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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTHE DISTRICT AT CAMPUS WEST - FDP - FDP120021 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - TRAFFIC STUDYTransportation Impact Study The District at Campus West Fort Collins, Colorado January 2012 ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Engineering Solutions The District at Colorado State University Transportation Impact Study Fort Collins, Colorado January 21, 2012 Prepared for: Fort Collins Student Housing, LLC 1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd Suite 1100 West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Prepared by: Eric L. Bracke, P.E., P.T.O.E. 5401 Taylor Lane Fort Collins, CO 80528 Office:970-988-7551 Fax:970-225-8942 ELBEngineering@lpbroadband.net This document, together with the concepts and designs presented herein, as an instrument of service, is intended only for the specific purpose and client for which it was prepared. Reuse of and improper reliance on this document without written authorization from ELB Engineering, LLC shall be without liability to ELB Engineering, LLC. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1 Introduction 1 2. Agency Discussions 1 3. Existing Conditions 3 4. Project Description 7 5. Traffic Projections 11 6. Traffic Analysis 14 7. Improvements 15 8. Multimodal Analysis 16 9. Conclusions 20 List of Tables Table Page 1. LOS Definitions 6 2. Existing Operation 6 3. Trip Generation 8 4. 2011 Background Capacity Analysis 14 5. 2011 Total Traffic Capacity Analysis 15 6. Progression Impact 16 7. Transit Travel Time Comparisons/Analysis 19 List of Figures Figures Page 1. Vicinity Map 2 2. Existing Peak Hour Traffic 5 3. Site Plan 8 4. Trip Distribution 9 5. Site Distributed Traffic 10 6. Year 2016 Background Traffic 12 7. Year 2016 Total Traffic 13 8. Multimodal Evaluation Area 17 APPENDIX A. Base Assumptions/Scoping Form B. Traffic Counts C. HCM Capacity Analysis – Base Condition D. HCM Capacity Analysis – Background E. HCM Capacity Analysis – 2016 Total Traffic F. Signal Progression The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 1 1.0 Introduction This transportation impact study addresses the “The District at Campus West” located west of the Colorado State University Campus. The project is a redevelopment of an existing, older residential development. The project is located on the north side of Plum Street between the intersections of City Park and Blue Bell. The housing that currently is situated on the site is currently older dwelling units that appear to be student housing. There are single family units and apartments on the site. The project is a student housing development and for analysis purposes, the project will be built in one-phase. Figure 1 on the following page is a vicinity map displaying the location of the project. 2.0 Agency Discussions Initial discussions with City staff indicated that an intermediate study traffic study as described in Chapter 4 of the Larimer County Urban Area Streets Standards (LCUASS) would be appropriate for this particular development. The project is considered infill and redevelopment and there are no recently approved projects in the area that need to be considered in the analysis. There are no perceived capacity or infrastructure deficiencies in the immediate area that are of concern at the on- set of this study. Appendix A contains the form (Attachment A), which outlines the agreed to scope of the study. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 2  The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 3 3.0 Existing Conditions 3.1. Current Traffic Recent peak hour turning movements at the key intersections were obtained during March 2011 at the major intersection of Shields and Plum. The minor street traffic was counted during September 2008. The area is fully developed and there is no expectation that traffic on Bluebell or Scott has changed. The use of the older traffic counts was agreed to during the scoping process. The counts at Shield/Plum are nearly identical today as they were in 2008 which verifies the assumption. In fact, since 2005, traffic at Shields and Plum as dropped approximately 4%. Morning and afternoon peak hour traffic counts at the key intersections are displayed in Figure 2. The peak hour counts were conducted in 15 minute increments for the periods of 7:00 -900 AM and 4:00 - 6:00 PM for Shields Street and 7:30-8:30 and 4:30-5:30 for Plum Street. The peak hours between the two intersections do not correspond to each other. During the analysis, peak hour data was balanced. The raw information regarding the turning movements is provided in Appendix B. 3.2 Current Street System The project is located in