General Meyer Avenue Complete Streets Improvements Project Public Meeting Open House Algiers Regional Library February 7, 2019 5:00 – 7:00 pm Photo courtesy of The Hawthorne Agency This 12-minute presentation will be repeated all evening until the end of the meeting.

WELCOME The City of New Orleans and the Regional Planning Commission welcome you to the first of two meetings General Meyer Avenue Complete Streets Improvements Project You are invited to view this presentation and the exhibits, ask questions, and provide feedback

The General Meyer Avenue Complete Streets Study Project Management Committee City of New Orleans Council District C Mayor’s Office of Transportation Department of Public Works Planning Commission Regional Planning Commission LA Department of Transportation and Development District 02 Algiers Economic Development Foundation Algiers Neighborhood Presidents Council BikeEasy New Orleans Regional Transit Authority

What is the Purpose of the Project? To improve access for people who walk, bike, and use transit on General Meyer without diminishing automobile flow to link all users to major public facilities and activity centers within an improved multimodal transportation network in Algiers.

Open House Organization and Activities Station 1: Sign-in Station 2: Learn about Complete Streets Station 3: Show us where people who are walking, biking, and taking the bus encounter issues Station 4: Suggest solutions for General Meyer Avenue Station 5: Provide comments You are here This presentation and other project information may also be viewed online at http://www.norpc.org/GeneralMeyer.html

Why Complete Streets? Promotes livability 75% of 3000 respondents in 8 cities, including New Orleans, agreed that bike lanes, combined with road, sidewalk and transit improvements would make their community more livable (People for Bikes/Neimand Collaborative 2018) 78% of 800 residents across the New Orleans-Baton Rouge super-region said they prefer to live in walkable neighborhoods (National Association of Realtors 2010) 47% of Americans say they would like more bike facilities in their communities (NHTSA 2008)

Why Complete Streets? Supports economic revitalization 7 out of 11 Complete Streets projects showed an increase in corridor employment 1-2 blocks deep after completion 8 out 10 Complete Streets projects reported increased property values compared to citywide values 4 out of 6 Complete Streets projects reported increased property values compared to citywide values and similar but unimproved corridors (Smart Growth America, Safer Streets, Stronger Economies 2015)

Freret Street Complete Streets Makeover Road Diet Freret Street Before After Crosswalks Bike Racks Curb Extensions Shared Lane Markings Freret Street Today

Why Complete Streets? Improves safety Reduces speeding Results from three Seattle Complete Streets Speeding fell by two-thirds Number of drivers “speeding excessively” decreased by 11% Speeding drivers decreased by 75% and crashes involving pedestrians declined by 80% Source: Smart Growth America 2015

Improves safety St. Bernard Avenue Safety Improvements Source: Jennifer Ruley CNO DPW Addition of a bike lane, reduction of one travel lane, and widening the neutral ground reduced the number of severe bike crashes to zero.

Why Complete Streets? Encourages healthy activity and provides transportation choice More Walking Trips More Biking Trips More Transit Trips Source: Smart Growth America 2015

Why Complete Streets? Low cost with big results Complete Streets Project Cost Increase in Bicycle Traffic Increase in Walking Traffic Average cost of Complete Streets Project - $2.1 million Average cost of highway improvement project - $9 million Source: Smart Growth America 2015

How Can We Complete the Street? Provide a visible path and a protective refuge for people walking BEFORE: People have to walk across four lanes of traffic with no clear markings AFTER: People crossing have enough time and drivers know where they will be

How Can We Complete the Street? Provide clear instructions for drivers, walkers, and bicyclists BEFORE: People have to navigate traffic moving in all directions AFTER: People know what is expected of them and what to expect from others

How Can We Complete the Street? Protect the non-vehicular spaces with highly visible crosswalks, refuges, and 3-D buffers BEFORE: People walking and biking feel exposed AFTER: People walking and biking feel welcome

How Can We Complete the Street? AFTER: Having your own place to drive, bike, and walk feels right Give people a safe and low-stress space to do what they want to do and show them how to share it to make a right turn here Cars allowed to cross here Sidewalk Car lane BEFORE: Biking on the sidewalk feels safer Dedicated bike lane

