HomeMy Public PortalAboutBike_introCity of Richmond
Bicycle and Pedestrian
Master Plan
Richmond, Indiana
June 2015
2
City of Richmond
Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
Richmond, Indiana
50 North 5th Street
Richmond, Indiana 47374
www.richmondindiana.gov
Mayor
Sally Hutton
Richmond Common Council
Ron Oler, Ph.D., President
J. Clayton Miller
Larry Parker
Doug Goss
Misty Hollis
Kelley Cruse-Nicholson
Phil Quinn
Dan Winget
Bruce Wissel
Richmond Plan Commission
Bruce Wissel, President
Chera LaForge
Ray Ontko
Joe Price
Steve Stevens
Greg Steins
Gary Turner
Jason Whitney
Dick Foore
Len Clark
Benny Young
3CITY OF RICHMOND Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the following people and organizations:
Department of Metropolitan Development
Tony Foster, Executive Director
Sarah Mitchell, City Planner
Ashley Schultz, Planning Technician
Sharon Palmer, Community Development Specialist
Advisory Committee
Maria Beeler
Don Benedict
TL Bosell
Joyce Carr
Barry Cramer
John Dils
Shea Henke
Misty Hollis
Mary Jones
Chera Laforge
Marshall Ma
Karen Montgomery
Denise Reitz
Greg Steins
Aaron Stevens
Bill Thistlewaite
Jason Whitney
Scott Zimmerman
prepared by:
Rundell Ernstberger Associates
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5CITY OF RICHMOND Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 06
CHAPTER 2 - EXISTING CONDITIONS 12
CHAPTER 3 - RECOMMENDATIONS 28
CHAPTER 4 - IMPLEMENTATION 42
CHAPTER 5 - OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE 48
CHAPTER 6 - FACILITIES GUIDE 56
APPENDIX 60
Appendix A: Community Survey with Results 62
Appendix B: Community Form #1 and #2 maps (11x17 fold outs) 101
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: STUDY AREA 07
FIGURE 2: INVENTORY MAP 19
FIGURE 3: NORTHWEST QUADRANT INVENTORY MAP 21
FIGURE 4: NORTHEAST QUADRANT INVENTORY MAP 23
FIGURE 5: SOUTHWEST QUADRANT INVENTORY MAP 25
FIGURE 6: SOUTHEAST QUADRANT INVENTORY MAP 27
FIGURE 7: HUB AND SPOKE CONCEPT MAP 29
FIGURE 8: PROPOSED ROUTES MAP 31
FIGURE 9: NORTHWEST QUADRANT PROPOSED ROUTES MAP 33
FIGURE 10: NORTHEAST QUADRANT PROPOSED ROUTES MAP 35
FIGURE 11: SOUTHWEST QUADRANT PROPOSED ROUTES MAP 37
FIGURE 12: SOUTHEAST QUADRANT PROPOSED ROUTES MAP 39
FIGURE 13: DOWNTOWN PROPOSED ROUTES MAP 42
FIGURE 14: SHORT TERM CAPITAL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION CHART 44
FIGURE 15: MID-TERM CAPITAL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION CHART 45
FIGURE 16: LONG TERM CAPITAL PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION CHART 46
INTRODUCTION6 INVENTORYRECOMMENDATIONSFACILITIES GUIDEIMPLEMENTATIONOPERATIONS ANDMAINTENANCEIntroduction
PROJECT HISTORY
The City of Richmond has a rich history which
can be seen throughout the community. With
its stock of historical architecture, cultural and
environmental assets, Richmond is a beautiful
place to call home and has attracted many
residents and businesses with its small-town
charms. Recent initiatives have strived to
capitalize on the unique character of Richmond
while growing the community by providing
quality of life amenities. One such initiative
includes the continuing development of the
bicycle and pedestrian systems. The Cardinal
Greenway has demonstrated the success
such facilities can bring to a city. Providing
a complete system of bicycle and pedestrian
facilities to offer a variety of options for modes
of travel and recreation for the residents of
the City will add to the attractiveness of the
community as a place to live and work.
