City of FARGO NP and 1 st Avenue North Corridor Development Plan NP AND 1ST AVENUE NORTH CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Study Mission Statement This Study will recommend a plan that accommodates all travelers: pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and drivers. The plan’s design and safety features will improve the physical health of individuals, the environmental quality of the community, and further increase opportunities for development.

Study Background Conversion of one-way pairs – This study recommended by the 2007 update to Fargo-Moorhead Downtown Framework Plan – Reflects nationwide trend since 1990s Two-ways are now thought to be more friendly and appealing to pedestrians and businesses

Plan Elements Economic Analysis Traffic Engineering Transit Streetscape Bicycles/Pedestrians Public Involvement

Process / Schedule We are here {

Alternatives Evaluated No Build One‐Way Operation Reduced to 2‐Lanes 2‐Way With 2‐Way Left Turn Lane 2‐Way With 2‐Lane in One Direction, One in the Other

Engineering and Design

Roadway Capacity Comparison

Roadway Examples Comparable Streets Approximately 10,000 vehicles per day 24 th St & M St, South Omaha, NE 2 lanes - 1 lane in each direction Diagonal parking on both sides Commercial district 50 th St & Underwood Ave, Dundee (Omaha, NE) 2 lanes – 1 lane in each direction Diagonal parking on both sides Commercial district

Roadway Examples Comparable Streets Approximately 17,000 vehicles per day 60 th St & Maple St, Benson (Omaha, NE) 3 lanes – 1 lane in each direction with a center turn lane Parallel parking on both sides Commercial district

Public Outreach Summary September 2009 – Public Meeting 1 – Transit Open House March 2010 – Public Meeting 2 – Transit/Pedestrian/Bicycle Workshop – Business Stakeholder Workshop – Downtown Community Partnership Workshop May 2010 – Freight Workshop September 2010 – Public Meeting 3 November 2010 – Planning Commission Presentation

Public Meeting Questionnaire Results: Priority 1.Safety 2.Bicycle Access 3.Ped Access / Walkability 4.Neighborhood Benefit 5.Economic Impacts 6.Business Impacts 7.Redevelopment Potential 8.Transit Access 9.Property Access 10.Traffic Flow (stops) 11.Visual Impacts 12.Cost 13.Traffic Disruption 14.Indirect Travel 15.Congestion Relief 16.Construction Issues

Transit Update Outreach – GTC Open House – MAT Driver and Administration Input – Stakeholder Workshop No Existing Route Structure Modifications are Planned Existing Bus Stops will Remain in the Current Location Possible addition of Downtown Circulator Routes

Streetscape: Example Section Curb Extension 2-Way 2+1 Curb extension reduces crossing distance by 16’

Streetscape: Opportunities Bike/Pedestrian Friendly (Complete Streets) Street Trees Lighting Enhancements Street Furniture Updates Enhanced Crosswalks and Curb Extensions Entrance features at both University and 10th St. New public space (Re-design of Ole Tangen Park) Economic Development = new canopies, outdoor dining, and more street life which in turn brings new development.

Pedestrian Facilities No-Build = 164,150 sq.ft. 2-Way = 177,900 sq.ft. 2-Way = 164,150 sq.ft. 1-Way = 241,100 sq.ft.

Landscape Improvements No-Build = 17,000 sq.ft. 2-Way = 27,000 sq.ft. 2-Way = 17,000 sq.ft. 1-Way = 36,250 sq.ft.

Economic Analysis Determined Economic Impacts: – Evaluated Experiences/Impacts in other Downtowns – Evaluated Economic Conditions in Downtown Fargo – Project Economic Impact of Potential Street Conversions on Downtown Fargo

Survey of Other Downtown Two-Way Conversion Projects: Objectives & Impacts Downtown GOAL 1: Enhance Traffic and/or Transportation Systems GOAL 2: Support Redevelopment / Stimulate New Development Most Significant Economic Impact(s) Des Moines, Iowa ImportantSignificant Impact 1.New Offices 2.New Hotel Fort Collins, Colorado Very ImportantPlanned 1.New Retail (planned) 2.New Residential Lafayette, Indiana Very ImportantFavorable Impact1.New Retail Vancouver, Washington ImportantSignificant Impact 1.New Residential 2.New Offices 3.New Hotel Austin, Texas Somewhat Important Favorable Impact 1.New Mixed Use 2.New Residential

Benchmark Survey of Other Downtown Two-Way Conversion Projects Major Findings and Conclusions... 1.Conversion from one-way to two way on major streets had positive economic impacts on existing development, stimulated new investment and/or furthered redevelopment in other Downtowns. 2.Projected development and redevelopment if NP Avenue and 1 st Avenue North are converted under Alternatives #1 and #2 will result in the same economic impacts. The critical factor is having two-way traffic - the differences in the specific two-way configurations are not measurable in economic terms.

