ZONING ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATIONS

Amend Section 7.1(Part2)(C) - Bicycle Parking Requirements - to meet the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) current standards. 2-11

As recommended by the APBP, the “wave” and “comb” bicycle racks should be removed from the list of acceptable racks in the City of Columbus. The APBP recommends that bike racks support the bicycle upright without putting stress on the wheels, providing two points of contact with the bike frame, and allows locking of the frame and a least one wheel with a U-lock. The “wave” rack supports the bike frame in only one location, and the “comb” rack does not support the bike frame at all and does not allow appropriate locking.

The Zoning Ordinance should also be updated to reference APBP’s placement standards, which describe minimum spacing requirements. This guidance will encourage proper distancing between racks and will prevent instances where racks are placed too close to buildings, rendering them unusable.

3. SIDEWALK INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE

Public sidewalks should be installed on both sides of all public streets within the areas classified as Urban and Suburban in the City of Columbus Thoroughfare Plan. 3-01

3-02

For all street construction, reconstruction, and resurfacing projects, the City of Columbus should install perpendicular curb ramps at all street intersections, in all perpendicular directions, to facilitate pedestrian street crossing. Diagonal curb ramps may be used, at the discretion of the City Engineer, in exceptional circumstances.

3-03

The City of Columbus should take an assertive role in the installation and repair of sidewalks throughout the City, particularly in areas where sidewalks are missing and/or are in disrepair.

Current city policy requires that home and business owners maintain the sidewalks adjacent to their properties. This policy has resulted in some sidewalks falling into and remaining in disrepair, severely limiting access for pedestrians. In order to improve pedestrian mobility throughout Columbus, the City should take an assertive role in installing sidewalks along critical pedestrian corridors and making repairs to existing sidewalks that, due to their current condition, limit pedestrian mobility.

4. ENGINEERING POLICIES

4-01 The City will use nationally-recognized design guidelines, including AASHTO and NACTO, when designing onstreet bicycle facilities.

The Indiana Design Manual 2013 (IDM) is the statewide guidance used by INDOT and local jurisdictions during the development and design of transportation projects. Part 3, Roadway, provides guidance for several subject areas, including accessibility for persons with disabilities (including sidewalks), shared use paths, and roundabouts. The IDM also contains guidance for the design of on-street bicycle facilities. Namely, it provides guidance on determining the appropriate type of bicycle facility based on factors such as motor vehicle traffic and speed. However, it does not contain the specific design guidance necessary to design on-street bicycle facilities.

As such, the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, 4th Edition, 2012 (AASHTO Guide), or future editions, will be used in the design of all on-street bicycle facilities. While the AASHTO Guide serves as a set of minimum standards, the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide (NACTO Guide), which is used by many communities to design innovative bicycle infrastructure that surpassess the AASHTO minimum standards, may also be consulted.

4-02

The City will utilize national and international best practices and guides as supplemental guidance for shared use path design.

Shared use paths along roadways, which constitute the most common dedicated bicycle and pedestrian facility type in Columbus, come with many challenges, including (1) path crossings of driveways and intersections are often blocked by automobiles waiting to turn, (2) conflicts exist between slow moving pedestrians and faster moving bicyclists, (3) the need for additional traffic control signage, especially at driveways and intersections, (4) a lack of clarity regarding who has the right-of-way where paths cross minor streets, and (5) increased risk of crashes due to limited visibility of drivers.

In light of these challenges, paths are most appropriate where driveways and intersections are limited. In areas with high concentrations of driveways and intersections, on-street accommodations (such as cycle tracks, buffered bicycle lanes, and conventional bicycle lanes) are preferred because they are proven to be safer.

The AASHTO Guide states that shared use paths along roadways should be considered a supplement to, but not a replacement for, on-street bicycle facilities. In other words, the provision of a path does not preclude the need to provide on-street accommodations for bicyclists that are more comfortable riding with traffic. [AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, 4th Edition, 2012]

Since the bicycle and pedestrian network primarily consists of paths along roadways, it is important that the City design shared use paths according to the best design guidance available. While the Indiana Design Manual contains a significant amount of detail on path design, there are several issues and situations that it does not address. Therefore, the City should regularly reference additional design guidelines and standards that address more complex issues beyond the limited scope of the IDM. These guidelines and standards include the AASHTO Guide, the NACTO Guide section on two-way cycle tracks, the 2011 Indiana Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices Part 9 (MUTCD), and the CROW Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic (CROW Manual). The CROW Manual is the primary bicycle infrastructure design guide for the Netherlands and while it is not directly applicable to American cities, it contains relevant concepts for shared use path design. The CROW Manual is especially informative for designing path crossings at intersections and driveways.

