TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the recommendation establishing the 2020 and 2021 Annual New Sidewalk Program.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Kelly Dunne, Project Manager
BACKGROUND:
The New Sidewalk Program was established in 2004 following the adoption of the Comprehensive Sidewalk Policy, a guiding document that defines the policies and programs for implementation of the pedestrian component of Naperville’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan. The New Sidewalk Program annually installs new public sidewalk in locations that are lacking sidewalk along the roadway (sidewalk gaps). To date, the program has installed 13 miles of sidewalk in 111 gap locations.
Gap locations are prioritized using a scoring system that takes into account numerous factors such as roadway classification, proximity to schools, connectivity to the existing sidewalk network, presence of sidewalk on the opposite side of the roadway, and constructability. The highest scoring sidewalk gaps are selected as top candidate locations for construction. Each year, the proposed locations are reviewed by the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) and City Council for approval.
As the program progressed, its success started to become an obstacle. Nearly every top scoring gap location has been filled. Of the remaining gap locations, the original scoring criteria fails to distinguish top candidates because dozens of locations score equally. The scoring criteria originally created for the New Sidewalk Program was no longer able to effectively prioritize the remaining locations.
On August 1, 2019, staff presented a revised selection process to TAB for approval. To help differentiate non-arterial gap locations, a filter will be added to the process. During consideration of the 2018 New Sidewalk Program, City Council expressed support for locations that are beneficial to students and locations that are within the City’s corporate boundaries. Therefore, a filtered approach that first removes sidewalk gaps that are not located along a school walk route and not within the City’s jurisdiction is applied to non-arterial gaps. These Neighborhood gaps are then scored using the existing scoring system.
Additionally, to provide greater opportunity for resident input, property owners who live along high-scoring gap locations will be surveyed in advance of those locations being proposed to TAB. Locations with a high level of opposition will be removed from near-term consideration, and locations with the highest levels of support will receive priority for near-term sidewalk installation.
Modifications were also made to the selection of gaps along arterial roadways to account for improved pedestrian safety and connectivity. Sidewalk gaps located along high volume and high-speed roadways will be prioritized over lower speed, lower volume roadways.
DISCUSSION:
NEIGHBORHOOD GAP LOCATIONS
In preparation for the upcoming Annual New Sidewalk Program, City staff identified 27 Neighborhood gaps (locations that are along school walk routes and within the City’s jurisdiction) that scored the highest based on the prioritization factors.
Surveys (attached) were mailed to all 183 properties along these segments, requesting that property owners provide a response expressing either their support or opposition for sidewalk to be constructed along the proposed location. The following table denotes the gap locations and the responses received:
|
Gap Location |
Support |
Oppose |
Non- Response |
|
Sleight St from Ogden Av to Dead End - East* |
100% |
6 |
0% |
0 |
4 |
|
Eagle St from 13th Av to 14th Av - East |
100% |
3 |
0% |
0 |
4 |
|
Porter Av from Julian St to White Oak Dr - North |
100% |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0 |
|
Wehrli Dr from Hillside Rd to Wright St - East |
86% |
6 |
14% |
1 |
6 |
|
Willow Rd from Hillside Rd to Maple Ln - West |
80% |
4 |
20% |
1 |
5 |
|
Wellner Rd from Loomis St to View Ct - East |
75% |
6 |
25% |
2 |
10 |
|
Webster St from Ogden Av to 10th Av - West |
67% |
2 |
33% |
1 |
4 |
|
Sleight St from Ogden Av to Dead End - West* |
67% |
2 |
33% |
1 |
6 |
|
Sleight St from Highland Av to Porter Av - West |
63% |
5 |
38% |
3 |
2 |
|
Wellner Rd from View Ct to Sleight St - East |
57% |
4 |
43% |
3 |
4 |
|
