MD 355 - North Corridor Advisory Committee Meeting # 5 Sidney - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

MD 355 - North Corridor Advisory Committee Meeting # 5 Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center Germantown, Maryland December 10, 2015 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Welcome Agenda:  BRT Project Management Team Update ............................... 10 min  Project Process & Schedule ................................................... 20 min  Goals & Objectives/Preliminary Purpose & Need ................. 20 min  Conceptual Alternatives Development .................................. 15 min • Breakout Discussions .......................................................... 45 min • Discussion and Sharing ....................................................... 30 min  Additional Q&A ...................................................................... 10 min 2

BRT Project Management Team Update • MCDOT, SHA, MTA partnership continues uninterrupted • Management of US 29 and MD 355 Corridor Studies transferred from SHA to MTA • SHA has seen increase in highway related projects, straining resources • MTA has available resources • MTA brings additional transit ‐ related expertise • All consultant teams will remain involved 3

Questions?  BRT Project Management Team Update  Q&A • Project Process & Schedule • Goals & Objectives/Preliminary Purpose & Need • Conceptual Alternatives Development • Breakout Activity • Discussion and Sharing • Additional Q&A 4

Corridor Planning Process We are here Corridor Goals/ Existing Conceptual Conditions and Alternatives Pre-Purpose and Data Collection Development Need Preliminary Project Analysis of Alternatives Public Introduction Conceptual Workshop Public Meeting Alternatives Alternatives Retained for Detailed Study (ARDS) 5

MD 355 Milestone Schedule Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall Winter 2015 2015 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018 2018 2019 Project Purpose and Need Background Conceptual Alternatives CAC meetings through ARDS. Future meetings Project Introduction Public TBD based upon Meeting outcome of ARDS Ridership, Traffic and Impacts Analysis Alts. Public Workshop ARDS Package Alternatives Refinement Build Traffic & Ridership Environmental Tech Analysis Draft Corridor Report Public Workshop LPA Selection 6

Planning Timeline Federal Approval WE Process (NEPA) ARE HERE Project Project Begins Complet e Identification of Needs Alternatives Selection of Locally Entry Into Federal Federal Approvals and Conceptual Retained for Preferred Approval Process Granted (NEPA Alternatives Detailed Study Alternative (Begin NEPA) Complete) Preliminary Purpose and Need Purpose and Need 7

Questions?  BRT Project Management Team Update  Project Process & Schedule  Q&A • Goals & Objectives/Preliminary Purpose & Need • Conceptual Alternatives Development • Breakout Activity • Discussion and Sharing • Additional Q&A 8

Development of Goals and Objectives CAC Input • CAC Meeting #2 • Corridor Planning Study • Overview • Needs and Values Exercise • CAC Meeting #3 • Draft Preliminary Purpose and Need language • Purpose • Need • Existing and Projected Traffic & Transit Conditions 9

Development of Goals and Objectives CAC Input – Meeting #2 Exercise 10

Development of Goals and Objectives Inputs M-NCPPC M-NCPPC MCDOT MCDOT Objec- tives SHA SHA RTS RTS Goals Steering Steering Committee Committee Needs PUBLIC PUBLIC & CAC & CAC MTA MTA Measures of Effectiveness 11

Development of Goals and Objectives CAC Input Quantifiable CAC Needs Objectives Provide Make Trips Competitive, Faster and More Predictable Reliable Service Encourage Increase Transit Ridership Ridership Provide appealing Maximize User transit service Experience that will attract new riders 12

Objectives Goal 13

Objectives Goal 14

Development of Goals and Objectives CAC Input Quantifiable CAC Needs Objectives Create Multi- Create Direct Modal Modal Transfers Opportunities Create Enhance Neighborhood Bike/Ped Access Connections and Feeder Bus Encourage Long Provide Parking Distance at Key Stations Commuter Use 15

Objectives Goal 16

Objectives Goal 17

Goal Support Sustainable and Cost Effective Transportation Solutions Objectives Minimize Cost of Maintain Environmental Building and Operating Quality Transportation Services 18