With this overall goal in mind, the City of
Richmond, with assistance from the Indiana State
Department of Health, commissioned Rundell
Ernstberger Associates to provide a Bike and
Pedestrian Master Plan. This plan will serve as
the roadmap for the city when planning new
bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This document
includes documentation of the process used to
develop recommendations for the City to take
Richmond to the next level with implementation
of new bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Many areas of Richmond are walkable and
bikeable. However, there are many gaps in
the system creating challenges for residents
trying to travel to key destinations and between
neighborhoods by bicycle and on foot. While
the existing facilities have increased the number
of people biking and walking in the City, a more
comprehensive and complete system will provide
more direct, convenient and safe travel for all
modes of transportation.
PLAN AREA
The planning area for the Richmond Bicycle and
Pedestrian Master Plan includes the incorporated
city limits for Richmond. Richmond is the County
seat for Wayne County and had a population of
36,812 according to the 2010 census. Richmond
is located at the Crossroads of America within
100 miles of three major cities including
Indianapolis, Columbus, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
This study area includes a variety of community
character types including the older, urbanized
areas of downtown to suburban neighborhoods
along US Route 40 to the open rural areas on
the outskirts of town. In the downtown area,
residents have greater opportunities to walk
and bike to schools, recreation, employment and
commercial districts. There are more facilities
provided within the downtown area, although
they are not always up to code or in ideal
condition. Most of the suburban neighborhoods
do not have existing sidewalks or paths. These
neighborhoods were built in a time where
planning only allowed for the accommodation
of the automobile. Some of the streets in
residential areas have lower speeds allowing for
somewhat comfortable riding or walking along
the edge of the roadway but several of these
roadways have become cut-through routes and
are not safe in any form of travel other than in a
car. The rural areas of Wayne County support
biking and walking but only on low-traffic county
roads which come with their own challenges and
dangers. Many of these roadways are narrow
and have hills with blind spots and little room to
accommodate bicycling and walking. Awareness
on these roadways is low in terms of looking for
users that are not in motor vehicles.
Although the study area includes only the areas
shown in Figure 1, regional connections should
still be made with the larger regional area.
This includes connections to routes within Ohio,
connections extending the Cardinal Greenway
north and south from the community and area
connections to the Cope Environmental Center to
the west.
7CITY OF RICHMOND Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan
South 18th Street
Figure 1 - Study Area
Glen Miller Park
INTRODUCTION8 INVENTORYRECOMMENDATIONSFACILITIES GUIDEIMPLEMENTATIONOPERATIONS ANDMAINTENANCEIntroduction
INTRODUCTION
Implementing the recommendations of this Bicycle
and Pedestrian Master Plan has the potential to
greatly improve bicycle and pedestrian safety
in Richmond and catalyze many associated
benefits.
Benefits of Bicycling and Walking
Alternative transportation modes, including
biking and walking, play important but often
overlooked roles in an efficient, equitable,
and healthy transportation system. Improved
alternative transportation conditions and
increased use of these modes provide a
multitude of benefits, particularly when
substituted for automobile travel. Some of these
benefits are obvious and widely recognized;
others are less well known. This section
describes various categories of the benefits.
This information is useful for evaluating policies,
programs, and infrastructure projects that
support alternative transportation.
Increased bicycling and walking activity is the
catalyst that could enable these widespread
benefits for the Richmond area. Many
communities nationwide have found that the best
way to increase non-motorized travel activity
is by improving the bicycling and walking
conditions in their transportation corridors
through the provision of facilities such as those
recommended in this plan.
Quality of Life
There are many amenities that can add to
the quality of place for a community. One of
the highest indicators is being recognized as
a bicycle and pedestrian friendly community.
