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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03 Plan Review_20200901 - sentIOWA CITY AREA TRANSIT STUDY | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 3-1 3 PLAN REVIEW This chapter reviews Iowa City area transportation and land use plans published in the past 13 years. Each plan was analyzed and information relevant to the Iowa City Area Transit Study (ICATS) summarized. The plan review includes the following documents: ▪ University of Iowa Campus Master Plan (2006) ▪ Iowa City Downtown & Riverfront Crossings Master Plan (2013) ▪ Iowa City Comprehensive Plan (2013) ▪ Coralville Community Plan (2014) ▪ Iowa City Downtown & Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan Update (2014) ▪ MPO of Johnson County Future Forward 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (2017) ▪ Coralville West Land Use Area Master Plan (2016) ▪ Iowa City Bicycle Master Plan (2017) Findings from this chapter contextualize future transit planning work in Iowa City area by highlighting planning goals, visions, and unfulfilled objectives relating to public transit. KEY FINDINGS Important relevant transportation and land use themes from this study’s plan review are: • Long-term plans for a transportation hub with rail connections to Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Des Moines, and Omaha include a transit-oriented development community in the general area of S Clinton Street and Wright Street, just south of downtown Iowa City. • There is general agreement among Iowa City area transportation plans that efforts should be continued to increase transit ridership, improve access to bus stops, and improve transit amenities. • Transportation plans produced by both Iowa City and Coralville call for the continuous evaluation of transit service, an effort which this study (ICATS) is currently carrying out. • Significant commercial, industrial, and residential greenfield development is planned in Coralville’s West Land Use Area. IOWA CITY AREA TRANSIT STUDY | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 3-2 PLAN REVIEW University of Iowa Campus Master Plan (2006) Adopted in 2006, this master plan is a broad framework for the development of the University of Iowa campuses in Iowa City (Main Campus) and Coralville (Oakdale Campus), which total approximately 1,700 acres. The plan primarily guides land use development but also includes transportation goals meant to make the campus more pedestrian-oriented and transit-accessible. The plan supports compact growth, improved CAMBUS service, and a more robust bicycle network. An updated campus master plan, which is currently under development, calls for financial support for dedicated CAMBUS park-and-ride facilities. The updated plan also proposes an important paradigm shift from the previous plan by recommending the reduction of parking capacity throughout campus to facilitate better active transportation and transit access to university destinations. Iowa City Downtown & Riverfront Crossings Master Plan (2013) This plan, which was adopted in 2013, serves as a framework to identify and guide investment towards redevelopment in the Downtown Riverfront Crossings District. The plan proposes guiding dense, mixed-use, transit-oriented development around a future regional passenger rail hub between Wright and Lafayette streets. The plan also recommends that bus service be expanded in the district, with new bus stops at key locations and integrated with any future rail stations. Iowa City Comprehensive Plan (2013) The city of Iowa City’s 2013 comprehensive plan serves as the roadmap for directing growth in the city. The transportation component of the plan includes six goals: ▪ Accommodating all modes of transportation ▪ Encourage walking and bicycling ▪ Promote use of public transit ▪ Maximize the safety and efficiency of the transportation network ▪ Maximize mobility for the elderly and persons with disabilities ▪ Encourage economic vitality through transportation innovation and investment Specific objectives outlined under the plan’s ‘promote use of public transit’ goal include monitoring on-time performance, ensuring adequate levels of transit service during peak periods, continuing bus marketing campaigns, and upgrading transit capital equipment as necessary. IOWA CITY AREA TRANSIT STUDY | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 3-3 Coralville Community Plan (2014) The Coralville Community Plan was adopted in 2014 and is the comprehensive plan for the City of Coralville. The plan’s transportation and mobility component includes a number of goals and planned improvements for different transportation modes but specifically calls on the city to further invest in public transit. The most significant transit investment produced by this plan is the Coralville Transit Intermodal Facility at Iowa River Landing, which opened in 2015. Opening the transit center involved restructuring Coralville Transit routes and provides riders with a connection to intercity bus service. In addition to the new transit center, the Coralville Community plan calls for: ▪ Continuous evaluation of Coralville Transit routes ▪ New bus shelters and benches ▪ Review of Coralville development regulations to ensure new buildings support transit use Other plan recommendations include expanding Coralville’s bicycle and trail network, conducting a comprehensive inventory of sidewalks, improving crosswalks, and evaluating parking requirements. Iowa City Downtown & Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan Update (2014) This 2014 plan includes a site assessment of existing conditions and general planning framework for Iowa City’s Downtown District. The plan makes general recommendations to: ▪ Improve streetscape design ▪ Update wayfinding kiosks ▪ Improve pedestrian safety ▪ Develop new public spaces ▪ Enhance bicycle accommodations ▪ Replace aging infrastructure This plan’s transportation-related recommendations are primarily active transportation-based, although it does consider streetscape changes that would address bus queuing and improve the pedestrian environment around bus stops. The plan proposes a number of improvements that would make transit easier to access, such as crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps with tactile warning strips, and new bicycle lanes along major streets. IOWA CITY AREA TRANSIT STUDY | FINAL REPORT Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc. | 3-4 MPO of Johnson County Future Forward 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan (2017) This plan, adopted in 2017, was produced by the Johnson County metropolitan planning organization (MPO) and is the federally-recognized long-range transportation plan (LRTP) for the Iowa City urbanized area. The plan specifically identifies the need to increase funding for transit facilities, additional bus service, and transit bus replacement for vehicles beyond their useful life. The plan also calls for coordination with e-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft and for a renewed focus on bringing passenger rail service to the region. The LRTP specifically identifies a new maintenance and bus storage facility for Iowa City Transit as a pressing capital need for regional transit. Coralville West Land Use Area Master Plan (2016) This community plan was adopted in 2016 to guide development in Coralville’s West Land Use Area. The plan focuses on conservation, walkability, sustainability, opportunity, and recreation, and calls for a mix of commercial, industrial, and residential development . The master plan proposes a gird network of arterial and collector streets but does not call specifically for transit infrastructure or service . The proposed transportation network also includes a comprehensive network of shared-use paths and trails to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. Iowa City Bicycle Master Plan (2017) The Iowa City Bicycle Master Plan was adopted in the summer of 2017 and establishes a framework for all investment related to bicycling in Iowa City. The plan targets Iowa City to become a gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community. To achieve this, the plan identifies six guiding elements for an effective transport network: Integrity, Directness, Safety, Comfort, Experience, and Feasibility. Recommendations include tailoring the system to specific user groups, avoiding conflicts with traffic operations, filling the gaps, expanding the network, improv ing wayfinding, and better bicycle facilities. The plan also recommends bicycle -transit integration where transit stops with good accessibility and secure parking can attract multimodal trips and increase ridership. Zoning recommendations in this plan include increasing minimum sidewalk widths, incorporating bike lanes into collectors and arterials, and differentiating between long -term and short-term parking requirements.