Miramonte Neighborhood Walkability Assessment Report

Transcription

1 Miramonte Neighborhood Walkability Assessment Report (May 2014) WALK REPORT PROMOTING STREETS FOR PEOPLE IN THE GREATER TUCSON REGION

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1-2 INTRODUCTION About Living Streets Alliance (LSA) Program Overview The Walkability Workshop The Walkability Audit Participation Overview 3-6 SUMMARY OF RESULTS Walkability Workshop Results Walkability Audit Results 8-10 RECOMMENDATIONS DIY Local Partnerships Long Term / Major Investment APPENDICES Walkability Assessment Maps THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE CITY OF TUCSON

4 INTRODUCTION ABOUT LIVING STREETS ALLIANCE (LSA) Founded in 2011, Living Streets Alliance (LSA) is a Tucson-based non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and advocating for sustainable alterative transportation options in the greater Tucson region. The mission of Living Streets Alliance is to promote healthy communities by empowering people to transform our streets into vibrant places for walking, bicycling, socializing, and play. In 2012, LSA launched a Pedestrian Safety & Comfort Campaign with the goal of making the simple act of walking safe, comfortable, and convenient in the greater Tucson region. The campaign encompassed a variety of initiatives geared toward improving walkability for people of all ages and abilities in the region. Implementation of the Neighborhood Walkability Assessment Program was one of many concrete objectives achieved through the campaign. neighborhood streets from a pedestrian perspective and initiated a conversation about neighborhood priorities regarding possible future improvements to the walking environment. The Neighborhood Walkability Assessment had two components, a Walkability Workshop and a Walkability Audit. Program goals Pilot and evaluate methods for neighborhood residents to conduct street inventories and collect data about sidewalk network and accessibility. Pilot and evaluate methods for collecting and assessing qualitative information from neighborhoods regarding walkability, walking experience, barriers to walking, etc. Help inform the upcoming Pima Associations of Government s (PAG) Pedestrian Plan update. Begin to develop a regional walkability database. PROGRAM OVERVIEW From February through April 2013, Living Streets Alliance conducted a pilot Neighborhood Walkability Assessment Program in three Tucson neighborhoods. Through the Neighborhood Walkability Assessments, LSA engaged residents in thinking and learning about walkability, while helping them identify the challenges that discourage walking and the assets that encourage walking in their neighborhoods. The program gave residents the opportunity to share their personal experiences of their A family navigating the street/sidewalk faces walkability challenges in the Miramonte neighborhood. 1

5 INTRODUCTION THE WALKABILITY WORKSHOP The Walkability Workshop was the first neighborhood engagement, designed to introduce participants to major concepts about walkability and identify key aspects of walking in the neighborhood. During the workshop, participants were invited to share their thoughts about walking, including why they walk in their neighborhood. An interactive mapping exercise asked participants to work in small groups with large aerial maps of the neighborhood and mark: Walking destinations in or around the neighborhood Neighborhood walking assets Neighborhood walking challenges Major walking routes (currently used routes and/or desired routes) THE WALKABILITY AUDIT Following the initial Walkability Workshop, LSA hosted a Walkability Audit to engage residents in completing a block-by-block assessment of their neighborhood walking environment. During the audit, using an audit survey form, participants collected data on different aspects of walkability, including pedestrian accessibility, safety, and comfort issues. The data collection was focused on specific blocks that had previously been identified as priority streets during the Walkability Workshop mapping exercise. OVERVIEW OF ENGAGEMENT WALKABILITY WORKSHOP: Date: 3/13/2013 Location: Ward 6 Office Number of Participants: 29 WALKABILITY AUDIT: Date: 3/23/2013 Number of Participants: 11 Details: Most of the participants expressed interest in completing the assessments in their own time. The audit date was designated as a flexible drop-in opportunity for residents to pick up audit forms and receive a short orientation on how to fill them out. A total of 66 blocks were surveyed. 2

6 SUMMARY OF RESULTS - WALKABILITY WORKSHOP 1. WHY DO YOU WALK? During the workshop, participants shared the reasons they walk. (Note: Each pedestrian icon indicates a response) For health Dog walking For exercise It s urban hiking! Adventure Enjoyment Social aspects To get to places 2. WALKING ASSETS, CHALLENGES AND DESTINATIONS SUMMARY OF KEY THEMES Walking Challenges - Summary Blocked access (El Con wall, fences/gates blocking access to shopping along Speedway, dead ends) Lack of sidewalks Dangerous crossing (lack of crosswalks along 5 th Street and Speedway) Maintenance litter, occasional abandoned shopping carts Areas of flooding Walking Destinations - Summary CAFES (E.G. STARBUCKS, IKE S) SHOPPING (E.G. WHOLEFOODS, WALGREENS, RINCON MARKET, EL CON) PARKS (ALVERNON PARK, HIMMEL PARK, MIRAMONTE PARK, REID PARK) Workshop participants worked together in small groups to identify key walking assets, challenges and destinations in the neighborhood. Visit the neighborhood Google Map to see everything that was shared. ENTERTAINMENT (LOFT CINEMA, CASA VIDEO) Walking Assets - Summary Parks 3 rd Street bike route Pedestrian crossings (HAWK light) Pedestrian amenities (drinking fountain) Walking destination, Miramonte Park 3