4-03

The City should follow a Complete Streets process for the construction and reconstruction of public streets.

Ideally, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and infrastructure will be included with all street projects when they are initially constructed or when streets are reconstructed. Including bicycle and pedestrian facilities at this time is less expensive than retrofitting facilities as stand-alone projects. Two federal policies support and mandate this approach for projects utilizing federal aid unless (a) bicycles are prohibited by law from using the roadway, (b) the cost is excessively disproportionate to the need (exceeding 20 percent of the project cost), or (c) sparsity of population indicates an absence of need.

Following a Complete Streets process for street projects (especially those along or connecting to a planned bicycle facility) will help further the implementation of this Plan. Such a process will ensure that all street users -- motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians -- are considered during the design stage and are adequately accommodated. The process should be flexible in terms of design specifics and sensitive to the surrounding context and land uses. This process also applies to street resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation (3R) projects.

4-04

The City should complete a study to evaluate the implementation of “No Right Turn on Red” at key intersections.

Many cities across the nation are implementing a “No Right Turn on Red” policy as part of their Vision Zero plans, which are aimed at eliminating all traffic-related injuries. Banning right turn on red lights has been shown to increase the safety of intersections for pedestrians.

This plan recommends a study to evaluate the implementation of a “No Right Turn on Red” policy in the downtown, school zones, and key intersections that have seen high accident rates. This study should evaluate the loss in traffic efficiencies balanced with the increase in safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

4-05

The City will replace curb ramps as part of reconstruction and resurfacing projects in accordance with the ADA Transition Plan.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s and U.S. Department of Transportation’s Joint Technical Assistance on the Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements to Provide Curb Ramps when Streets, Roads, or Highways are Altered Through Resurfacing mandates that curb ramps be provided (or replaced if existing curb ramps are non-compliant with current ADA requirements) when a street is reconstructed or resurfaced. This ruling includes the following provisions:

Curb ramps are required where any sidewalk or pedestrian walkway crosses a curb.

Resurfacing of a roadway is considered an alteration (thereby requiring the provision of curb ramps) when it spans from one intersection to another.

Resurfacing includes overlays, with or without milling (new asphalt, concrete rehabilitation, open-graded surface courses, cape seals, etc.)

Maintenance treatments do not trigger the requirement to provide curb ramps (pavement markings, crack sealing, chip seals, joint repairs, friction treatment, etc.). However, multiple maintenance treatments occurring over a short span of time might constitute an alteration.

If a crosswalk is resurfaced, curb ramps must be provided, regardless of project scope.

The City has an ADA Transition Plan to replace the many existing curb ramps in Columbus that were constructed prior to current standards and which do not meet current accessibility requirements. Some ramps lack detectable warning and there are areas in the city where sidewalks simply terminate at rolled/ mountable curbs, which is not sufficient for people with disabilities. These issues limit the mobility of people with disabilities and, in the case of rolled/mounted curbs, are quite dangerous for bicyclists.

The IDM includes a comprehensive set of guidelines for curb ramp design that is in keeping with the United States Access Board’s Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), which is the latest set of standards for complying with ADA requirements. The City of Columbus follows the IDM when constructing new curb ramps and has an ADA Transition Plan that is used to identify and replace all non-compliant curb ramps in the community. The City has completed several of the projects identified in their ADA Transition Plan. Whether constructed by the City or by developers, curb ramps (not including flared sides) must equal the width of the sidewalk or path to which they connect. When connected to shared use paths they must be of the perpendicular or depressed-corners types, as described in the IDM.

The City will design all crosswalks to be highly visible and free of obstructions. 4-06

Off-road facility crossings at streets are high-conflict locations. Crosswalks must be clear of obstructions and visible to pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists. For every marked crosswalk, the City of Columbus will, at a minimum, provide two solid white lines (each between 6 and 24 inches wide) in keeping with MUTCD 2009 Edition Section 3B.18. This shall be in addition to any colorized concrete or pavers. Alternatively, the City may provide other types of marked crosswalks, including solid, continental, zebra, or ladder patterns. The continental pattern is preferred due to its high visibility.