Purpose and Need Purpose and Need = WHAT and WHY Purpose • WHAT are the major goals and objectives? • WHY will they be addressed by this project? Need • WHAT are the existing or forecasted problems? • WHY are these problems occurring? These fundamental questions provide support for later phases: • Conceptual alternatives analysis: options for how to address the what and why • Recommendations: the “best” options for how to satisfy the what and why 19

Purpose and Need Development Preliminary Purpose and Need Role: • Living document Basis for alternatives evaluation • NEPA Purpose and Follows NEPA guidelines • Need Saves time in formal NEPA process • Role: • Basis for Selected Alternative Evaluation • Provide consensus between regulatory agencies • Adopted by federal lead agency 20

Preliminary Purpose and Need Process WE ARE Supports HERE recommendation Drives of alternatives conceptual for detailed alternatives Forms baseline study discussion for comparison of future evaluations Acknowledges problems have multiple potential solutions Utilizes quantifiable data to identify problem(s) that require attention and further study 21

Preliminary Purpose and Need Document Next Steps • CAC Member Review and Comment • Facilitators will email link to Draft Document in mid ‐ December • Provide comments by end of January 2016 • CAC Member comments will be combined with comments from the Spring public meetings 22

Questions?  BRT Project Management Team Update  Project Process & Schedule  Goals & Objectives/Preliminary Purpose & Need  Q&A • Conceptual Alternatives Development • Breakout Activity • Discussion and Sharing • Additional Q&A 23

Conceptual Alternatives Development Process • Work completed • Existing conditions evaluation • Goals and Objectives • Needs identification • Next Steps • Obtain CAC Member Input • Complete Draft Preliminary Purpose and Need • Develop conceptual alternatives • Present conceptual alternatives for public input 24

What makes a Conceptual Alternative? • Components: 1. Running way • Physical location and interaction with surrounding environment for the BRT 2. Station locations • Specific location of BRT stops 3. Service plan BRT operational characteristics (headways, hours of • service, bus routing) 25

Conceptual Alternative Component BRT Running Way • Running Way options have been identified for consideration • The proposed options can be mixed and matched along different segments of the corridor to best fit within the surrounding area • Location and dimensions of proposed roadway elements will vary throughout the corridor • NOT EVERY OPTION IS APPROPRIATE FOR EVERY SEGMENT OF THE MD 355 CORRIDOR 26

Conceptual Alternative Component BRT Running Way Considerations: • BRT operations (speed, reliability) • Traffic operations • Visibility • Connectivity • Potential impacts 27

BRT in Mixed Traffic Brampton, Canada Brampton, Canada 28

BRT Queue Jump Queue Jump Concept 29

Reversible / Bi ‐ Directional BRT Lane Eugene, Oregon 30

Bi ‐ Directional BRT Lane Eugene, Oregon 31

Dedicated Median BRT Lanes Chicago, Illinois (Concept) Alexandria, Virginia 32

Dedicated Curb BRT Lanes Chicago, Illinois (Concept) Snohomish County, Washington 33

Conceptual Alternative Component Station • Began with station locations as proposed in the Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan • Made revisions to station locations based on further study by the City of Gaithersburg and input from the City of Rockville and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation • Considerations: • Adjacent land use • Proposed development • Ease of access (vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians) • Connectivity to existing and proposed transit service 34

Station Configuration – Median Running Changzhou, China Eugene, Oregon 35

Station Configuration – Curb Running Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn, New York 36

Conceptual Alternative Component Operations Plan Considerations: • Bus Routing (Spurs) • Transfer Points • Headways/Frequencies • Number of Buses 37

Conceptual Alternative Component Sample Operations Plan 5 buses per hour 12 min headway 10 buses per hour 6 min headways 10 buses per hour 6 min headways Shady Grove Clarksburg Metro Bethesda Metro Lake Forest Transit Center 10 buses per hour 15 buses per hour 5 buses per hour 6 min headways 4 min headways 12 min headways 38