Does Algiers Have Complete Streets? After Unmarked pavement 3D Flex Barriers No sidewalks Marked Car Lanes Multi-use path shared by walkers and cyclists 2-ft buffer Old Behrman Highway Before Does Algiers Have Complete Streets? Before Completing the Street Old Behrman Did Not Have a Place for Everyone

Now Everyone has a Place Safe bus stop access and waiting area Median Refuge with High Visibility Crosswalks Sidewalks No sidewalks Unmarked pavement Marked Car Lanes No path to bus stop Old Behrman Highway Before Old Behrman Highway After

BEFORE Walmart builds a network of sidewalks Old Behrman Hwy BEFORE Behrman Hwy But the people who live across the street have to drive to get there

Safe crossing for people walking, biking, and taking the bus AFTER Multiuse Path Safe crossing for people walking, biking, and taking the bus Connected sidewalks

What About General Meyer Avenue? Perfect Opportunity for Another Complete Street in Algiers

Resources Mismatched to Corridor Needs corridor Assets 1 university 1 fire station 2 medical facilities 2 schools + 1 under construction 2 parks 3 commercial nodes 14 active neighborhood associations Transportation resources 3 miles of high-speed roadway 9/10 of a mile of sidewalks 7/10 of a mile of neutral ground 6/10 of a mile of parking lanes 2 high-visibility crosswalks 0 mile of bike lanes 0 pedestrian refuges or signals

50 bus stops 3 bus shelters 52 intersecting streets 7 crosswalks

General Meyer is a Key Connector for Existing Bicycle Network Algiers Bike Map Routes (2016) ---General Meyer Avenue-- ---No Connecting Bike Lanes--

What about Traffic Flow? Street Type Number of Lanes for Cars Complete Streets Elements Average Daily Traffic General Meyer Avenue Minor Urban Arterial 4 To Be Determined 8,428 – 16,744 St. Bernard near N. Broad 2 Neutral Ground + Parking Lanes + Bike Lanes 11,838 Esplanade near N. Villere Neutral Ground + Parking Lanes 12,780 S. Carrollton near Maple (4-lane to 2-lane Conversion) 15,716 Source: General Meyer Traffic Counts (2018) and LDOTD Annualize Average Daily Traffic Counts (2016) Traffic Numbers are Within the Range of Other Successful Complete Streets

Pace Boulevard Upper Avenue: 4-lane with Neutral Ground, Parking Lanes, Bus Stops, Sidewalks, No Bike Lanes Photo courtesy of The Hawthorne Agency

Odeon Avenue Middle Avenue: Undivided 4-Lane, Bus Stops, No Sidewalks or Bike Lanes, Unmarked Driveways Photo courtesy of The Hawthorne Agency

Woodland Drive Lower Avenue: Undivided 4-Lane, Shoulder, Ditches, Bus Stops, No Sidewalks or Bike Lanes Photo courtesy of The Hawthorne Agency

The only fatality involved a person walking here in 2017   Total Percent Pedestrians Total Corridor Crashes 2015-2017 217 2% Crashes with Pedestrians 4 100% Total Injuries 57 5% Pedestrian Severe Injuries 1 Pedestrian Fatality The only fatality involved a person walking here in 2017 Locations of crashes involving people walking

What’s Next? Oct-18 Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19 Mar-19 Apr-19 May-19   Oct-18 Nov-18 Dec-18 Jan-19 Feb-19 Mar-19 Apr-19 May-19 Jun-19 Team Kick-Off Data Gathering Stakeholder Briefings Preliminary Assessment Public Meeting 1 Proposed Improvements Draft Feasibility Report Public Meeting 2 Final Report / Stage 0 We are Here

Thank You for Your Attention Please visit our other stations Station 3: Show us where people who are walking, biking, and taking the bus encounter issues and where the avenue is well-designed to avoid conflicts with drivers and to promote safety and community activities. Station 4: Suggest Complete Streets solutions on three sections of General Meyer Upper Avenue – Behrman to Pace Middle Avenue – Pace to Kabel Lower Avenue – Kabel to Woodland Station 5: Write your comments on the comment card provided or record the comment with the transcriptionist.

A Place on the Road for Everyone and Everyone in the Right Place General Meyer Avenue Complete Streets Study A Place on the Road for Everyone and Everyone in the Right Place Comments / Questions: GenMeyerCompleteStreets@hntb.com Phone line: 504-488-4745 This presentation and other project information may be viewed online at http://www.norpc.org/GeneralMeyer.html