7 SUMMARY OF RESULTS - WALKABILITY AUDIT SURVEYED BLOCKS Residents surveyed 66 blocks in the Miramonte Neighborhood (surveyed blocks are shown in purple below). Both sides of each block were assessed individually, for a total of 132 block assessments. This represents roughly 60% of the neighborhood s blocks. 4

8 SUMMARY OF RESULTS - WALKABILITY AUDIT SIDEWALK INVENTORY The vast majority of surveyed blocks did not have continuous sidewalk coverage. Over a third of the surveyed blocks had no sidewalks at all, and over 40% had only partial sidewalks. In addition, only a third of the sidewalks inventoried had sidewalk ramps. Block rating Full and continuous sidewalks Some sidewalks (Partial or discontinuous) No sidewalks Percentage of total blocks (Total blocks assessed: 63) 21% (13 blocks) 43% (26 blocks) 39% (24 blocks) SAFETY Safety was not reported as a major issue during the walkability audit. Only 5% of surveyed blocks were reported as feeling unsafe or very unsafe. The vast majority of blocks were reported as feeling safe or very safe. Where safety was an issue it was primarily due to traffic (speeding and turning traffic off of Speedway). Participants reported they felt safe due to: light traffic, traffic calming, good sidewalks, comfortable wide streets, areas where there was a lot of activity, and other people around walking and biking. Block rating Very safe Safe Percentage of total blocks (Total blocks assessed: 61) 44% (27 blocks) 43% (26 blocks) Somewhat safe 8% (5 blocks) Unsafe or very unsafe 5% (3 block) NIGHT SAFETY Participants reported that they would feel comfortable at night on almost 40% of the surveyed blocks. Still, night safety may be somewhat of an issue, as over 50% of the blocks were reported as feeling only somewhat comfortable at night, and on two blocks the participants reported they would not feel comfortable walking at night. The primary factors contributing to this were reported as poor lighting and lack of sidewalks. Participants felt safe in some areas due to good lighting, good sidewalks, the presence of other people, and low front walls on residences. Block rating Would not feel comfortable walking here at night Would feel somewhat comfortable walking here at night Would feel comfortable walking here at night Unsure how safe it would feel Percentage of total blocks (Total blocks assessed: 66) 3% (2 blocks) 52% (34 blocks) 39% (26 blocks) 6% (4 blocks) 5

9 SUMMARY OF RESULTS - WALKABILITY AUDIT TRAFFIC SAFETY Overall, participants reported that traffic made them feel unsafe or somewhat unsafe on 34% of the surveyed blocks. Factors that contributed to this were areas with speeding traffic, a need for traffic calming, areas with cut-through traffic, and general traffic volume and speed along both 5 th Street and Country Club. People reported feeling safe when traffic was light, speeds were slow, speed bumps were present, or when wide streets or sidewalks provided space to get away from traffic. Block rating Traffic makes me feel unsafe or somewhat unsafe Traffic does not make me feel unsafe Percentage of total blocks (Total blocks assessed: 61) 34% (21 blocks) 66% (40 blocks) ATTRACTIVENESS Over half of the surveyed blocks were assessed as either attractive or very attractive, and no blocks were reported as very unattractive. Things that participants found attractive were well-maintained yards and homes, nice landscaping and vegetation, and street trees. Things that made blocks feel unattractive were a lack of vegetation, store fronts, and commercial/retail parking lots. Block rating Very attractive or attractive Unattractive Very unattractive Neutral (neither attractive or unattractive) Percentage of total blocks (Total blocks assessed: 61) 66% (40 blocks) 10% (6 blocks) 0 (blocks) 25% (15 blocks) SHADE Shade was in short supply on the surveyed blocks. 42% of blocks were reported as having no shade, and no blocks were reported as having full shade. Block rating No shade Some shade Moderate shade Full shade Percentage of total blocks (Total blocks assessed: 60) 42% (25 blocks) 43% (26 blocks) 15% (9 blocks) 0 (blocks) 6