The City should repaint all painted crosswalks in Columbus every one to two years or as fading occurs. Alternatively, the City may utilize more durable materials (non-slip thermoplastic, preformed tape, epoxy, etc.) to decrease maintenance intervals.

4-07

The City should design all facilities with necessary regulatory and warning signage.

Regulatory and warning signs are crucial elements for bicyclists and pedestrians in terms of mitigating safety hazards (especially where physical constraints and age of infrastructure results in noncompliance with current IDM and AASHTO standards) and indicating who has the right-of-way at intersections. Warning and regulatory signage makes the transportation system (streets and paths) safer and more efficient.

Several sections of the city’s bicycle and pedestrian network are lacking in regulatory and warning signage. To correct this issue, the City should assess all existing facilities and determine signage needs based on the MUTCD standards. The City can then begin a program to purchase and install the necessary signage.

Signage for shared use paths along roadways will follow the same regulatory controls as the parallel roadway. For example, a stop sign will not be placed along the shared use path at an intersection or driveway unless the parallel roadway also has a stop sign at the same location. Instead, the perpendicular street will include a stop bar behind the path crossing and warning signage for both the motorists and the path users. At these locations, the motorist should always yield to the path user. Warning signs for motorists turning across shared use pathways may be appropriate at high traffic areas. Reference MUTCD 2009 Edition Figure 9B-3 for warning signs and plaques for bicycle facilities. See also MUTCD 2009 Edition Figure 9B-7 for examples of signing and pavement markings for a shared use path crossing.

Pavement markings may be considered for use as regulatory and warning signage. Use of pavement markings should be based on engineering judgment. Preformed markings should be considered as an alternate to thermoplastic because preformed markings are thinner and less objectionable to bicyclists on both shared use paths and on-street facilities.

4-08 All bicycle and pedestrian facilities in the City of Columbus should be designed and constructed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable federal, state, and local standards and to be accessible to all members of the community.

5. EDUCATIONAL POLICIES

5-01 The City should support and partner with local organizations to provide programming that educates and informs the public on subjects related to safety, rules of the road, shared use path etiquette, and similar educational topics.

Educational programs are instrumental to the success of bicycle and pedestrian networks as they encourage use of the network and encourage all road and shared use path users to use the network safely. Educational actions include media campaigns, bicycle education programs for children and adults, safety training for motorists, and practical training for bicyclists, such as how to ride safely or properly wear a helmet. The range of educational programs also includes the work of the ongoing Safe Routes to School Task Force, which emphasizes projects that make it easier to walk and bike to school and encourages safety during the school commute by distributing bicycle lights and reflectors. The City should support and partner with community organizations to initiate educational programs and to continue ongoing educational efforts within the community.

5-02 The City should distribute at least one piece of road use education annually in City communications. At least once per year, the City of Columbus should distribute educational materials explaining the rules of the road for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Educational materials could be included in utility bills; publicized in the local newspaper; or distributed digitally via social media, the city website, or similar means. Simple communications could cover seasonal topics such as rules of the road, local bicycling ordinances, and back to school safety information.

5-03 The City should develop and distribute educational materials when new-to-Columbus bicycle facility types are constructed.

New facility types can cause confusion about proper use. When new-to-Columbus bicycle facility types are constructed, imparting the same knowledge to all users is critically important. Doing so will create proper expectations of behavior among all user types. To communicate important safety and user information, the City should develop and distribute educational materials, such as brochures, flyers, or digital material. Educational materials should cover the range of bicycling and pedestrian issues that could be encountered while using the new facility, traffic laws, city regulations, basic equipment safety, and tips for crossing intersections.

5-04 The City should launch marketing campaigns to promote mutual respect and awareness amongst motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

Members of the community may not have an inherent understanding of the motivations, needs, and behaviors of those taveling by other modes of transportation. For example, a driver may not understand the importance of using a turn signal to notify a bicyclist of an upcoming turn. A bicyclist may not appreciate how their travel speeds impact the comfort of pedestrians on shared pathways, and a pedestrian may not understand how important it is to make eye contact with a driver or bicyclist when crossing the street. Each of these situations can lead to misunderstanding and animosity which does not promote productive interactions on streets and bicycle/pedestrian facilities.

