Agenda Information Sheet
DEPARTMENT: Transportation
CM/ DCM/ ACM: Mario Canizares
DATE: October 10, 2017
SUBJECT
Title
Receive a report and hold a discussion regarding the implementation plan for sidewalks.
Body
In 2014, Denton citizens approved in the Bond Election $2 million in funding for miscellaneous sidewalks. Staff developed a list of projects that used school areas, including universities, Americans with Disabilities Act requests, pedestrian safety, high pedestrian activity centers, visible footpaths, and missing links to prioritize projects. The first Draft Sidewalk List, presented to the Mobility Committee in February 2016, demonstrated an estimated $3 million in priority projects and did not cover every missing link or sidewalk gap in the city. The List was considered a working document which could change as additional information came forth that would prioritize another project(s).
The List has been revised and expanded upon since it was first created, most notably including a list of sidewalk projects specifically in the Downtown area. Additionally, if a citizen made a request for a new sidewalk it was added to the bottom of the List. These projects, unlike those initially included on the List, have not received cost estimates.
Of the projects on the List, six have been completed and two more are ready to be let for construction with expected completion by the end of the year. Eight projects had initial work started or an account set up, but no final design was developed for these eight. These projects are planned to be bundled together and sent to a consultant to design and/or construct. Due to the small scale of the projects, bundling them together for design and construction saves on time and money.
The remaining projects have not had any initial design work done and some do not have cost estimates. In order to better plan and prioritize these projects and to include requests from citizens, staff has developed a draft ranking system. The City’s Traffic Engineer, Pritam Deshmukh, reviewed methodology of other municipalities and developed a Sidewalk Priority Index. The index includes two indices - Pedestrian Potential Index (PPI) and Deficiency Index (DI) - which combine for a total score of 81 points. Scores are assigned based on land use and transportation characteristics of the sidewalk under consideration. Once projects are ranked, they will be reviewed for feasibility and cost to further assess priority. Staff will reassess the rankings each quarter, or more frequently if needed, to incorporate any new sidewalk requests from citizens.
This plan will focus on the immediate needs of sidewalks and a path for expending the remaining of the $2 million in funds for miscellaneous sidewalks already identified. A webpage will be set up for citizens to request a new sidewalk or repair to an existing sidewalk. The page will also show upcoming projects and the ranking of projects so citizens can see where their request ranks in relation to other projects.
Additionally, staff is planning development of an ADA Transition Plan to plan for all possible sidewalk projects in the city. Development of this plan will assist in long-term planning for existing and new sidewalks.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (Council, Boards, Commissions)
Mobility Committee briefed on draft Sidewalk List - February, 2016
Mobility Committee briefed on sidewalk priority projects - June 2016
FISCAL INFORMATION
$2M in funding from 2014 Bond Election for miscellaneous sidewalks.
STRATEGIC PLAN RELATIONSHIP
The City of Denton’s Strategic Plan is an action-oriented road map that will help the City achieve its vision. The foundation for the plan is the five long-term Key Focus Areas (KFA): Organizational Excellence; Public Infrastructure; Economic Development; Safe, Livable, and Family-Friendly Community; and Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship. While individual items may support multiple KFAs, this specific City Council agenda item contributes most directly to the following KFA and goal:
Related Key Focus Area: Public Infrastructure
Related Goal: 5.5 Provide alternative modes of transportation
EXHIBITS
1. Current Sidewalk List
2. Sidewalk Priority Index
3. Sample ranked projects
Respectfully submitted:
Mark Nelson
Director of Transportation
Prepared by:
Julie Anderson
Bike and Pedestrian Coordinator