central Fort Collins within close proximity to the CSU campus. The project is located on Blue Bell and Scott Streets at the intersection of Plum Street and continues as far as City Park Drive.. Shields Street is located to the east of the site. Shields Street is an improved arterial roadway with 4 lanes of traffic, auxiliary turn lanes, on-street bike lanes, and a speed limit of 30 mph. The intersection of Shields/Plum is controlled by a 4- phase traffic signal and includes pedestrian heads and actuation buttons. The City recently installed a “bike box” on the west leg of the intersection that aids in the movement of bicycle traffic across Shields Street. The pavement markings including the crosswalks are well maintained. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 4 Plum Street is a collector roadway on the City’s Master Street Plan and includes 2- lanes of traffic, bike lanes, and parking is prohibited. The pavement is in poor condition and based on the markings in the street, it appears to on the list for rehab this year. The speed limit on Plum is posted at 25 mph. Scott Avenue intersects Plum Street at an offset and serves as a awkward pedestrian connection for residents in the area. However, Scott Avenue is not part of the proposed project. The area is heavily used by pedestrians and the pedestrian system is not up to City Standards. Behind the apartments on Scott Street, there is a well used path that allows residents to walk to the commercial district on Elizabeth Street. At 1109 Plum Street, the sidewalk system is abruptly ended by the property owner. Many of the sidewalks in the area are only 3-feet wide. The surrounding land uses are primarily residential and the residents appear to be primarily students at CSU. Elizabeth Street to the south of the property is primarily commercial. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 5 3.3 Current Traffic Conditions Capacity analyses were performed at the key intersections to determine if existing deficiencies exist on the roadway network. The analyses followed the procedures of the Highway Capacity Manual 2000. Level of Service (LOS) is a qualitative term describing operating conditions and expressed in terms of delay. Table 1 below provides the definitions of LOS for both signalized and unsignalized intersections. Table 2 displays the results of the analyses. All key intersections currently operate at acceptable levels of service. The worksheets from the analyses can be found in Appendix C. Plum/North Drive North   Shields Street 53/64 50/53 39/56 22/69 922/964 58/79 5/12 9/32 16/60 21/75 603/1342 16/12 3/3 133/140 0/2 0/3 0/0 1/3 1/18 50/138 1/1 0/1 0/1 6/30  Blue Bell/Scott 0/1 Columbine 1/1 0/0 135/144 1/1 52/141 The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 6 Table 1 Level of Service Definitions Level of Service Signalized Intersection Average Total Delay (seconds/vehicle) Unsignalized Intersection Average Total Delay (seconds/vehicle) A <10 <10 B >10 and ≤20 >10 and ≤15 C >20 and ≤35 >15 and ≤25 D >35 and ≤55 >25 and ≤ 35 E >55 and≤ 80 >35 and ≤50 F >80 >50 Table 2 Existing Traffic – Capacity Analysis AM PM Intersection Movement LOS Delay(sec/ vehicle) LOS Delay(sec/ vehicle) Shields/Plum EB LEFT/THRU/RIGHT D 52.0 E 62.1 Signal WB THRU/LEFT D 40.7 D 46.6 WB RIGHT D 39.7 D 40.7 NB LEFT A 3.0 B 12.0 NB THRU/RIGHT A 4.4 A 5.8 SB LEFT A 3.1 A 3.9 SB THRU/RIGHT A 3.6 A 7.3 OVERALL A 8.4 B 11.6 Plum/Blue Bell/Scott EB APPROACH A 0.2 A 0.2 STOP sign WB APPROACH A 0.2 A 0.1 NB APPROACH A 9.2 B 10.2 SB APPROACH A 10.2 B 11.4 OVERALL A 0.5 A 1.4 Plum/Columbine EB APPROACH A 0.0 A 0.0 STOP sign WB APPROACH A 0.0 A 0.0 SB APPROACH A 9.3 A 9.9 OVERALL A 0.1 A 0.1 The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 7 4.0 Project Description 4.1 Project The project consists of the redevelopment of existing residential units into 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom apartments. In total, there will be approximately 192 dwelling units. The project is located at the intersection of Plum Street and Blue Bell. The project is being constructed as a student housing project due to the close proximity to the CSU campus. The campus is within easy walking and biking distance. Transfort also serves the site with a bus stop at the intersection of Plum/Blue Bell. For the purposes of this study, the project is expected to be completed in one phase with an expected completion date in the year 2013. Parking for the facility is being provided in the form of a parking structure. Access to the structure will be via a driveway in the vicinity of where Columbine is today. Columbine and Daisy Street are currently a short stubs of a roadways and both will be vacated with the project. A preliminary site plan is displayed in Figure 3. 