Borough of Carlisle, PA Smart Transportation Projects

1. Borough of Carlisle, PASmart Transportation Projects SCORP Technical Advisory Committee November 18, 2010

3. Community-Wide Multi-Modal Network: • “Smartly-Designed” Streets • On-Street Bike Lanes • Off-Street Bike & Pedestrian Trails • Sidewalks Blue Lines = Existing Trails & Bike Lanes Green Lines = Proposed Connector Trails & Bike Lanes

4. Builds on Existing Assets: • Densely-populated town center • Parks, schools, shops, restaurants all within walking distance of residential neighborhoods (www.walkscore.com) • Community-wide sidewalk network • Wide cartways running North/South and East/West through downtown • Individual trail segments throughout community-wide park system • Traditional town character

5. Addresses Current Liabilities • Four-lane “highways” through downtown • Speeding • Lane Jockeying • Loss of “small town feel” • Vehicle conflicts with bikes/pedestrians • Truck traffic, noise, and pollution • Several trails, but no connectivity • Urban blight/suburban sprawl

7. Traffic Safety & Mobility Project • Began with community-initiated traffic study. • Reduce main downtown streets from 4 lanes to 3 (dedicated left turn lane in center) • AKA “road diet” • Two-way bike lanes on both main downtown streets (High & Hanover: SRs 11, 34, 74, 641) • Smart traffic signal technology • Curb “bump outs” for pedestrian safety • Truck traffic mitigation measures • Improvements to LeTort Nature Trail

8. Existing Street Cross-Section

9. Future Street Cross-Section

10. Current Street Conditions

11. Future Street Conditions

12. LeTort Nature Trail Improvements

13. Cross Section of Upgraded Nature Trail

14. Status: Traffic Safety & Mobility Project • Traffic study completed with local funds • Received $2.8 million in Round 1 PCTI funds for construction • Engineering & design ($225,000) funded locally • Construction began September 2010 • Expected completion in June of 2011

16. Bike/Pedestrian Trail Network • Began with community-initiated trail study by LeTort Regional Authority • 10 mile network of bike lanes and walking trails providing connections to and between: • Borough Parks • 7 Borough Schools • Existing trails throughout the Borough (including downtown bike lanes & LeTort Nature trail) • Downtown Carlisle • (Provide connection opportunity to three surrounding municipalities as envisioned by the LRA Urban Trail/Greenway Plan.)

17. Regional Perspective

18. Inter-municipal Connections

19. Community Connectivity

20. On-Street Bike Lane Cross Section

21. Status: Bike/Pedestrian Trail Network Project • LeTort Authority Urban Trail/Greenway Plan completed with local dollars • Existing trail segments completed with over $1.2 million in NON-PCTI funds • Applied for $539,643 in Round 2 PCTI funds to complete project • Application highly ranked by County Planning Commission and HATS region • Currently awaiting PennDOT consideration

22. Two Integrated Projects: “HUBS” Completed

23. Consistency with Smart Transportation Principles

24. Integration of Land Use &Transportation Decision Making: • Town centers (like Carlisle) struggle with “suburban flight” and suburban sprawl associated with an automobile-dominated society. • In order to survive, town centers must employ community development & land use principles which capitalize on their unique strengths. • Streets with a “sense of place,” not highways. • Walkability • Bikeability

25. Collaboration with Stakeholders: • Greater Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce • Carlisle Area School District • Clean Air Board of Central PA • Cumberland Valley Visitor’s Bureau • North Middleton Township • South Middleton Township • Middlesex Township • Downtown Neighborhood Connection • Carlisle Area Sertoma Club • SoSo Neighborhood Association • LeTort Regional Authority • Dickinson College • Cumberland County • Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation • PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources • Downtown Carlisle Association • Elm Street Program • East Side Neighbor Association • Appalachian Trail Conservancy

26. Money Counts: • Builds on existing resources, rather than constructing new infrastructure: • Re-design of downtown streets and traffic signal system • Existing trails incorporated into network. • Existing streets/alleys reconfigured to accommodate bike lanes.

27. Leverage & Preserve Existing Investments: Local Funding Match:

28. Leverage & Preserve Existing Investments: Downtown Street Project • Re-design of downtown streets • Restores invaluable downtown character that cannot be duplicated

29. Leverage & Preserve Existing Investments: Trail Project • 11: Individual trail segments which will become inter-connected as part of this project. • $1,335,804: Amount of non PCTI funds allocated for trail development/connectivity in the Greater Carlisle area. • 248%: Return on investment of $539,643 in requested PCTI funds.

30. Choose Projects with High Value/Price Ratio: • For a reasonable cost: • Increase quality of life • Promote economic development • Promote healthier lifestyles • Reduce pollution and congestion by promoting a multi-modal transportation • Improve safety • Build a stronger community

31. Safety Always and Maybe Safety Only: • Reduce conflicts between bicycles/pedestrians/vehicles • *2010: PA placed 42nd in bicycle friendly rating in United States • Improve vehicular safety in downtown Carlisle • Provide safe off-road walking and running trails for the public. *Study from League of American Bicyclists

32. Look Beyond Level-of-Service: • Economic Development • Downtown Revitalization • Tourism • Recreation • Conservation • Healthy Lifestyles • Family Values

33. Accommodate all modes of travel: • 13.2 % of Carlisle residents do not own or have access to a motor vehicle. • Focuses on providing a community-wide network connecting schools, parks and neighborhoods for pedestrian and bicycle travel while maintaining our road system for vehicular travel.

34. Enhance Local Network:

35. Build Towns, Not Sprawl: • Capitalizes on advantages of urban community (highly navigable by foot and bike) • Maintains and enhances Carlisle (as a viable place to live, work, play, visit) • (As opposed to auto-dominant transportation projects which promote sprawl and lead to degradation of town centers like Carlisle.)

36. Understand the Context; Plan & Design Within the Context

37. Develop local governments as strong land use partners: • Downtown street modifications are model partnership between PennDOT and local government • Both projects integrate transportation initiatives with community development goals

38. Consistency with Local and Regional Plans Related Plans:

39. Consistency with Local and Regional Plans Related Plans:

40. Teachability: • Establish Carlisle as a model for other communities. • Both the trail network and road diet projects: • Launched from a solid planning foundation. • Demonstrate extensive community collaboration. • Leverage and augment existing resources.

42. Questions?