedback during the design process. Steering committee meetings were open to the public. The following groups were met with on the following dates: • Steering Committee Meetings: April 18, 2018, August 9, 2018 and December 19, 2018 • Buckingham Branch Railroad Field Meeting: May 30, 2018 • City Council: August 6, 2018 • CAT and UTS Coordination Meetings: June 18, 2018 and September 13, 2018 • PLACE Committee Meeting: December 13, 2018 • Planning Commission Work Session: December 18, 2018 • Planning Commission: January 8, 2019 Meeting agendas and summaries can be found under the resources tab on the project website https://www.emmetstreetscape.org/. Additionally, a Technical committee was formed which is comprised of representatives from appropriate City departments. The technical committee held meetings on the project on April 18, 2018 and August 9, 2018. The technical committee meetings confirmed input received from the public and stakeholder groups could be technically attained and then maintained. As the University of Virginia (UVA) is a key stakeholder for the project and owner of the majority property directly adjacent to the project that is also in the process of being redeveloped or planned for redevelopment, regular coordination meetings were held with UVA and their design team engaged in the Ivy Corridor development project. The meetings have been held on approximately a quarterly basis to review an exchange information and updates on project developments. Coordination meetings with UVA were held on February 7, March 23, April 17, July 26, September 17, and October 30, 2018; March 13, May 28, August 13, September 12, October 16, and December 12, 2019; and January 22 and March 3, 2020. Budgetary Impact: The preferred Conceptual Design Concept is above the established budget comprised of a combination of City, State and Federal funding sources. The cost estimates for construction elements needed for the project including a retaining wall, traffic signalization and roadway construction are higher than the cost estimate completing during the scoping of the project. The design team is working to identify opportunities to reduce construction costs. The current draft of the City of Charlottesville FY 2020-2024 Capital Improvement Program…. . Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the major design features as shown at the Design Public Hearing with 2 changes as a result of public hearing comments: 1) The configuration of the bike lane to be located adjacent to the shared-use path (with separation strip) and offset further away from the vehicular travel lanes on two segments of the project. Segments in which this change was made are on the west side of Emmet Street from the railroad to Arlington Boulevard and on the east side of Emmet Street from Massie Road to Copeley Road. 2) Reconfigure the pedestrian and bike lane crossings at entrances and intersections to provide an increased offset from the Emmet Street travel lanes to improve visibility and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Alternatives: None. Attachments: (A) Proposed Design Resolution Approving Major Design Features (B) Preferred Conceptual Design (C) Design Public Hearing Transcript (D) Design Public Hearing Comments (E) Design Public Hearing Displays Attachment A EMMET STREETSCAPE PROJECT DESIGN PUBLIC HEARING APPROVAL RESOLUTION WHEREAS, a Design Public Hearing was conducted on December 3, 2019 in the City of Charlottesville by representatives of the City of Charlottesville and the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Transportation after due and proper notice for the purpose of considering the proposed design of the Emmet Streetscape project under State project number of U000-104- 297, P101, R201, C501 and Federal project number of BR-5104 (159) in the City of Charlottesville, at which hearing aerial photographs, drawings, environmental documentation and other pertinent information were made available for public inspection in accordance with state and federal requirements; and WHEREAS, all persons and parties in attendance were afforded full opportunity to participate in said public hearing; and WHEREAS, representatives of the City of Charlottesville were present and participated in said hearing; and WHEREAS, the Council had previously requested the Virginia Department of Transportation to program this project; and WHEREAS, the Council fully deliberated and considered all such matters; now THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Charlottesville hereby approves the major design features of the proposed project as presented at the Public Hearing with the following changes: 1) The configuration of the bike lane to be located adjacent to the shared-use path (with separation strip) and offset further away from the vehicular travel lanes on two segments of the project. Segments in which this change was made are on the west side of Emmet Street from the railroad to Arlington Boulevard and on the east side of Emmet Street from Massie Road to Copeley Road. 2) Reconfigure the pedestrian and bike lane crossings at entrances and intersections to provide an increased offset from the Emmet Street travel lanes to improve visibility and safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Charlottesville will acquire and/or furnish all right-of-way necessary for this project and certify the same to the Virginia Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration at the appropriate time. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Manager is hereby authorized to execute, on behalf of the City of Charlottesville, all necessary agreements required in conjunction with acquiring such rights of way, as well as all other associated standard agreements for construction activities. Adopted this _______ day of April , 2020. City of Charlottesville, Virginia ATTEST: _____________________ BY:_________________________ CLERK OF COUNCIL MAYOR Attachment E - Design Public Hearing Displays All of the below materials are linked to the project website, https://www.emmetstreetscape.org/, and are available under the Resources tab in an accessible format using the following links: o Notice  Design Public Hearing Notice November 3, 2019 (PDF) o Meeting Material  Meeting Transcript  Meeting Comment Sheets with Responses  Meeting Sign-In Sheet  Emmet Streetscape Plan View  Emmet Streetscape Typical Sections  Emmet Streetscape Project Furnishings  Emmet Streetscape Project Landscape Palate  Emmet Streetscape Level of Service  Emmet Streetscape Multi-Modal Existing Conditions Board  Emmet Streetscape Welcome  Emmet Streetscape Brochure and Comment Form  Emmet Streetscape Design Plans  NEPA Document City of Charlottesville City Council July 20, 2020 Tonight’s Agenda • Resolution to proceed with Right-of-Way Acquisition Process/Schedule Smart Scale Project Description Objective: A complete street that works for all users Features: • Bike lanes on both sides • 10-ft asphalt multi-use path • Audible pedestrian signals & ADA standard curb ramps • 5-ft grassy buffer planted with street trees between the multi-use path and Emmet • Landscaped center median extended to the ped. bridge • Bus shelters and optimize/consolidate bus stops • Traffic signal coordination Emmet Street Corridor Process/Schedule We are here! August, 2021 Public Engagement Overview Steering Committee • Gregg Bleam, Lewis Mountain • Peter Ohlms, Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Neighborhood Assoc. Committee • Thomas Funari, Federal Realty, • Abigail Palko, The Meadows Barracks Road Shopping Center Neighborhood Assoc. • Lisa Green, Planning Commission • Vipul Patel, Gallery Court Hotel • Alex Ikefuna, Neighborhood Development Services • Nat Perkins, P.E., UVA Foundation • Laura Knott, Tree Commission • Rebecca White, University of Virginia • Hamilton Lombard, Venable • Peter Russell, Tree Commission Neighborhood Assoc. • Jess Wenger, Fry’s Spring Neighborhood • Mary Hughes, University of Virginia Assoc. • Beth Meyer, Lewis Mountain • Bobbie Williams, Jefferson Park Ave Neighborhood Assoc. Neighborhood Assoc. • Claude Morris, Buckingham Branch Railroad Company Website - http://www.emmetstreetscape.com/ Public Outreach & Engagement • 4/18/18: Steering Committee Meeting • 5/12/18: Community Info. Mtg. 1 • 8/9/18: Steering Committee Meeting • 9/13/18: CAT/UTS Meeting • 9/17/18: UVA Student Info. Meeting • 12/3/19: Design Public Hearing Public Outreach & Engagement Key Feedback: Community Info. Meeting 1 • Understanding use and perceptions • Autocentric, congested, unsafe…. • Understanding vision for future use • Safe, walkable, bike and pedestrian friendly • East or West Tunnel location • 11 of 14 prefer West • Walking Tour (Valuable Feedback!) • Not accommodating for pedestrians or bikes. Public Outreach & Engagement Key Feedback: UVA Student Info. Mtg. • Understanding student use • Improve bike/ped facilities, safety at Emmet/Ivy/ University is important, Central & North Grounds, Barracks Road Shopping Center are major destinations • Vision for future use • Protected and raised bicycle lanes, better bike and pedestrian accommodations at Emmet/Ivy/University • East or West Tunnel location • East side preferred by some because it’s convenient for Lambeth residents, west side preferred by some because of major destinations, east side deviation from the street would be a safety concern Public Outreach & Engagement Key Feedback: Website Survey • Understanding current use and perceptions • Concerns about traffic, lack of bike/ped accommodations, traffic signal coordination • Understanding vision for future use • Accessible and safe crosswalks, coordinated traffic signals, and separate & dedicated spaces for bikes and peds identified as top priorities • East or West Tunnel location • 60/40 preference for west side Conceptual Design Review Study Options • SUP Path Location • Bike Lane Configuration • Mid-block crossing at Goodwin Bridge • Width configurations • Transit Emmet/Ivy to RR Concepts RR to Massie Concepts Massie to Arlington Concepts Design Design Features • Public and Stakeholder Engagement Input • Bike lane • Shared-Use Path • Transit • Traffic operations Typical Section – Emmet St. at Ivy Rd. Typical Section – Emmet St. RR Underpass Typical Section – RR Underpass to Pedestrian Bridge Typical Section – Pedestrian Bridge to Arlington Blvd. Design Emmet/Ivy to RR RR to Massie Massie to Arlington Shared-Use Path Tunnel Emmet Street RR Bridge Bridge #: 1834 Type: I-Beam 48’-91/4” Clearance: 19’ – 7” B/R to Ground Built: 1934 E70 Loading Ballast Deck south approach north approach Concept Design Liner Plate Underpass Next Steps • Council Approval for ROW • April 6, 2020 • ROW Acquisition Complete • April 2021 • Advertise Construction • August 2021 Thank you! Questions?