Creating a marketing campaign with simple but targeted messaging is a highly effective way to increase awareness of the perspective of other users. Marketing materials might include bus ads, posters, and stickers with a hashtag for social media.

6. ENFORCEMENT POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

6-01 The City should continue targeted enforcement of traffic laws.

While most users follow traffic laws, there are a few who willfully disobey the rules. Many times, these infractions do not result in crashes or conflicts, but higher incidence of infractions lead to a higher likelihood of conflicts. When users cannot expect other users to obey traffic laws, they cannot accurately gauge how to interact with them on the roadway or trail. Spot enforcement of traffic laws for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists will encourage these users to obey traffic laws. Word of mouth will spread information about tickets and fines being issued to law breakers and encourage other users to obey the laws. The policy should be to first issue a warning and then a ticket to repeat offenders. Officers should also have educational materials to hand to those disobeying the laws. A diversion program for first time offenders can also be implemented where fines can be reduced by attending an education program.

Targeted enforcement of traffic laws should include enforcing proper yielding activity at crosswalks, speed limits, and proper stops at traffic signals and stop signs.

6-02 The City should continue to enforce posted speed limits, particularly in school speed zones.

Too often speed limits are viewed as guidelines, rather than the rule, by motorists. Studies show that the probability of serious injury to non-motorized users when hit by a car exponentially increases with each increment of 5 mph increase in speed. The enforcement of posted speed limits through warnings and ticketing can quickly improve compliance. The Police Department can also station patrol officers at specific locations, such as school zones.

6-03 The City should utilize automated speed-tracking equipment.

Installing digital speed monitoring signs along main roads, cut-throughs, and by school zones has been effective at decreasing speeds in communities. Speed monitors can be posted and eventually might encourage people to reduce their speeds out of habit in those locations. The use of digital speed monitoring is a cost-effective way to alert motorists of their speed.

6-04 The City should expand law enforcement training of bicycle laws and bicyclist/motorist conflict. Most police academies include training for officers from the International Police Mountain Bike Association. This training equips officers with the skills and knowledge to enforce the law on a bicycle, including tactical maneuvers taking advantage of the bicycle’s speed and ability to be used as a shield. However, this training does not include any content regarding traffic interactions between motorists and bicyclists. Education courses for law enforcement officials can provide information on types of traffic violations that are most likely to result in crashes between bicyclists and motorists. Annual reviews of bicycle and pedestrian crash statistics will provide the Police Department with knowledge of specific behavioral issues and high-risk locations.

7. ENCOURAGEMENT POLICIES

7-01 The City should support and partner with local organizations to build enthusiasm and interest in bicycling and walking.

The City should support and partner with local organizations who sponsor Bike Month, Bike to Work/School Day, Walk to School Day, and similar events and activities in order to promote bicycling and walking in the community.

7-02

The City should develop and maintain up-to-date bicycle and pedestrian maps and similar resources, such as the Bike Walk Columbus website.

As facilities are constructed, the City should continue to update the bicycle and pedestrian network map. This map should be produced in hard copy and digital format and should continue to be available to residents and visitors at various locations in the community and on the Bike Walk Columbus website.

The City should continue to update and improve the Bike Walk Columbus website and maintain it as a valuable bicycle and pedestrian resource for the Columbus community.

8. EVALUATION AND PLANNING POLICIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

8-01 The City will continue its Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Team (BPIT).

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Team will continue to meet and guide the implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. This interagency team will continue to identify infrastructure projects that need to incorporate bicycle and pedestrian improvements, in addition to driving specific bicycle and pedestrian facility projects. BPIT will continue to act as the champion for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan with the goal of developing a complete and connected network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities for the city.

8-02 The City should continue to expand its permanent bicycle and pedestrian counting program and conduct annual bicycle and pedestrian counts.

Collecting bicycle and pedestrian count data is important because the data can track trends in bicycling and walking over time, identify bicycle and pedestrian activity patterns, evaluate the effects of infrastructure improvements on bicycle and pedestrian activity, and help forecast the impacts of planned bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Counts also inform community officials and the general public about bicycle and pedestrian activity, communicating the value of the City’s bicycle and pedestrian network.

8-03

As financial resources become available, the City should expand its existing permanent bicycle and pedestrian counting program by purchasing additional permanent bicycle and pedestrian counters and placing them at strategic locations along the community’s shared use path network.