Benchmark Survey of Adding Bike Lanes: Objectives and Findings Location, Year of Study Study ObjectiveKey Findings Study Conclusion Toronto, Canada, 2009 Evaluate addition of bike lanes to a major commercial district Shoppers arriving by foot and bicycle visit more often and spend more money The spending habits of cyclists will likely increase commercial activity Outer Banks, North Carolina, 2004 Measure the economic benefits on an area’s tourism economy Bicycle facilities were important for many tourists to the region Visitors who used bicycles extended their stay, increasing sales to restaurants, hotels and stores 12% surveyed reported visiting longer because of bicycling The $6.7 million to construct bicycle facilities found an annual economic impact of $60 million - nine times the cost of construction Austin, Texas, 2010 Project the economic impact of adding bicycle lanes to two major commercial streets near Downtown Adding new bicycle lanes are projected to have a net increase of approximately 0.28% to 0.77% to the two street’s retail sales by the 10 th year after installation

NP Avenue and 1 st Avenue North Corridor Study Area 2010 – Existing Inventory Note: Does not include Study Area’s public space and properties including Art Museum, BNSF Railroad Company, Federal Building, Federal Court, Fire Hall, Parking Garage, NDSU and City of Fargo Park District.

Corridor Study Area Projected New Development - Percent Increase by Year 25 Industrial Mixed Use Retail & Restaurant Office

Corridor Study Area Projected New Development in Square Feet Alt. 1, 2 Net Change: 326,000 sq. feet = +17.7% Alt. 3 Net Change: 137,000 sq. feet = +7.4% IndustrialMixed UseRestaurantOfficeRetail

Corridor Study Area Projected Employment Impact by Year 25 Alternative 3 = 828 Jobs Alternatives 1, 2 = 1,742 Jobs Number of Jobs

Alternatives #1 and #2 New Revenue Sources

Impact and Absorption Projections: Years (Assumes Alt. # 1 and #2 street construction impacts occur during years 3, 4 & 5)

Projected Economic Impact at Years 10 & 25

Alternative 1Alternative 2Alternative 3 Benefit: At Year 10 At Year 25 $15,722,000 $92,922,000 $15,722,000 $92,922,000 $5,674,000 $33,535,000 (Less Probable Costs) ($1,958,100)($2,014,850)($2,463,082) Net Benefit: At Year 10 At Year 25 $13,763,900 $90,963,900 $13,707,150 $90,907,150 $3,210,918 $31,071,918 Summary of Benefit / Cost by Alternative Note: Alternatives #1 and #2 include adjustment factors during construction of improvements.

Alternative Analysis

Recommended Alternative

Next Steps Determine how to proceed Study Review Committee approval Start on Design

Questions the came up during the Study 1.Disruption to Business During Construction 2.Freight and Delivery Items 3.What do businesses on corridor think? 4.Snow Clearance 5.Two-way Traffic on NP Ave between 10 th Street and University Dr 6.Bike Lanes vs. Shared Lane Pavement Markings 7.What will streetscaping look like? 8.Left turns from single lane onto Broadway, 10 th Street and University Dr 9.Lane Widths

Freight and Delivery 1.Reviewed existing city ordinance – Chapter 8, Article 8-10, Section Existing ordinance addresses many of the existing issues -Double Parking is allowed except during 4 PM to 6 PM (Monday through Saturday). -No semi loading/unloading on minor arterials. -No vehicles should be parked in alleys unless loading/unloading & not left unattended. -Semis must be parked parallel to the curb in direction of travel. -Semis and trucks over 1-ton capacity shall provide a flagger.

Freight and Delivery Solutions: 1.Enforce existing ordinance of time exclusions – No double parking for loading/unloading from 7am to 9 am and 4 pm to 6 pm. 2.Modify ordinance to restrict deliveries in single lane direction unless parking spaces are available. 3.Modify ordinance to exclude NP and 1 st Ave to allow semis to Load/Unload. 4.Loading zones can be developed at the request of the business owner.

Downtown Construction 1.Improvements in the downtown area to replace worn-out infrastructure 2.Major street improvements are planned 3.8 construction seasons to complete (See next slide) 4.NP Avenue and 1 st Avenue N are tentatively scheduled to be the first two construction seasons

Downtown Construction

Downtown Business Surveys

Average Daily Parking Utilization 9:00 AM to 6:00PM

PM Parking Utilization 4:00 PM to 6:00PM

City of FARGO NP and 1 st Avenue North Corridor Development Plan QUESTIONS?

On-Street Bicycle Facilities 0. No-Build = 0.00 sq.ft. 2-Way = 85,000 sq.ft. (17,000 l.f.) 2-Way = 42,500 sq.ft. (8,500 l.f.) 1-Way = 42,500 sq.ft. (8,500 l.f.)