Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension Presentation to RTC July 17, 2015 Project Purpose Extend RAPID to UNR Improve safety & pedestrian access Create vibrant public spaces that are accessible to all Improve multimodal connections Restore pavement conditions
Project Summary Key Elements University Area Multimodal Hub / Gateway between 8 th & 9 th Streets 5 new RAPID stations to serve University Complete Street Improvements from 9 th Street to 15 th Street Bus-only lane & bike lane, bus/bike-only lane Roundabout at north project limit Midtown Liberty Street to Vassar Street Wide Sidewalks, On-Street Parking, Shared Travel Lanes, Median with Unsignalized Left Turns at W Taylor Street and Cheney Street, Consider Center Street Roundabout Vassar Street to Mt Rose Street Wide Sidewalks, On-Street Parking, Shared Travel Lanes, & Two-Way Left-Turn Lane Mt Rose Street to Wells Avenue Wider Sidewalks, On-Street Parking, Bus / Bike Only Lanes, Two-Way Left-Turn Lane 10 Project Side Streets: Configure to maximize parking
Virginia Street Bus RAPID Transit Extension Project Proposed RAPID Route Proposed Station Locations RTC 4TH STREET STATION Proposed Station Upgrades Existing RAPID Route http://virginiastreetrapidextension.com
Project Outreach 3 years of outreach for RTC planning study & UNR master plan Community Meetings/Workshops - April 14 & 15, June 18, August 25 Community Working Group Online Concept Preference Survey & 5,000+ mailers Midtown Business Outreach, 1-on-1 Meetings Great Street Coalition & other small group Extensive Media Coverage & RTC The Road Ahead SEgment Project Website: www.virginiastreetrapidextension.com
Community Engagement 25 Public & Stakeholder Meetings City of Reno University of Nevada, Reno Midtown Merchants Association Creative Coalition Great Streets Coalition
University Area Map Lawlor Events Center Roundabout Complete Street Improvements: Bus-only lane & bike lane College 11 th St Gateway RAPID Extension RTC 4TH STREET STATION
North Virginia Design Concept Multimodal Hub: 8 th Street to 9 th Street, includes: Bus-only lane Bike lane Landscaped median Transit station to be shared by RAPID, RIDE & UNR shuttle Bike parking Pedestrian plaza
North Virginia Design Concept 10 th Street to College Drive 9 th Street to 10 th Street & College Drive to 15 th Street
Midtown Area Map Complete Streets Improvements
Need for Improved Pedestrian Facilities Photo courtesy of Wood Rodgers
Midtown Design Concept Liberty Street to Vassar Street Direction from Reno City Council on 7/29/15: Maximize sidewalk width, street trees, & retain on-street parking where possible. Also recommend studying off-street parking lots and parallel bicycle facilities.
Midtown Design Concept Liberty Street to Vassar Street Design Concept Recommended by Reno City Council on 7/29/15
Midtown Design Concept Liberty Street to Vassar Street Design Concept Recommended by Reno City Council on 7/29/15
Midtown Refined Concept Median Circulation (Liberty to Vassar) Left turns only at W Taylor Street and Cheney Street Center Street Roundabout Parallel routes available West of Virginia Street Forest Street and Haskell Street East of Virginia Street Center Street and Holcomb Avenue Left Turn Left Turn Roundabout http://virginiastreetrapidextension.com
Midtown Design Concepts for August 25 th Meeting Vassar St. to Mt. Rose St/Holcomb Ave: Maximize Sidewalk Width Mt. Rose St/Holcomb Ave to Wells Ave: Bus/Bike Lane to improve transit operations http://virginiastreetrapidextension.com
Complete Streets Master Plan Bicycle Network RTC has added 160 miles of bike lanes since 2004, including 8 miles just last year. Center & Sierra Streets are recommended for downtown bike lane connectivity Lower traffic volumes Continuous & direct link http://virginiastreetrapidextension.com
Benefits of On-Street Parking Important to many local businesses Higher level of convenience preferred by many customers Many local businesses do not have off-street parking lots Provides pedestrian shield for adjacent sidewalk Reduces auto travel speeds & improves safety for all Image Source: Great Streets Coalition
Proposed On-Street Parking Increases * Parking # is based on Left Turns at signalized intersections and W Taylor Street & Cheney Street
Midtown Design Concept Side Street Parking on Tahoe Street
Midtown Design Concept Side Street Parking on St Lawrence Ave
Midtown Off-Street Parking Lot Evaluation 25 properties were identified for evaluation 11 properties were listed for sale as of 9/15/15 for a total of $3.4M Land acquisition would yield space for 200 parking spaces Estimated additional $1.2M required for property demolition and improvements $22,632/parking space considered high due to small lot sizes available and land cost Available properties would require further evaluation for suitability due to proximity to residential properties or due to City of Reno Land Use Plans http://virginiastreetrapidextension.com
Midtown Off-Street Parking Lot Evaluation Drawbacks to Public Off-Street Parking Lots Reduces development potential & population/employment density Parking lots provide no transit or air quality benefits & does not meet purpose and need of project Ignores a larger district wide parking context approach; risk of making a poor investment Potential City of Reno Actions: Adjust City standards to encourage private parking lot development Partner with private parking lot owners to develop shared parking agreements Consider metered parking to increase turnover & revenue stream
Design for a Safe & Vibrant Community Image Source: Great Streets Coalition Key Features of Design Recommended by Council on July 29, 2015 Wide Sidewalks On-Street Parking Street Trees Slower Travel Speeds
Project Summary Key Elements University Area Multimodal Hub / Gateway between 8 th & 9 th Streets 5 new RAPID stations to serve University Complete Street Improvements from 9 th Street to 15 th Street Bus-only lane & bike lane, bus/bike-only lane Roundabout at north project limit Midtown Liberty Street to Vassar Street Wide Sidewalks, On-Street Parking, Shared Travel Lanes, Median with Unsignalized Left Turns at W Taylor Street and Cheney Street, Consider Center Street Roundabout Vassar Street to Mt Rose Street Wide Sidewalks, On-Street Parking, Shared Travel Lanes, & Two-Way Left-Turn Lane Mt Rose Street to Wells Avenue Wider Sidewalks, On-Street Parking, Bus / Bike Only Lanes, Two-Way Left-Turn Lane 10 Project Side Streets: Configure to maximize parking