The City should also plan to collect annual count data at locations where permament counters are not present. Counts should be conducted utilizing the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Methodology. There are three methods available for performing counts: (1) volunteer-based visual counts, (2) electronic counts, and (3) estimates using GPS data. The National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project provides a recommended methodology, survey and count forms, and reporting forms online for free. Local trainers for the program are also available. Each of the methods have varying costs but can be economical when used in combination with volunteers. It is important for the data that is taken each year to be taken at the same locations, times of day, week, and year for data to be comparable from year to year.

In order to evaluate the success of the bicycle and pedestrian network, the City should establish a series of performance measures that will track and measure progress toward achieving the community’s bicycle and pedestrian goals. The performance measures will track trends over time, aid in future decision-making, and serve as a tool for reporting progress to the public and City officials.

8-04 The City should create an annual report card on walking and bicycling.

The City should create an annual report card on walking and bicycling in Columbus, which should be shared with community officials and the general public. The report card should include bicycle and pedestrian count data; information about completed, ongoing, and planned infrastructure improvements; and data on the performance measures identified in this Plan. The purpose of the report card is to communicate ongoing efforts to improve bicycle and pedestrian conditions, to evaluate where facilities may need further improvements, and to communicate the current status of walking and bicycling in Columbus to the public.

8-05 The City should develop and maintain a Capital Improvement Plan for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

The City of Columbus does not currently designate a specific budget for bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements. However, bicycle and pedestrian improvements are included in most roadway improvement projects. Without a multi-year plan, projects are often implemented on an opportunity basis rather than on a need basis. Developing a multi-year capital improvement plan for bicycle and pedestrian projects will allow the city to track the total amount of bicycle and pedestrian facilities being built by the city and realistically plan for future improvements.

The Capital Improvement Plan should include an annual budget and provide a framework for prioritizing how the budget is spent. Budget resources should be used for maintenance, ADA compliance, sidewalk installation, and high priority bicycle and pedestrian projects.

8-06 The City will maintain its Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator staff position.

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator serves an integral role in implementing the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and ensuring that bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is integrated into city plans, development projects, and road improvement projects. A staff person dedicated to improving bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and supporting partnerships with local organizations to provide safety and educational programming to the community contributes greatly to developing a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly community.

Lighting RECOMMENDATIONS

Priority Lighting Locations Map

Lighting is an effective way to enable safe travel at night. Lighting can reduce the possibility of collisions with other network users or objects within the line of travel, illuminate unevenness in pathways to prevent falls, and allow network users to recognize threats to their personal safety.

AASHTO offers the following lighting standards:

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The provision of lighting should be considered along all facilities where nighttime use is permitted, especially along facilities that provide access to transit stops, schools, and employment areas.

Lighting should be installed at all locations where a bicycle and pedestrian facility intersects with a roadway. .

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Lighting should be installed in locations where personal safety is a concern. In these locations, higher levels of illumination may be needed than in other areas of the network.

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Pedestrian-scale lighting is preferred to tall, highway-style lamps. Characteristics of pedestrian-scale lighting include short light poles (15 feet tall or less); low levels of illumination, except at roadway crossings; and close spacing standards.

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If a bicycle/pedestrian facility is used infrequently at night, lighting can be provided during designated hours only. For example, lighting could be provided from sunset to 11pm and 5am to sunrise. If lighting is limited to designated hours, these conditions should be made known to users with signage.

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Lighting should be provided in pathway tunnels and underpasses and at People Trail trailheads. Signage illumination is also encouraged.

This map identifies priority locations for the installation of pedestrianscale lighting along existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, based on high levels of commuter traffic, lack of nearby street lighting, and public input. Lighting along proposed bicycle and pedestrian facilities should be considered along with the design of those facilities.

PRIORITY LIGHTING LOCATIONS

RURAL BICYCLE ROUTE

NEIGHBORHOOD BICYCLE ROUTE

BICYCLE LANE

BUFFERED BICYCLE LANE

CYCLE TRACK PARK SCHOOL

SHARED USE PATH

COLUMBUS PLANNING JURISDICTION (STUDY AREA)

08 The People Trail

This chapter provides a clear and concise definition of the People Trail, which is a system within Columbus’ larger bicycle and pedestrian network. This chapter also includes a map identifying the facilities and routes that make up the People Trail network.