4.2 Trip Generation Trip generation rates for the proposed project are based on the Trip Generation, 8 th Edition manual prepared by the Institute of Transportation Engineers. The manual presents data from numerous trip generation studies for a variety of land uses from across the country. ITE Code 220, apartments was used in this analysis. A trip reduction of 35% was utilized in the trip generation analysis to account for the alternative modes of transportation that will be used by the residents of this development. It is likely that the trip reduction will be significantly higher than assumed rate due to the close proximity of the project to CSU. However, the lower reduction rate will present a more conservative analysis. Table 3 below summarizes the proposed trip generation for the project. For the entire project, during the morning peak hour, 71 trip ends can be expected and 87 trip ends can be expected from the project during the afternoon peak hours. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 8 Table 3 – Trip Generation AM Rate AM Trips AM Rate AM Trips PM Rate PM Trips PM Rate PM Trips Use ITE CODE Size Daily Rate Daily Trips IN IN OUT OUT IN IN OUT OUT Phase I Student Apartments 220 192.0 6.72 1290 0.1 19 0.41 79 0.4 77 0.22 42 Trip Reduction due to proximity to CSU (35%) (451.58) (6.72) (27.55) (26.88) (14.78) TOTAL 839 12 51 50 27   The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 9 4.3 Trip Distribution Trip distribution is the process of determining where the trips are coming to and from the site. The distribution was based on the current distribution of the current traffic, the population center of Fort Collins, and engineering judgment. The distribution is not expected to change during the long term. The short-term distribution for the project is displayed in Figure 4. Site distributed traffic is shown in Figure 5.  Shields 5 % 5% Plum/North Drive 80% 10% Blue Bell/Scott The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 10  North Plum/North Drive Shields Street 5/5 40/15 5/5 5/5 5/40 5/5  Blue Bell/Scott Parking Structure 5/5 5/50 5/5 50/25 The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 11 5.0 Traffic Projections Background traffic for the year 2016 was estimated by assuming that all traffic movements would increase by 1.5% per year, as agreed to in the initial scoping meeting with the Traffic Operations Department. Background traffic is displayed in Figure 6. Site-generated traffic was then added to the background traffic to determine the total traffic volumes at the key intersections. Total traffic for the year 2016 is displayed in Figure 7. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 12  Plum/North Drive North Shields Street 55/70 55/60 40/60 25/75 990/1035 60/85 10/15 15/35 20/65 25/80 650/1440 20/15 5/5 140/150 0/5 0/5 0/0 5/5 5/20 55/165 5/5 0/5 0/0 10/35  Blue Bell/Scott Columbine 1/1 145/155 0/1 0/1 1/1 55/170 The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 13  Plum/North Drive North Shields Street 60/75 95/75 45/65 30/80 990/1035 60/85 10/15 20/75 20/65 30/85 650/1440 20/15 5/5 185/175 0/5 0/5 0/0 10/5 5/20 70/215 5/5 0/5 0/0 10/35  Blue Bell/Scott Parking Structure 5/5 140/160 5/5 50/25 15/50 60/175 The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 14 6.0 Traffic Analysis Capacity analysis was performed at the key intersections for both the background traffic as well as the total traffic. Table 4 displays the results of the background traffic analysis and Table 5 shows the results of the total traffic analysis. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic was increased by approximately 50% to account for the project. As can be seen from the tables, each of the key intersections continues to operate at acceptable levels of service. Implementation of the project will not have an adverse effect on the operation of the intersections. The analyses followed the procedures of the Highway Capacity Manual. Table 4 Capacity Analyses – 2016 Background Traffic AM PM Intersection Movement LOS Delay(sec/ vehicle) LOS Delay(sec/ vehicle) Shields/Plum EB LEFT/THRU/RIGHT D 52.5 E 55.6 Signal WB THRU/LEFT D 40.6 D 41.0 WB RIGHT D 39.2 D 39.7 NB LEFT A 3.2 C 20.1 NB THRU/RIGHT A 4.8 A 6.5 SB LEFT A 3.5 A 4.5 SB THRU/RIGHT A 3.9 A 8.5 OVERALL A 8.9 B 11.5 Plum/Blue Bell/Scott EB APPROACH A 0.3 A 0.3 STOP sign WB APPROACH A 0.6 A 0.2 NB APPROACH A 9.2 B 10.6 SB APPROACH B 10.5 B 12.2 OVERALL A 1.0 A 1.6 Plum/Columbine EB APPROACH A 0.0 A 0.0 STOP sign WB APPROACH A 0.0 A 0.0 SB APPROACH A 9.3 A 10.1 OVERALL A 0.1 A 0.1 The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 15 Table 5 Capacity Analyses – 2016 Total AM PM Intersection Movement LOS Delay(sec/ vehicle) LOS Delay(sec/ vehicle) Shields/Plum