Sleight St from Prairie Av to Hillside Rd - West |
50% |
2 |
50% |
2 |
0 |
|
Webster St from 10th Av to 11th Av - East |
43% |
3 |
57% |
4 |
1 |
|
Wright St from 12th Av to 14th Av - East |
33% |
2 |
67% |
4 |
1 |
|
Brainard St from Prairie Av to Hillside Rd - East |
33% |
1 |
67% |
2 |
1 |
|
Prairie Av from Sleight St to Wright St - South |
33% |
1 |
67% |
2 |
1 |
|
Prairie Av from Wright St to Julian St - South |
33% |
2 |
67% |
4 |
2 |
|
Victoria Ct from Prairie Av to Cul-De-Sac - West* |
33% |
1 |
67% |
2 |
1 |
|
Webster St from 14th Av to Bauer Rd - East |
20% |
1 |
80% |
4 |
4 |
|
Eagle St from 14th Av to Bauer Rd - East |
0% |
0 |
100% |
3 |
7 |
|
Prairie Av from Brainard St to Victoria Ct - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
3 |
|
Prairie Av from Victoria Ct to Sleight St - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
2 |
|
West St from Douglas Av to Spring Av - East |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
0 |
|
Maple Ln from Melody Ln to Cul-De-Sac - South |
0% |
0 |
100% |
2 |
3 |
|
Victoria Ct from Prairie Av to Cul-De-Sac - East* |
0% |
0 |
100% |
4 |
3 |
|
Sleight St from Wellner Rd to Hillside Rd - East |
0% |
0 |
100% |
1 |
1 |
|
Benton Av from Fremont St to West St - North |
0% |
0 |
0% |
0 |
2 |
|
Cottage Av from Fremont St to West St - South |
0% |
0 |
0% |
0 |
3 |
*These gap locations do not have sidewalk on either side of the street and are a top scoring location for that reason. Property owners were notified in the survey letter that sidewalk was only being considered for the side of the street that received the highest level of support.
The revised selection process ranks the locations by percentage of resident support, discounts locations that are opposed by two-thirds of the adjacent properties, and considers non-responses as support in order to break a tie. The final results are:
|
Gap Location |
Support |
|
Sleight St from Ogden Av to Dead End - East |
100% |
|
Eagle St from 13th Av to 14th Av - East |
100% |
|
Porter Av from Julian St to White Oak Dr - North |
100% |
|
Wehrli Dr from Hillside Rd to Wright St - East |
86% |
|
Willow Rd from Hillside Rd to Maple Ln - West |
80% |
|
Wellner Rd from Loomis St to View Ct - East |
75% |
|
Webster St from Ogden Av to 10th Av - West |
67% |
|
Sleight St from Highland Av to Porter Av - West |
63% |
|
Wellner Rd from View Ct to Sleight St - East |
57% |
|
Sleight St from Prairie Av to Hillside Rd - West |
50% |
|
Webster St from 10th Av to 11th Av - East |
43% |
|
Benton Av from Fremont St to West St - North |
0% |
|
Cottage Av from Fremont St to West St - South |
0% |
Notification letters (attached) were sent to the properties located along these 13 locations, informing residents that their block is still under consideration for near-term sidewalk installation and inviting them to attend the upcoming TAB meeting to provide additional feedback. Input from residents who could not attend the meeting is attached.
ARTERIAL GAP LOCATIONS
Staff identified three arterial gap locations that fall into the high-priority category which is defined as a posted speed limit of 40 mph or greater and an Average Daily Traffic (ADT) of 20,000 vehicles per day or greater.
|
Gap Location |
Speed Limit |
ADT |
|
Washington St from Gartner Rd to Pioneer Park - East |
40 |
58,400 |
|
Book Rd from Douglas Rd to Leverenz Rd - East |
40 |
34,000 |
|
Aurora Av from Route 59 to Westridge Ct - South |
45 |
64,600 |
Notification letters (attached) were sent to the properties located along these locations, informing property owners that this gap segment was under consideration for near-term sidewalk installation and inviting them to attend the upcoming TAB meeting to provide feedback. Staff received feedback from one adjacent property in support of the Washington Street gap, and no feedback expressing opposition to any of these locations.
Staff finds that these locations will provide beneficial pedestrian links to generators such as parks, transit, retail, and other key pedestrian destinations, as well as improving pedestrian safety. TAB had previously approved the Book Road segment as part of the 2018 Annual New Sidewalk Program. The Washington Street segment has received significant support from nearby residents and business owners (attached) who would benefit from the construction of sidewalk in this location.
