City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 1 7 th Avenue and 7 th Street Reverse Lanes Reverse Lane Public Hearing Sunnyslope Community Center October 6, 2010 Kerry Wilcoxon, P.E. Reverse Lane Public Hearing Sunnyslope Community Center October 6, 2010 Kerry Wilcoxon, P.E. OverviewOverview Operational AnalysisOperational Analysis Public OpinionPublic Opinion

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 2 Reverse Lane Overview Reverse Lane Study  Technical Analysis by Street Transportation Current studies  Quality-of-life analysis by ASU PURL Including differences among neighborhoods Operational Alternatives

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 3 Background Mayor Hance identified traffic congestion as #1 concern for Phoenicians in 1979 Mayor/Council directed staff to develop low-cost solutions Widening or building new streets was not an option Reverse lane selected to accommodate growth in Central Core

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 4 7 th Street started in 1982  Adams to Dunlap Ave  Now McDowell to Dunlap (7 miles) 7 th Avenue & 7 th Street Central Phoenix 7 th Avenue started in 1979  McDowell to Northern Ave. (6 miles)

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 5 7TH AVE7TH ST Without Reverse Lanes 3 Lanes NB each street 650 Vehicles/Hour/Lane Without Reverse Lanes 2 Lanes SB each street 650 Vehicles/Hour/Lane

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 6 7TH AVE7TH ST With Reverse Lanes 4 Lanes NB 33% Capacity Increase 750 Vehicles/Hour/Lane With Reverse Lanes 3 Lanes SB 50% Capacity Increase 750 Vehicles/Hour/Lane

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 7 Original Issues Dilemma:  Benefit – Increased north/south traffic flow  Detriment – Limited turning movements Concerns:  Neighborhood cut-through  Safety  Access (to businesses and neighborhoods) Questions: Are they still needed? If yes, can they work better? If no, what are the consequences (costs) of removal?

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 8 Study Approach Engineering  Street Transportation Department Review current conditions Forecast future demand Public Perception  Phoenix Urban Research Lab (PURL) ASU Survey stakeholders

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 9 Street Transportation Dept Crash Rates  Comparison – 7 th Ave to 19 th Ave 7 th St to 16 th St Lane Utilization  Percentage of reverse lane utilization  Traffic speeds Capacity Analyses  Traffic flow modeling

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 10 Crash Rate Comparison Methodology  Study Period (pre-LRT)  Streets Examined - 19 th Ave, 7 th Ave, 7 th St, 16 th St  Crashes involving at least one north/south vehicle Calculation Crash Rate = Crashes by Hours Hourly Traffic Volumes x Length

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 11 Crash Rates AM Reverse Lane Hours Northern Av Glendale Av Bethany Home Rd Camelback Rd Indian School Rd Thomas Rd McDowell Rd 16th St 7th St 7th Av 19th Av HI Segment Intersection

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 12 Northern Av Glendale Av Bethany Home Rd Camelback Rd Indian School Rd Thomas Rd McDowell Rd 16th St 7th St 7th Av 19th Av HI Segment Intersection Crash Rates PM Reverse Lane Hours

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 13 Northern Av Glendale Av Bethany Home Rd Camelback Rd Indian School Rd Thomas Rd McDowell Rd 16th St 7th St 7th Av 19th Av HI Segment Intersection Crash Rates Non-Reverse Lane Hours

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 14 Common Type of Crashes Most Common: All Four StreetsRear End Most Severe: 19th Av Angle 7th Av Angle 7th StAngle/Left Turn 16th StLeft Turn

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 15 Annualized Head-On Crashes th St – 5.4 crashes/year 7th St– th Ave – 3.4 7th Ave– 1.8

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 16 19th Ave – 11.4 crashes/year 7th St– th St – th Ave– 6.0 Annualized Pedestrian Crashes

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department Reverse Lane Utilization AM Peak Hours GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD 27% 25% THOMAS RD 23% CAMELBACK RD 28% BETHANY HOME RD 27% NORTHERN AV 7TH ST 24% GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD 23% 25% THOMAS RD 18% CAMELBACK RD BETHANY HOME RD N/A 25% NORTHERN AV 7TH AV N 26% 30%

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 18 N/A GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD 12% 9% THOMAS RD 6% CAMELBACK RD 14% BETHANY HOME RD N/A 14% NORTHERN AV 7TH AV 15% GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD 15% 11% THOMAS RD 9% CAMELBACK RD 17% BETHANY HOME RD 16% 18% NORTHERN AV 7TH ST 2007 Reverse Lane Utilization PM Peak Hours N

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 19 Current Average Speeds Southbound AM N GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD THOMAS RD CAMELBACK RD BETHANY HOME RD NORTHERN AV 7TH ST 44 MPH 41 MPH 40 MPH 44 MPH GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD THOMAS RD CAMELBACK RD BETHANY HOME RD NORTHERN AV 41 MPH 38 MPH 42 MPH 7TH AVE

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 20 GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD THOMAS RD CAMELBACK RD BETHANY HOME RD NORTHERN AV 7TH ST GLENDALE AV INDIAN SCHOOL RD THOMAS RD CAMELBACK RD BETHANY HOME RD NORTHERN AV 7TH AVE Current Average Speeds Northbound PM 45 MPH 43 MPH 41 MPH 41 MPH 44 MPH 41 MPH 40 MPH 40 MPH