EB LEFT/THRU/RIGHT D 53.4 E 72.7 Signal WB THRU/LEFT D 38.0 D 44.9 WB RIGHT D 36.6 D 36.9 NB LEFT A 4.1 C 32.1 NB THRU/RIGHT A 6.0 A 8.1 SB LEFT A 4.3 A 5.5 SB THRU/RIGHT A 4.9 B 10.5 OVERALL B 11.0 B 16.2 Plum/Blue Bell/Scott EB APPROACH A 0.2 A 0.2 STOP sign WB APPROACH A 0.5 A 0.2 NB APPROACH B 10.1 B 11.3 SB APPROACH B 11.1 B 13.2 OVERALL A 1.0 A 1.5 Plum/Parking Structure Access EB APPROACH A 0.3 A 0.3 STOP sign WB APPROACH A 0.0 A 0.0 SB APPROACH B 10.5 A 11.4 OVERALL A 2.2 A 0.9 7.0 Improvements 7.1. Traffic Signals Traffic signals are never installed until a warrant is satisfied under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.. Warrant #3, the Peak Hour Warrant, is usually the best indication of a whether or not a traffic signal will be needed in the future. Based on a review of the criteria, no new traffic signals will be required with this project. The key intersections of Plum/Blue Bell as well as Plum/Site Access will operate efficiently and safely under STOP sign control. 7.2 Auxiliary Lanes A review of the LUCASS requirements regarding auxiliary lanes was undertaken as part of this study. Based on this review, no new auxiliary lanes are required as part of this project. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 16 7.3 Signal Progression The City of Fort Collins asked for an analysis of impact to signal progression on Shields Street. The analysis process included an optimization for the signal at Shields Street and Plum Street. With the increased traffic volume as well as significant increases in bicycles and pedestrians, Shields Street is slightly impacted in the amount of green time available for north-south vehicle operations. The Table 6 shown below shows the results of the analysis. Table 6 Shields/Plum Green Band Impact Analysis Cycle Length Φ2 & 6 Green Band NO-BUILD (sec) Φ2 & 6 Green Band -BUILD (sec) % Change AM 110 67 64 -4.48% PM 120 85 84 -1.18% 8.0. Multi-Modal Evaluation Section 4.5.3 (B) of the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards requires that projects undergo a level of service analysis for alternative modes of transportation. The modes of transportation that must meet LOS standards are bicycles, and pedestrians. Transit service LOS must also be analyzed at the time of development review. However, transit LOS is not part of the Adequate Public Facilities test. The area of interest for the alternative modes of transportation is shown below in Figure 8. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 17 8.1 Pedestrian Level of Service The project area was evaluated for compliance with the pedestrian level of service standards. The site is within walking distance to CSU and the commercial area located on Elizabeth Street. As was noted earlier in the report, there is a dirt path and a break in the fence off of Scott Avenue south side of the project that connects to the commercial area on Elizabeth Street. This property, however, is not part of the project and is not within the developers responsibility to improve. The project will reconstruct sidewalks along its property that will connect to the sidewalk system already in place throughout the neighborhood. These particular sidewalks are currently constructed to the old City Standards. Directness – There will be direct sidewalk connections to the commercial area to the south and directly to CSU.  site The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 18 Continuity – The sidewalk system that will be in place has continuity to all surrounding areas. The issue of the abrupt discontinuance of the sidewalk on the south side of Plum Street (1109 Plum Street) is troublesome. The project will connect to standard sidewalk adjacent to the project which will meet standard. However, the City should consider a capital project to correct this deficiency. This corridor is one of the highest pedestrians/bike corridors in the City and a project to correct the problem should be a high priority (albeit not the developer’s responsibility). Street Crossings – The intersection of Shields/Plum is a four-phase traffic signal with pedestrian heads and actuation. Crosswalks and pavement markings are at the intersection are consistent with City Standards. There are five lanes of traffic to cross. Crosswalks should be added to Plum Street at Scott/Bluebelle. Visual Interest and Amenity – The area is an existing neighborhood and the landscaping is mature. The area is considered visually appealing. Security – The sidewalks in the area are lit and good sight distances are available. 