A high quality of life can influence young
people to stay in Richmond to raise their
families, and it can also convince businesses
to locate in Richmond. These amenities help
businesses attract and retain a talented
workforce. Numerous quality of place indicators
are enhanced by the ability to safely and
comfortably bicycle and walk. Bicycle and
pedestrian accommodation provides a greater
variety of transportation choices, enables
lifelong communities to be created in which
resident of a particular place can comfortably
progress through all stages of life, enhances
and reserves the character of communities, helps
maintain property values, and offers abundant
recreation opportunities.
Public Health
Providing options for alternative transportation
by creating a network of bicycle and pedestrian
facilities is an ideal way for Richmond’s residents
to build recreation and daily exercise into their
daily routines. The state of Indiana ranks as
one of the highest in the nation for adult obesity.
The state’s rates of diabetes, hypertension, and
physical inactivity also rank among the highest
in the United States. Thirty minutes of moderate
exercise 5 days a week can significantly reduce
risks for many illnesses including heart disease,
high blood pressure, arthritis, depression and
obesity. Providing bicycle and pedestrian
facilities that are convenient with easy access can
increase the number of residents who are able
to incorporate these types of activities increasing
the overall health of the community. Beyond the
physical benefits, bicycling and walking activity
can also improve mental health. These health
improvements can lead to lower health care costs
in Richmond. Various studies indicate a median
average health care cost saving of $128 per
person per year compared to individuals who
report a lack of recommended physical activity.
Environmental Benefits
Air quality for the community can be improved
with more people bicycling and walking
instead of driving their cars, leading to lower
greenhouse gas emissions. The importance of
this benefit is underscored by the fact that the
short auto trips that bicycling and walking would
replace are those that produce the highest level
of emissions. Furthermore, shifting to active
transportation modes helps reduce economic
dependence on fossil fuels.
Transportation Alternatives
9CITY OF RICHMOND Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan
For many residents of Richmond, bicycling and
walking are key elements of transportation
mobility. This mobility can be realized by
providing safe non-motorized access to schools
and learning centers for the area’s youth, and by
constructing new bicycle and pedestrian facilities
in locations with significant senior and low-income
populations. Improved biking and walking
facilities provide basic mobility for people who
do not have personal automobiles and provide
access to public transportation for longer trips.
Economic Benefits
Promoting and accommodating bicycling and
walking can lead to significant local economic
benefits. For example, new facilities (both on-
road and off-road) can lead to bicycling related
tourism bringing visitors into town for shopping
and restaurants. Bicycle and pedestrian
facilities can attract certain types of business
which employ a creative and highly educated
working class who are looking for these types of
facilities, in particular bicycling facilities. Biking
and walking infrastructure are explicitly cited by
civic leaders from across the country as attributes
they use to attract business investment and to
help their existing businesses to attract and
retain workers.
Safety
Well-designed bicycle and pedestrian facilities
promote safe bicycling and walking habits. This,
in turn, reduces bicycling and pedestrian crashes.
Crashes occur when an individual violates traffic
law, and or the expectation of other roadway
users. Good design encourages legal and
predictable behaviors. Designs that reduce
motor vehicles speeds, or speeds of conflict
points, are correlated with reduced crash raters
and reduced crash severity.
INTRODUCTION10INVENTORYRECOMMENDATIONSFACILITIES GUIDEIMPLEMENTATIONOPERATIONS ANDMAINTENANCEIntroduction
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Richmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Master
Plan sets forth a roadmap for construction of a
complete system of facilities to connect people to
neighborhoods, schools, shopping centers and parks.
This network will provide people with the opportunity
to reach these destinations by foot or by bicycle
rather than utilizing their motor vehicles. Such a
complete system will provide many benefits to the
City including:
• Increased health through active travel
• Increased environmental sustainability through
preservation of naturalized areas and reduction
in carbon dioxide from fewer vehicular trips
• Increased amenities for recreation and exercise
• Increased economic growth through increased
property values near amenities
• Enhancing community pride and identity by
becoming a bike and pedestrian focused
community
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan contains
goals and policies for developing and implementing
a system that will create safe, attractive and
convenient options for bicycling and walking for all
types of users. This will include trips for work, school,
and recreation. The goals provide the long-range
vision to the plan and determine the desired direction
of bicycle and pedestrian planning. The objectives
supporting the goals are more specific statements of
how to accomplish the goals and identify means of
measuring the fulfillment of the goals.
