[4] Design Effective Facilities

CDTC's existing commitments make a substantial contribution to pavement and bridge conditions, preservation of transit services, intermodal connections and strategic transportation improvements linked to land use plans. Honoring CDTC's commitments to strategic transit and highway projects can best be accomplished by refining project scopes and designs to fit with the New Visions principles. Effective transportation facilities accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians where appropriate, address the needs of an aging society, provide for goods movement and delivery, and reduce conflicts between local and through traffic. Community compatibility is as important as moving traffic under this definition of effectiveness. Multiple objectives are embraced in major projects, rather than primary focus on physical condition or traffic capacity in the design process.

Expected Benefits

Being more creative -- trying new approaches using the principles developed from New Visions -- will make existing resources go further. Modest, but noticeable benefits will accrue to almost every aspect of transportation system performance, most notably the condition of the region's infrastructure, and improved user and societal costs.

Implications

Significant institutional changes will be required from all levels of government to successfully implement this strategy. The budgetary implications assume a degree of making better use of existing revenues. Full implementation of this strategy goes beyond "system preservation" and will likely require dedicated transportation fund sources over those projected from existing sources. Please refer to the Budget chapter for further information.

Actions

19) Improve continuity between the planning, programming and design.

Highway project design has historically been conducted in a step-wise fashion -- after planning but before construction. Connections to both involved "hand-offs" between departments, agencies, or contractors. A systems approach uses a team of planners, designers, and construction personnel to develop projects. Project-specific decisions are put in the context of overall transportation system policy, goals, and budget constraints. Consistency in treatment between projects is improved. Implementing actions include:

· Revise NYSDOT’s project scoping and development procedures manual to allow increased flexibility in the application of AASHTO standards on non-NHS routes;

· Increase involvement of NYSDOT design personnel and city engineering departments in planning processes;

· Increase inter-agency communication; and

· Provide more effective (earlier, more frequent) public participation in project design.

Existing staff resources at CDTC, NYSDOT, and other affected agencies can be reallocated to allow more project development to occur prior to "engineering". The time allotted to developing alternative treatments is increased at the conceptual stage -- but many fewer alternatives are advanced to detailed study. This approach reduces delays resulting from litigation and unfavorable public reaction by reaching agreement at the conceptual stage -- before a lot of engineering resources have been invested. Support for the project alternative builds in the process. Both project development time and costs are reduced in the end because mistakes are avoided. Essentially, more project design happens "up front" thus extending the planning process, but smoothing implementation.

20) Mitigate congestion only when such improvements are consistent with the adopted principles.

New Visions represents a fundamental change from "business as usual" at the same time that it builds on a strong foundation of regional cooperation, sound planning and participatory decision-making. Throughout the work of the task forces (Phase 2) and the outreach period (Phase 3), continued support for existing commitments was heard. People generally agreed with the priority assigned to infrastructure maintenance, the congestion management approach, and supported specific projects like Albany International Airport access and the Selkirk Bypass. While this strategy stresses a creative approach to these projects, the fact that a fundamental commitment to delivering on promises made in the past should not be lost.

Arterial spacing is inadequate in the Capital District because of suburban development unaccompanied by highway investment. Currently programmed infrastructure and capacity improvements can help restore mobility function to major arterials by encouraging through trips to avoid residential corridors. Concurrent judicious use of traffic signals along residential corridors carrying more than 15,000 vehicles per day will improve their safety, the efficient movement of traffic and pedestrians, and overall livability. Modeled after Western and Washington Avenues in the city of Albany, actuated traffic signals can provide for progressive movement of traffic at a definite speed and interrupt traffic at regular intervals to permit pedestrians or other vehicles to cross.

Some projects on the current TIP are appropriate candidates for the incorporation of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Issues task force's Technical Report identifies 52 TIP (1994-99 TIP) projects that have this potential. The ensuing discussion in this report is not intended to put the responsible agencies "on the spot", but rather to offer examples of what might be done within existing project scopes to more fully incorporate bicycle and pedestrian travel.

Beyond projects listed in the current TIP, this action anticipates further strategic intersection improvements and limited road widening when consistent with New Visions principles. The magnitude of these future projects is expected to be considerably less than that of the 1994-99 TIP however.

