EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study Task Assignment MPD 27-11 October 12, 2012 Prepared for Lake Havasu City Prepared by Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study Executive Summary Prepared for: Lake Havasu City Prepared by: HDR Engineering, Inc. October 12, 2012 This page is intentionally left blank. Contents 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................... ES-1 2.0 Corridor Planning Process ......................................................................................... ES-1 2.1 Technical Advisory Committee ........................................................................................ES-1 2.2 Existing Transportation System Conditions ......................................................................ES-2 2.3 Future Transportation System Conditions ........................................................................ES-2 2.4 Community Outreach .....................................................................................................ES-2 2.5 Corridor Alternatives ......................................................................................................ES-3 3.0 Improvement Plan ..................................................................................................... ES-4 3.1 Improvement Overview ..................................................................................................ES-4 3.2 Prioritized Projects ..........................................................................................................ES-8 Figures Figure ES-1 Recommended Typical Sections .............................................................................. ES-6 Figure ES-2 Recommended Improvements ................................................................................ ES-7 Tables Table ES-1 Road Alternative Scenarios by Corridor................................................................... ES-3 Table ES-2 Recommended Improvements, by Corridor ............................................................. ES-5 Table ES-3 McCulloch Corridor Improvement Plan ................................................................... ES-9 CD of Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study is affixed to inside of back cover. Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study i 1.0 Introduction Recent efforts to revitalize the Lake Havasu Main Street Uptown District on McCulloch Boulevard are paying off. Sidewalk and streetscape improvements provide a more seamless pedestrian experience. New restaurants and night spots are attracting a steady clientele. Trolley service provides tourists an easy connection between the Island area and Uptown District attractions. These efforts have started a renaissance in the corridor. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), in cooperation with Lake Havasu City (City), conducted a long-range corridor study for Mesquite Avenue, McCulloch Boulevard, and Swanson Avenue (referred to in this summary collectively as the Corridor). The study identified a vision for the Corridor that balances the City’s Main Street Uptown District goals with the need to accommodate future travel demand along each road in the Corridor. This is a summary of the Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study and its recommendations. For a more detailed discussion of the plan elements and the planning process, please refer to the Final Report. The Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study was funded by ADOT’s Multimodal Planning Division’s Planning Assistance for Rural Areas (PARA) program. The PARA program is funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s State Planning and Research program to nonmetropolitan communities for the purpose of conducting transportation planning studies. PARA funds may be applied to address a broad range of planning issues related to road and nonmotorized transportation modes. 2.0 Corridor Planning Process Mesquite Avenue, McCulloch Boulevard, and Swanson Avenue provide a connection between the Uptown District and Lake Havasu activities. The City’s long-term vision for McCulloch Boulevard through the Uptown District is a walkable, pedestrian-friendly urban street experience. The goal is to have McCulloch Boulevard become a “complete street” providing space for bicyclists, pedestrians, public transit, and motorized vehicles. The recommendations presented in the plan are the result of a broad community-based planning process that included voices from business owners, property owners, city planners, and elected officials. These recommendations are consistent with the goals of the 2002 Lake Havasu City General Plan, and the vision of the 2007 Lake Havasu City Regional/Urban Design Action Team (R/UDAT) Plan. 2.1 Technical Advisory Committee The Technical Advisory Committee met five times over the 16-month study process and provided important guidance on the development of the improvement recommendations. The committee membership included representatives from several City departments, ADOT, and the Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG). Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study ES-1 Lake Havasu City Greg Froslie – City Engineer Jeff LeMire – Public Works (Project Manager) Stuart Schmeling – Planning Rich Wells – Public Works ADOT Michele Beggs – Communications Matt Carpenter – Multimodal Planning Division (Project Manager) Ken Paetz – Kingman District Traffic Analyst WACOG Sharon Mitchell – Transportation Planner 2.2 Existing Transportation System Conditions To establish an understanding of the corridor and baseline conditions, the study team reviewed existing transportation conditions by collecting data on road characteristics, traffic operations, crash history, public transit service and nonmotorized transportation. A traffic microsimulation tool was prepared to evaluate existing traffic operations in the Corridor. 2.3 Future Transportation System Conditions The study team updated the 2005 Lake Havasu City Travel Demand Model to 2010 conditions using recent census data, and validated the model to recent traffic counts. The updated model was used with population and employment projections for 2030 to estimate future travel demand in the Corridor. The 2030 traffic forecasts were used to evaluate future traffic operations in the Corridor. In addition to identifying forecast traffic operations deficiencies in the Corridor, the study team also reviewed nonmotorized and parking conditions as well as the potential growth in transit demand. The parking review showed ample parking available, but identified the lack of wayfinding/directional signs, the poor condition of rear parking lots, and a lack of signs and entrances at the rear of buildings. The study team also identified sidewalk conditions and pedestrian amenities, including nonmotorized crossings, and bicycle and pedestrian levels of service. 2.4 Community Outreach A visioning workshop and two public meetings were conducted as part of this Corridor planning effort. The February 2012 visioning workshop asked residents, business owners, and property owners to describe their goals for the Corridor. Key recommendations that emerged from this vision session included: • Improve existing parking-in-common areas behind storefronts Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study ES-2 • Reconfigure on-street parking • Improve bicycle and pedestrian access in the corridor to support the Arizona State University (ASU) campus on Swanson Avenue • Relocate the Havasu Area Transit (HAT) transfer center to the Uptown District At the first public held in April 2012 meeting stakeholders provided feedback on three Corridor improvement scenarios. The study team incorporated this feedback into the recommended Corridor improvements that were introduced for public comment at the second meeting held in August 2012 at the Red Onion Restaurant on McCulloch Boulevard. 2.5 Corridor Alternatives Road Alternatives The study team developed three alternative road scenarios for analysis and community consideration. The alternatives included a one-way couplet concept, a bicycle focus, and a median and roundabout focus. A brief description of each alternative by corridor is presented in Table ES-1 A no-build scenario was also evaluated. Table ES-1 Road Alternative Scenarios by Corridor Alternative One-way Couplet Corridor Bicycle Focus Medians and Roundabouts Mesquite Avenue Two travel lanes westbound only; bicycle lane each direction One travel lane each direction, center turning lane; bicycle lane each direction Two travel lanes east, one travel lane west, landscaped median; no bicycle lanes McCulloch Boulevard (west) No change Bicycle lane each direction No change McCulloch Boulevard (east) North side landscaping Bicycle lanes each direction Median landscaping Swanson Avenue Two travel lanes eastbound only; bicycle lanes each direction One travel lane each direction; bicycle lane each direction; landscape buffer One travel lane each direction; bicycle lane each direction; roundabout at Smoketree and Mulberry Avenues The traffic simulations showed that one-way couplet initially recommended by the 2005 Lake Havasu City Small Area Transportation Study (SATS) would cause traffic operations to deteriorate in the corridor. The study recommendations are hybrid of these elements that are based on technical evaluation and stakeholder feedback. Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study ES-3 Nonmotorized and Transit Alternatives Finding near-term solutions to improve parking is the key to long-term changes to the streetscape and road network that will make Mesquite Avenue, McCulloch Boulevard, and Swanson Avenue more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. The goal of these changes is to create a system of “complete streets” in the corridor that provide space for bicyclists, pedestrians, public transit, and motorized vehicles. These enhancements will support the City’s long-term vision to make the Uptown District and the MesquiteMcCulloch-Swanson corridor a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly urban street experience. The study team recommended switching the angled parking along McCulloch Boulevard in the Uptown area to parallel parking. This will improve safety and provide more room for other amenities. Before making the switch to parallel parking, parking at the rear of the buildings should be improved. Close parking access with short walking distances to businesses is important for both elderly snowbirds and year-round residents facing summer daytime temperatures over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Two undeveloped city-owned parcels along Pima Wash south of Mesquite Avenue would be an ideal location to relocate the HAT Downtown Transfer Station. This location would increase the visibility of the transfer station and make it easier to use. Combining the transit transfer station with a surface parking lot would add parking in the Uptown area. Other recommendations include curb extensions along McCulloch Boulevard between Smoketree Avenue and Acoma Boulevard to shorten pedestrian crossing distance. Additional landscaping, safety lighting, and bicycle facilities are also part of the improvement alternatives considered for the corridor. 