8.2 Bicycles Level of Service The project will meet the bicycle level of service standards for both north/south and east/west connections. Bike lanes currently exist on Plum Street and Shields Street. The “bike box” on Plum Street with the addition of a “No Right Turn On Red” for eastbound traffic has enhanced the safety of the intersection. C. Transit Level of Service According to the LUCASS Multimodal Level of Service Manual, transit level of service for the City of Fort Collins is based on the routes and service levels planned for the year 2015. However, the Manual was written in 1997 and is significantly outdated and no longer considered valid. The transit LOS analyses are therefore based on the 2010 Transfort Strategic Plan. The analysis is based on 4 factors – hours of weekday service, weekday frequency of service, travel time factor, and peak load factor. The LOS standard for transit is “B” based on this site location. The current transit map shows that the site will have close access to Routes 2, 3, and 11 which will have direct access to the downtown area and the CSU campus. Additionally, there is currently a bus stop at the site in front of the Cambridge Apartment complex. As an observational note, during the traffic counting process, numerous students were observed utilizing the Transfort system. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 19 Hours of Weekday Service: Since Route 2, 3, and 11 will take students directly to CSU and the downtown transit center as well as good connection to the Mason Corridor, it is assumed that the site will be served by 18 hours of service on an average weekday. The standard can be assumed to be met. Weekday Frequency of Service: Since the site is adjacent to an identified route of high frequency transit service, the minimum of 15-minute service is met. Travel Time Factor: The travel time factor is portal-to-portal travel time divided by auto travel time (peak hour). The standard for the criteria is for the travel time in bus to be no more than two times that of the automobile. This standard is not met for the project for the CSU Campus destination. Table 7 Transit Travel Time Comparisons Destination Mode Distance (miles) Travel Speed (mph) Travel Time (hours) Walk/Park Time (hours) Transfer/ Wait Time (hours) Total Travel Time (hours) Time Differential (bus/auto) LOS Standard Met? Downtown Bus 2.25 15 0.15 0.05 0.20 1.16 Yes automobile 2.25 25 0.09 0.08 0.17 Foothills Mall Bus 3.75 15 0.25 0.16 0.41 1.92 Yes automobile 3.25 25 0.13 0.08 0.21 FC High School Bus 8 15 0.53 0.50 1.03 2.40 Yes automobile 6.75 25 0.27 0.16 0.43 CSU Campus Bus 0.25 20 0.01 0.05 0.06 0.63 Yes automobile 0.5 25 0.02 0.08 0.10 Peak Load Factor: The standard for the peak load factor is calculated by dividing the number of passengers by the peak time of day by the available seats. The standard requires that this value be ≤ 1.2. Based on the LOS Manual, for all future routes, the presumed peak load factor is 1.0 and therefore the standard is satisfied. Based on the above, the transit LOS achieved 4 out of the 4 criteria and is therefore the LOS is calculated at “A”, which is acceptable. The District @ Campus West ELB Engineering, LLC Transportation Impact Study 5401 Taylor Lane January 2012 Fort Collins, CO 80528 20 9.0 Conclusion This TIS assessed the impacts associated with the The District at Campus West redevelopment project located in central Fort Collins, Colorado. The project consists of redeveloping existing older residential units into 192 apartment units for students at Colorado State University. The site lends itself to outstanding use of alternative modes of transportation. Based on the analyses, investigations, and findings documented in the various sections of this Transportation Impact Study, the following can be concluded. o Current operation is acceptable at all of the key intersections. o Operation at the key intersections will be acceptable under full build-out of the project. o For the entire project, during the morning peak hour, 63 trip ends can be expected and 77 trip ends can be expected from the project during the afternoon peak hours. The trip generation of the project is expected to be significantly lower due to the proximity of the site to CSU. o No new traffic signals or signal modifications will be required with the construction of the project. o No auxiliary lanes will need to be constructed with the project. o Crosswalks should be added to Plum Street at Scott/Blue Bell o Multi-modal LOS standards can be achieved with the project. o The project is feasible from a traffic engineering perspective. Statement of Adequacy: The transportation facilities will be adequate and available to serve this development as contained in the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards. All applicable LOS standards will be met since all transportation facilities are in place or will be in place upon issuance of a certificate of occupancy.