The goals and objectives reflect the current planning
efforts of the City of Richmond and will help the City
to determine priorities for continuing to develop the
bicycle and pedestrian system.
GOAL 1: IMPROVE SAFETY FOR BICYCLISTS
AND PEDESTRIANS.
Objectives:
• Plan, design and construct bicycle and pedestrian
improvements to meet or exceed guidelines for
bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Monitor bicycle and pedestrian related accidents
to determine areas in need of improvements.
• Work with law enforcement departments to
develop education and enforcement programs
to increase the awareness of all road users for
rules and regulations concerning bicyclists and
pedestrians utilizing the roadways.
• Develop and distribute information materials
informing all roadway users of their rights and
responsibilities concerning bicyclists, pedestrians,
and motorists.
• Develop bicycle and pedestrian facilities to
provide safe and convenient routes between
neighborhoods, schools, employment centers, and
recreational opportunities.
• Design roadway crossings to maximize bicyclists
and pedestrians safety.
GOAL 2: IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY FOR THE
NETWORK OF FACILITIES.
Objectives:
• Design and develop bicycle and pedestrian
facilities to link major activity centers including
schools, parks, shopping centers, and employment
centers to encourage bicycling and walking as
alternative modes of transportation.
• Provide safe and convenient bicycle and
pedestrian accommodations for every type of
trip and user.
• Provide bicycle and pedestrian amenities on
routes linking schools with libraries, trails, parks,
and recreational sites that encourage the
mobility of school age children.
• Eliminate gaps in the existing system and improve
sub-standard conditions of facilities within the
network.
• Provide safe and convenient bicycle and
pedestrian connections where natural or man-
made barriers restrict access.
11CITY OF RICHMOND Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan
GOAL 3: INCREASE RECREATIONAL
AND ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
OPPORTUNITIES TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY
LIVING.
Objectives:
• Provide access to bicycle and pedestrian
facilities for a variety of users including walkers,
runners, bicyclists, wheelchair users, strollers,
and other non-motorized recreationalists and
commuters.
• Establish bicycle and pedestrian connections
between parks to allow travel back and
forth between the parks without the use of an
automobile.
• Provide off-road and on-road facilities to
provide opportunities for different levels of
recreation and commuting for various user levels.
• Install bicycle parking at public buildings, retail
areas, employment centers and recreational
areas.
GOAL 4: INCREASE THE QUALITY OF LIFE
FOR RESIDENTS IN RICHMOND.
Objectives:
• Maintain the network of bicycle and pedestrian
facilities to create a safe, convenient and
effective bicycle and pedestrian network.
• Design and implement a network of bicycle and
pedestrian facilities to create an amenity to
attract new businesses and residents to the area.
• Foster opportunities for economic growth through
the creation of bicycle and pedestrian related
businesses.
• Promote the efficient use of existing resources
by developing bicycle and pedestrian facilities
within publicly held lands.
• Pursue public and private funding sources to
facilitate faster growth of the system. Funding
sources might include multi-jurisdictional, private
entities, and other potential partners such as
health agencies, and school districts.
GOAL 5: ENCOURAGE BICYCLING AND
WALKING THROUGH EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH.
Objectives:
• Encourage bicycling and walking as an
alternative to the automobile and as a means to
reduce pollution and congestion while increasing
mobility choices in the community.
• Provide programs utilizing the network of bicycle
and pedestrian facilities such as fun runs, festival
events, and group rides to increase awareness.
• Promote the benefits of recreational use of the
bicycle and pedestrian improvements through
school programs and informational materials.
• Encourage strategies to increase activity levels
of residents through promotion of bicycling and
walking activities.
• Design and install signage and mapping to
encourage bicycling and walking activities.