21) Routinely make road projects bicycle, pedestrian and transit friendly.

Priority networks (Action 6 on page 84) state the region's important facilities for upgrades for non-auto modes. Beyond these priority facilities, improving the "friendliness" of the transportation system to people who want to walk, bike and take transit also requires attention. This does not mean that sidewalks should be put along rural roads or bike lanes striped where they are not warranted. It does mean, however, that on the priority network, lack of inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian design features must be justified, and off the priority network, these features should be considered and included where it makes sense to do so.

Transportation system enhancements, such as improved lighting, bicycle and pedestrian accommodation, and transit amenities (bus shelters, park and ride lots, and pullouts) help remedy past and prevent future disruptions caused by transportation infrastructure. In addition to enhancing community appearance, incorporating generous amounts of green space and mature plantings can partially mitigate existing and worsening traffic/land use conflict. When employed effectively, landscape features can also help slow traffic through residential corridors, which increases safety, particularly for pedestrians and bicyclists. Native landscaping materials further minimize disruption to the ecosystem, and are particularly important to use in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Albany Pine Bush.

Transit trips are essentially extensions of walk trips. Both within existing developed areas and in newly developing areas, the safety, ease and convenience of pedestrian and bike access to transit is a significant factor influencing the potential success of bus or rail service. Transit amenities can make a big difference in transit ridership. There is strong evidence that time spent waiting for a bus is perceived more negatively than time spent traveling. Minimizing the negative connotations of waiting can be accomplished by the incorporation of bus shelters into the design of new or redeveloped sites. The addition of adequately sized, architecturally compatible shelters in major transit corridors and provision of additional, smaller shelters throughout the service area will also help. All bus stops should have a minimum of a paved waiting surface and safe access. Sidewalks along bus routes and leading to bus stops, crosswalks, lighting, shelters and benches, bike racks on buses, and better snow removal and street maintenance practices are also needed.

As TIP projects are designed, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit accommodations should be aggressively considered. Sidewalks, pedestrian actuated traffic signals, and mid-block pedestrian crossings need to be present along a much greater percentage of streets and highways than is the case today for noticeable effects to be seen. Furthermore, these accommodations must serve mobility-impaired people and wheelchair users. Well-marked crosswalks across eight lanes of traffic don't do much good if signal timing is not sufficient to cross safely and/or a median refuge is not provided. In some cases, looking beyond the project limits will be required in order to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian travel. A classic example of this concern is found in areas where developers are required to install sidewalks along roads in front of their projects. The sidewalks end at the property limits, and pedestrians walk in the road for at least part of their journey. In some cases, bicyclist accommodation on a parallel or separate facility may be preferable to a wide shoulder on a busy state highway.

Traffic calming is an umbrella term for a variety of actions ranging from allowing on-street parking to installing speed bumps or speed tables to street closures. Traffic calming reduces dangerous conflicts between cyclists/pedestrians and motor vehicles and creates a comfortable balance between motor vehicle and non-motor vehicle activity. These actions make a street or area less attractive to cars, although only the most aggressive applications actually prohibit car use. When traffic calming occurs, motorists determine new "best routes" and traffic works towards a new equilibrium. Communities can advance traffic calming plans at modest cost, and if properly designed, at limited impact on regional mobility.

Traffic calming steps can be included in road projects where appropriate and justified by conflict indices. This will not necessarily result in more traffic congestion; CDTC investigations have suggested that a carefully planned traffic calming effort can maintain or even improve the efficiency of motor vehicle circulation in an area. Residential and mixed-use corridors and neighborhoods are the most appropriate places to apply traffic calming techniques.

Providing additional travel choices connects communities in new ways. Children will significantly benefit from this approach. Instead of being chauffeured, they will be able to be more self-sufficient, as long as the alternatives provided are safe, affordable, and convenient.

22) Expand the regional road network to include greater use of service roads and collector streets.

Frontage or service roads are currently located along Wolf Road, Washington Avenue Extension, NY 146 in Clifton Park, parts of New Scotland Road, and other places in the region. They provide access to residential and commercial properties in these heavily traveled corridors. Additional use of this arterial management technique will make the entire transportation system more effective. It should be pursued aggressively in corridors where land is available for cost-effective implementation.