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 21 Capacity Analysis Traffic Modeling  Existing reverse lanes vs. Hypothetical conditions  Input Traffic Volume Lane Configuration Signal Timing  Output Travel Time Comparison

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 22 Morning Peak Hour 7:15 – 8:15 Afternoon Peak Hour 4:30 – 5:30 Travel Times - 7 th Avenue McDowell to Northern - Actual and Predicted 15 Actual Predicted w/o Reverse Lane Actual Predicted w/o Reverse Lane 19

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 23 Morning Peak Hour 7:15 – 8:15 Afternoon Peak Hour 4:30 – 5: Actual Predicted w/o Reverse Lane Actual Predicted w/o Reverse Lane Travel Times - 7th Street McDowell to Northern - Actual and Predicted

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 24 Morning Peak Hour 7:15 – 8:15 14 min. SR-51 16th St 11 min. I min. 7th St 15 min. 7th Av Travel Time Comparison Morning Peak Hour Northern to McDowell Alignments 10 min.

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 25 Afternoon Peak Hour 4:30 – 5:30 15 min. Travel Time Comparison Afternoon Peak Hour McDowell to Northern Alignments SR-51 16th St 12 min. I min. 7th St 11 min. 7th Av 15 min.

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 26 Estimated Future Traffic (thousands of vehicles per day) Source: City of Phoenix Traffic Volume MapSource: MAG Model

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 27 Union Hills Dr Glendale Av Reverse Lane Users (Driver Home Zip Code)

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 28 Neighborhood Cut Thru Analysis North Current: Left-turn generated cut-thru Cause: Left-turn restrictions at signals Occurs: Downstream of signals Primarily left turns into neighborhoods Predicted: Congestion generated cut-thru Cause: Low capacity at signals Occurs: Upstream and downstream of signals Includes left and right turns into neighborhoods

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 29 Reverse Lane Usage Before and After Light Rail December 2008 Peak Hour BeforeAfter Morning26%29% Afternoon14%16%

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 30 Traffic Counts During Recession 14% reduction in Average Daily Traffic (ADT) at city-wide count stations from 2005 to % reduction in ADT on the reverse lane streets from 2005 to 2009

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 31 Engineering Findings Traffic safety on 7th Avenue and 7th Street similar to other arterial streets Reverse lanes carry a substantial amount of rush hour trafficReverse lanes carry a substantial amount of rush hour traffic Removal would result in loss of capacity with same demandRemoval would result in loss of capacity with same demand Neighborhood cut-thru routes may shiftNeighborhood cut-thru routes may shift

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 32 ASU Phoenix Urban Research Lab (PURL) – Stakeholder Survey Goal: Determine how stakeholders view the lanes and how they would change them (improve, eliminate, preserve)? Process Identify stakeholders (drivers, peds, bicyclists, residents, business owners, etc.) Conduct sample-based surveys of stakeholders Conduct focus groups of stakeholder groups Analyze survey and focus group responses

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 33 Very few satisfied with business-as-usual  Main quality-of-life concerns: Reverse lanes inhibit access Most feel lanes are unsafe Driver confusion  Would recommend: Keep the lanes & add electronic signage Eliminate the reverse lane on 7th Street/7th Avenue Little support to keep lanes with no changes Quality-of-Life Study Results Central Phoenix Neighborhoods

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 34 Quality-of-Life Study Results North Central Neighborhoods More satisfied with operation than other stakeholders  More than 50% say: Lanes are safe and reduce travel time Reverse lane signs are understandable  Would recommend: Enforcement and more left turn opportunities Sign upgrades e.g., electronic signs

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 35 Operational Alternatives Scenarios: 1.Maintain Reverse Lanes as is 2.Permanently Remove Reverse Lanes 3.Maintain Reverse Lane; a.add flashing lights to existing signs b.add electronic lane control beacons 4.Temporarily remove Reverse Lanes as test

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 36 Maintain existing reverse lane operation - Continue to optimize - Continue enforcement Estimated Cost: $0 Scenario 1 – Keep Reverse Lanes No Change of Operation

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 37 Remove reverse lanes on both streets - Remove existing signs and mast arms - Install new turn arrows at major intersections - Re-evaluate signal timing - Public education campaign Estimated Total Cost: Without sign pole removal$630,000 With sign pole removal$955,000 Scenario 2 – Permanently remove Reverse Lane operation

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 38 Scenario 3a – Keep Reverse Lanes Add flashing lights to existing signs Install flashing lights to existing overhead signs - Supply power to existing sign poles - Install flashing beacons and wireless communication equipment - Public education campaign Estimated Total Cost: $3,850,000

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 39 Install additional new red X – Green Circle lane control signals, additional poles and new signs - Install additional signs and sign posts - Supply power to mast arms - Install supporting control equipment - Public education campaign Estimated Total Cost: $24,510,000 Scenario 3b – Keep Reverse Lanes Add electric lane control signals

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 40 Remove reverse lanes on 7 th Avenue or 7 th Street - Remove existing signs - Public education campaign Estimated Total Cost: 7 th Avenue:$65,000 7 th Street: $70,000 Scenario 4 – Temporarily remove Reverse Lane as test

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department 41 Ad-Hoc Committee Schedule Aug - SeptTask Force Meetings Sept - OctPublic Meetings  Reverse lane survey on-line (until 10/31/2010) NovemberTask Force Meeting  Develop Recommendations DecemberPresentation to City Council Reverse Lane Survey:

City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department Questions? Kerry Wilcoxon