OCEAN CITY – The Transportation Commission heard more this week about the proposed realignment of Coastal Highway that focuses heavily on pedestrian and mass transit enhancements.
Last December, the State Highway Administration (SHA) came before the Mayor and City Council presenting the MD 528/Coastal Highway Community Safety and Enhancement Project.
At that time, John Webster of SHA Office of Highway Design presented the purpose of the project is for SHA to partner with the Town of Ocean City and local businesses and residences to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists along Coastal Highway, balance pedestrian needs with vehicular needs, develop aesthetic treatments and strengthen local identity.
According to SHA, the need for the project is due to existing sidewalk widths being insufficient for current pedestrian volumes and to bring sidewalks, entrances, pedestrian ramps and signals up to current ADA standards.
Also, many pedestrians currently cross Coastal Highway at undesirable locations. A Pedestrian Safety Study resulted in 27 percent of pedestrians crossing mid-block. From January 2008 to August 2012, there were 47 pedestrian accidents, one of which was fatal, in the project scope.
Currently, Coastal Highway is an eight-lane roadway consisting of three, 11-foot travel lanes and a 14-foot bus/bike lane with five-foot sidewalks on each side that contain several obstructions such as utility poles, signs, benches, fire hydrants and trash barrels. The median is 14 feet wide consisting of brick pavers and some plantings that do not discourage mid-block crossings. The median allows for a 10-foot left turn lane at intersections.
The project limit is from Route 90 to Convention Center Drive on Coastal Highway, which is approximately 1.4 miles. Within this section, there are 10 signalized intersections with two pedestrian crossing intersections on 49th Street and 54th Street. There are 59 entrances with 38 on the southbound side and 21 on the northbound side.
What has been proposed is the “3 Lane Alternate” with a six-lane roadway, consisting of 12-foot travel lanes, a 15-foot bus/bike lane with a minimum 10-foot sidewalk in each direction. The median would be 14 feet wide with a 10-foot left turn lane at intersections.
The second part of the presentation included options in installing a median barrier to deter pedestrians from crossing the median mid-block.
The project schedule calls for the final design being completed by December of 2015 with construction starting in fall of 2016. Currently, the design stage is funded with $2.4 million. Construction will cost at least $25 million but is not funded at this time.
Following the presentation late last year, the Mayor and City Council forwarded the presentation to the Transportation Commission for preliminary discussion.
The Transportation Commission reviewed the progress of a SHA Pedestrian Safety Study released in October 2012 that identified a list of near-term, mid-term and long-term improvements along Coastal Highway to enhance pedestrian safety.
Near-term improvements included reducing the speed limit south of Route 90 to 35 mph, relocate all bus stops to upstream of signalized intersections, install pavement marking with advance crosswalk warnings similar to the markings located at 49th Street and adjusting signal timing by shortening mainline cycle lengths to improve pedestrian safety by allowing more frequent pedestrians phases. All of the near-term improvements have been completed.
The mid-term improvements focus on deterring pedestrians from crossing at mid-block and outside of signalized pedestrian crosswalks by installing a median barrier, installing three pedestrian actuated signals warranted due to pedestrian volumes in the areas of 42nd, 49th and 54th streets. Two of those signals have been installed on 49th and 54th streets. Also it was suggested removing all pedestrian and emergency vehicle median turndowns.
The question on the table for the committee was does Ocean City want SHA to spend the current funding available of $2.4 million on accomplishing the mid-term improvements or skip ahead to the final design of the project.
The commission voted to recommend SHA hold off on the “3 Lane Alternate” and dedicate the design funding toward completing mid-term improvements on all of Coastal Highway, more specifically the median barrier with lighting.
However, SHA returned to the Transportation Commission this week in hopes to clarify what was first presented.
“SHA felt strongly that they wanted the opportunity to re-present the six-lane option concept and traffic implications,” City Engineer Terry McGean said.
Again, Webster presented the “3 Lane Alternate” that would reduce Coastal Highway from three general use lanes and one bus/bike lane to instead having two wider general use lanes, a wider bus/bike lane and much wider sidewalks.
Once reviewing the traffic implications, McGean voiced his opinion that the “3 Lane Alternate” is amenable to the direction of the future.
“All I am hearing about is ‘walkable communities.’ The next generation is getting out of their cars and wants to be able to walk where they go,” McGean said. “From what I have seen in the traffic studies, the worst case scenario is a 92-second increase in travel time, and we get 10-foot sidewalks, and two less lanes of traffic to cross. It is controversial but it might be one of the best things in terms of a legacy moving forward in the city doing this. When it comes to pedestrian safety, we have done all that we can with the configuration that we have and I would like to see us move towards the 3 lane option.”
Public Works Director Hal Adkins agreed with McGean.
“The big picture I have always desired or envisioned … is the entire Coastal Hwy. corridor is the 3 lane configuration with 10-foot sidewalks with a transit bike lane only. We will become nationally known as the town of mobility via mass transit … you will set the stage where we could be running 65 buses at one time. The up and coming generation will leave their cars in the parking lot … slam dunk.”
Council Secretary Mary Knight admitted to being opposed to the “3 Lane Alternate” in December but the idea has started to grow on her.
“The more I hear of the concept of the median and wider sidewalks … I am starting to agree with the wave of the future. It will make Ocean City more desirable to my children and grandchildren,” she said.
Councilman Dennis Dare agreed it is time for Ocean City to provide more room for pedestrians.
“There is a lot going on and a five-foot sidewalk is just not acceptable for the town as we have developed it, and hopefully as we continue to develop it, it has to be more pedestrian friendly and safe. It could be safer to ride a bike on Coastal Hwy., not just for recreation but for transportation,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction with making us more mobile without having to be in a car.”
Councilman Tony DeLuca questioned the trend in decrease vehicular traffic and increase in pedestrian traffic, and asked for the statistics.
“If you ask any seasonal resort in the Unites States if they could have one more lane of traffic, what would their answer be? I just think reducing a lane when we go from 350,000 people to 500,000 people, I am not there. We need to attack crosswalks, lighting and medians,” he said.
Mayor Rick Meehan questioned the timeline of construction of the “3 Lane Alternate” and asked where the median barrier would come into play thinking it would make sense to still build the median barrier first.
SHA representatives did not have a clear answer as to how the project will be carried out, and the commission asked for them to return with those details, as well as the statistics DeLuca sought.