RECOMMENDED PROGRAM
To estimate the funding level required, a cost of $65 per linear foot of new sidewalk is used. This is the average cost from the most recent New Sidewalk Programs and includes costs from concrete, earthwork, driveway adjustments, retaining walls, parkway restoration, and other construction elements.
Historically, $300,000 is budgeted annually through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for new sidewalk installation; however, the budget amount is subject to City Council approval.
The following table shows the estimated cost for the Neighborhood and Arterial gaps:
|
Gap Location |
Cost |
|
Sleight St from Ogden Av to Dead End - East |
$29,250 |
|
Eagle St from 13th Av to 14th Av - East |
$24,050 |
|
Porter Av from Julian St to White Oak Dr - North |
$30,225 |
|
Wehrli Dr from Hillside Rd to Wright St - East |
$43,940 |
|
Willow Rd from Hillside Rd to Maple Ln - West |
$33,800 |
|
Wellner Rd from Loomis St to View Ct - East |
$44,850 |
|
Webster St from Ogden Av to 10th Av - West |
$9,750 |
|
Sleight St from Highland Av to Porter Av - West |
$43,550 |
|
Wellner Rd from View Ct to Sleight St - East |
$24,050 |
|
Sleight St from Prairie Av to Hillside Rd - West |
$18,850 |
|
Webster St from 10th Av to 11th Av - East |
$24,700 |
|
Benton Av from Fremont St to West St - North |
$11,700 |
|
Cottage Av from Fremont St to West St - South |
$22,750 |
|
Washington St from Gartner Rd to Pioneer Park - East |
$63,050 |
|
Book Rd from Douglas Rd to Leverenz Rd - East |
$94,575 |
|
Aurora Av from Route 59 to Westridge Ct - South |
$76,050 |
The estimated cost for these 16 locations totals $595,140, therefore these locations can be constructed within a two-year program. Based on property owner support and annual funding levels, staff proposes the following construction timeline:
|
2020 Program |
Cost |
|
Washington St from Gartner Rd to Pioneer Park - East |
$63,050 |
|
Sleight St from Ogden Av to Dead End - East |
$29,250 |
|
Eagle St from 13th Av to 14th Av - East |
$24,050 |
|
Porter Av from Julian St to White Oak Dr - North |
$30,225 |
|
Wehrli Dr from Hillside Rd to Wright St - East |
$43,940 |
|
Willow Rd from Hillside Rd to Maple Ln - West |
$33,800 |
|
Wellner Rd from Loomis St to View Ct - East |
$44,850 |
|
Webster St from Ogden Av to 10th Av - West |
$9,750 |
|
Total |
$278,915 |
|
2021 Program |
Cost |
|
Book Rd from Douglas Rd to Leverenz Rd - East |
$94,575 |
|
Aurora Av from Route 59 to Westridge Ct - South |
$76,050 |
|
Sleight St from Highland Av to Porter Av - West |
$43,550 |
|
Wellner Rd from View Ct to Sleight St - East |
$24,050 |
|
Sleight St from Prairie Av to Hillside Rd - West |
$18,850 |
|
Total |
$257,075 |
|
Contingency Locations |
Cost |
|
Webster St from 10th Av to 11th Av - East |
$24,700 |
|
Benton Av from Fremont St to West St - North |
$11,700 |
|
Cottage Av from Fremont St to West St - South |
$22,750 |
This programming allows for locations that have not been identified by staff, but may be brought to TAB by future resident petition and demonstrated support, to be constructed in 2020 or 2021 while keeping the annual funding below the $300,000 budget amount.
The three contingency locations are the gap segments that received the lowest levels (less than 50%) of resident support. If no future resident requests are approved by TAB, or if bid prices are favorable, the contingency locations can be included in the recommendation for award.
Next Steps
Following TAB consideration, the 2020 and 2021 Annual New Sidewalk Program will be scheduled for a City Council meeting. The Transportation Advisory Board recommendation, TAB meeting minutes, and all public correspondence will be provided to the City Council when they consider this matter.