10 A street view of Miramonte neighborhood 7

11 RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations are generated based on the findings of the Miramonte Neighborhood Walkability Assessment and presented in three categories: DIY for actions that residents can take themselves at low or no cost; Local Partnerships for improvements that may be implemented in collaboration with non-profit organizations or City agencies within existing funding opportunities and constraints; Long Term/Major Investment for improvements that require significant public dollars and can be implemented by the City as funding becomes available. $ RECOMMENDATIONS KEY DIY: Solutions neighborhoods can implement on their own Local Partnership: Solutions possible through partnering with local organizations Long Term / Major Investment: Solutions that require larger grants or funding DIY Complete the audit on un-surveyed blocks. Use the collected information to prioritize corridors for shade, traffic calming, and DIY maintenance needs. Initiate a conversation with the El Conquistador Neighborhood (located south of 5 th Street between Guapo Way and Dodge Boulevard) to find out if they would support approaching El Con Shopping Center to create a pedestrian access point along the wall at the southern end of Guapo Way or Palo Verde Boulevard. Initiate a conversation within the neighborhood about sending a request to Tucson Department of Transportation for a road diet along 5 th Street. The four-lane cross-section of 5 th Street between Country Club and Dodge constitutes a good potential candidate for a road diet (restriping the roadway to have one travel lane in each direction with a center turn lane). This configuration would decrease the number of vehicular travel lanes for pedestrians to cross and create room for bicycle lanes in each direction. Moreover, the center turn lane can accommodate pedestrian refuge islands in the future, as more funding becomes available. According to The U.S. Federal Highway Administration, road diets improve safety for all roadway users and reduce Before Road Diet After Road Diet Source: City of Tucson collisions by 29% on average. Roadways with Average Daily Traffic (ADT) of less than 20,000 are suitable for diets (ADT for this section of 5 th Street is 16,000) 8

12 RECOMMENDATIONS and under these circumstances a road diet is not likely to cause congestion since left-turning vehicles are directed into a center turn lane. for supplemental information: More information: tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org/trees-for-tucson/ low-cost-shade-trees/community-shade-trees/ Contact information: tft@treesfortucson.org or (520) Contact Watershed Management Group to inquire about an assessment of whether the flooding issues on Richey Blvd. can be addressed by installing green infrastructure, which is an environmentally sensitive stormwater management system utilizing planted basins that capture stormwater runoff off the street. After the initial consultation, follow funding announcements through Watershed Management Group for implementing green infrastructure projects that can double as traffic ca l mi n g strategi es ( s u ch a s ch i can es an d traffic ci rcl es ). Contact information: or watershedmg.org/contact Road Diet Source: City of Ann Arbor LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS Work with Trees for Tucson to plant additional shade trees in the neighborhood. Low-cost street trees are available through the Community Shade Trees Program. Prioritize corridors with the shade information collected during the Walkability Audit. PAG s tree canopy can also be utilized as a digital tool Approach the car dealership to initiate a dialogue about better landscaping and screening of the parking lot along Richey Blvd. between Speedway and 2 nd Street. Make it a collaborative neighborhood project, first gauging neighborhood resident volunteer interest. Follow up by planning an event to implement these landscape features. Initiate a neighborhood conversation about implementing traffic calming features (such as speed humps, traffic circles, etc.) along Camino Miramonte and on streets close to Speedway, where speeding is identified as a problem. Neighborhoods in Tucson have implemented these types of projects in the past and funding may become available again. 9

13 RECOMMENDATIONS $ LONG TERM/ MAJOR INVESTMENT Complete the sidewalk network by filling the sidewalk gaps, identified through the Walkability Assessment. Evaluate the sidewalk on the east side of Country Club Road just north of the alley between 2nd Street and 3rd Street where a hazardous situation was identified by neighborhood residents due to the sidewalk not being aligned on either side of the alley, forcing wheelchair users to be on a busy street. Allocate funding to address this area if it is determined to be a safety hazard. Build ramps at all intersections where they are not currently present, including alleys and streets. Fix heaving, buckling, and areas of tilted and severely cracked sidewalks. Install street lights. Explore the feasibility of realigning the curb to reduce the turning radii on streets where fast-turning traffic from Speedway is reported to have a negative effect on pedestrian safety (such as on Dodge and Camino Miramonte). Areas lacking sidewalks in Miramonte neighborhood 10

14 APPENDIX A 11

15 APPENDIX B 12

16 APPENDIX C 13

17 APPENDIX D 14

18 APPENDIX E 15

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20 WALK REPORT PROMOTING STREETS FOR PEOPLE IN THE GREATER TUCSON REGION