3.0 Improvement Plan This planning process resulted in an overall vision for the corridor that includes road, nonmotorized, and transit elements. This vision is a hybrid of alternatives. 3.1 Improvement Overview Table ES-2 outlines the recommended improvements for the Corridor. Figure ES-1 shows the road typical sections. An overview of the improvement recommendations is shown in ES-2. Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study ES-4 Table ES-2 Recommended Improvements, by Corridor Corridor Priorities Notes Extend three-lane striping to Acoma Boulevard Mesquite Avenue Intersections McCulloch Boulevard (west) Intersections, bicycle lanes McCulloch Boulevard (east) Parking Hybrid option includes bicycle lanes and landscape buffer Swanson Avenue Restripe for bicycle lanes, intersections Coordinate with ASU Other recommended improvements identified through safety and traffic analysis: • Increase storage distance for left turns at intersections along McCulloch Boulevard • Add bicycle lanes along crossroads between McCulloch Boulevard and Swanson Avenue • Add raised medians along Lake Havasu Avenue and Acoma Boulevard between Mesquite and Swanson Avenues to control access to and from adjacent driveways Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study ES-5 Figure ES-1 Recommended Typical Sections Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study ES-6 Riviera Bo var d Aven ue ven te A ard lev Sw N an so u ven nA ASU LHC Campus Mulberry Avenue u Bo Pim aW ash ch llo Cu Mc Smo ketre e i squ oule T ue Me Aco m a B nue Ave vasu e Ha Lak Que rio Dri ve rd leva u o ri B Cap Civic Center D rive ulevard Figure ES-2 | Recommended Alternative e No scale Four lanes of traffic (two each way) Bicycle lane New multiuse path Three lanes of traffic (two one direction, one the other) Parallel parking Raised median Two lanes of traffic (one each way) New landscape buffer Signalized intersection All-way stop-controlled intersection T City-owned parking lot Relocated transit center Parking in common Note: Intersections without notation are side-street, stop-controlled. McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study | September 23, 2012 ES-7 3.2 Prioritized Projects Table ES-3 identifies the improvements needed to realize the Corridor vision. The latest update to the WACOG TIP includes $424,000 allocated in FY 2014 for design and $2,098,000 allocated in FY 2016 for construction of transportation projects in the Corridor. The City will consider the recommendations of this study as it determines how to allocate funding for transportation projects in the Corridor. Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study ES-8 Table ES-3 McCulloch Corridor Improvement Plan Project description Type Priority Obtain easement to institute communal parking in Uptown area Parking Short-range Improve rear parking lots with landscaping, lights, etc., in Uptown area Parking Short-range Add signs for parking lots in Uptown area Parking Short-range Construct new parking lot at Mesquite Avenue and Pima Wash Parking Short-range Relocate transfer station facilities Transit Short-range Extend left-turn bays along McCulloch Boulevard (five locations) Road Short-range Restripe McCulloch Boulevard (Lake Havasu to Smoketree Avenues) with bicycle lanes Road Short-range Restripe Swanson Avenue to recommended typical section Road Short-range Restripe Mesquite Avenue to recommended typical section Road Short-range Short-range subtotal Reconstruct McCulloch Boulevard (Smoketree Avenue to Acoma Boulevard) Road Medium-range Install signal at Mesquite Avenue and Riviera Boulevard Road Medium-range Install signal at Mesquite Avenue and Smoketree Avenue Road Medium-range Install signal at Swanson Avenue and Smoketree Avenue Road Medium-range Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study Cost opinion N/A $1,463,000 $71,000 $313,000 $50,000 $42,000 $39,000 $69,000 $19,000 $2,066,000 $676,000 $434,000 $434,000 $434,000 ES-9 Table ES-3 McCulloch Corridor Improvement Plan Project description Type Modify intersection control to two-way stop at Mesquite Avenue and Capri Boulevard; Mesquite Avenue and Civic Center Drive; and Mesquite Avenue and Querio Drive Road Modify intersection control to two-way or side-street stop at Swanson Avenue and Capri Boulevard and at Swanson and Mulberry Avenues Road Construct multiuse path along Swanson Avenue Priority Cost opinion Medium-range $21,000 Medium-range $14,000 Road Medium-range subtotal $2,013,000 Long-range $1,578,000 (optional pavement preservation, mill, overlay) $519,000 (optional multiuse path lighting) $748,000 Construct raised medians with landscaping along Mesquite Avenue Road Long-range Construct raised medians on Lake Havasu Avenue between Mesquite and Swanson Avenues Road Long-range Construct raised medians on Acoma Boulevard between Mesquite and Swanson Avenues Road Long-range Construct parking garage Parking Long-range Lake Havasu City McCulloch Corridor Improvement Study $814,000 $75,000 $108,000 $7,000,000 Long-range subtotal $10,842,000 Total all projects $14,921,000 ES-10