GDOT Annual Report 2019

Department of Transportation 2018-2019 Annual Report

6 GREENSBORO TRANSPORTATION

D I R E C T O R ’ S C O R N E R

Introduction

Adam Fischer Director City of Greensboro Department of Transportation

This past year, Fiscal Year 2018-19, the Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT) enhanced partnerships, developed key strategies and plans with stakeholders, and implemented transportation improvements to further develop a safe, multi-modal and environmentally sustainable transportation system. Greensboro continues to be one of the best places to drive in the country and the world. We’re ranked No. 1 in the nation by Waze and the No. 1 “Awesome City with Little to No Trafc” according to Livability.com, edging out other cities ranked in the top 10 such as Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fresno, California; Dayton, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Birmingham, Alabama and Corpus Christi, Texas. A good multi-modal transportation system enhances a community’s quality of life and is vital to economic prosperity. Situated on the East coast within easy reach of more than half the US population, with a great airport, two Class 1 railroads that connect to deep water ports on the coast, and little trafc congestion, Greensboro is ready and set to go! That economic growth is happening now. When I frst moved to Greensboro almost 30 years ago, there were three major ofce buildings under construction and two new parking decks in downtown Greensboro. Today there are several major mixed-use private developments underway, a world class performing arts center under construction, and we will be building

two new parking decks to accommodate these downtown investments. We’ll also support this new growth through our downtown streetscape master plan. This past year, in conjunction with Downtown Greensboro Inc. and stakeholders, we completed the master plan and we are well underway with several new streetscape designs. Some will be under construction as early as fall 2019. It’s great to be a part of a growing a vibrant downtown. Transportation improvements are also underway across Greensboro. There are sidewalk installations, new bike lanes, new greenways and roadway improvements under construction, including the nearly complete 44-mile Greensboro Urban Loop. All told there are more than $600 million in transportation improvements planned thanks to funding through the 2008 and 2016 voter-approved transportation bonds, and state and federal funding.

PAGE 1

D I R E C T O R ’ S C O R N E R

Another important moment this year was on May 21, when City Council unanimously adopted the Vision Zero Greensboro Two-Year Action Plan. The plan was developed with the help of community stakeholders, City departments, and public health agencies. The plan sets a course of action through increased and improved trafc enforcement, public education, as well as improvements to the public transportation infrastructure. Coming of an all-time high of 42 fatal crashes in 2017, we must be more assertive in our eforts to improve trafc safety. We need to take bold actions such as automated enforcement with zero tolerance, tougher “distracted driving” laws, and the infrastructure improvements to our multi-modal transportation system. What is an acceptable fatal crash rate in Greensboro? In our own families? We think it’s zero. The Greensboro Transit Agency (GTA) also completed its long-range Mobility Greensboro 2040 master plan last year. It is in the process of implementing the cost neutral recommendations in the plan.

Those include changes to all 15 fxed routes to make them more efcient and efective and a new Randleman Road route which will address over-crowding issues along that corridor. Long- range plans call for doubling the amount of transit services in Greensboro by 2040 with more frequent 15-minute headways, new cross town connector routes, as well as mobility hubs where micro-transit and other transportation options may serve areas outside our core zones. I’m also happy to report GDOT took several steps towards sustainable transportation in North Carolina this past year. On January 31, Greensboro became the frst bus system in North Carolina to operate all-battery electric buses. We are currently operating 13 electric buses and will have 16 in service by the end of the year. That will make our feet the second largest electric bus feet on the east coast behind Philadelphia. Public-private partnerships with the US Department of Transportation, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Duke Energy, and Proterra enabled Greensboro to lead the way on electric bus deployment and other renewable energy projects. GDOT and GTA installed solar panels at the Depot to of-set electric bus charging costs, are pursuing a new solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations, and planning to place solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations at our new parking decks. The following annual report provides a brief overview of the numerous and various transportation initiatives which were advanced this last year. I am extremely grateful to the more than 250 full-time and contracted GDOT employees who make improvements to our transportation system each and every day.

6

GREENSBORO TRANSPORTATION

PAGE 2

G D O T A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9

Index Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Index ....................................................................................................................................3 GDOT by the Numbers......................................................................................................4 Looking to 2029: Future Funding Priorities..................................................................5 City of Greensboro Project Map .....................................................................................7 Major Projects Under Development Throughout Greensboro.................................8 City Joins Connected Vehicle Technology Partnership ..............................................9 City Adopts Plan to Reduce Trafc Fatalities and Serious Injuries ........................ 10 Vision Zero Two-Year Action Plan ................................................................................ 11 Greensboro Implements Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects...................................... 12 City Adopts Scooter Pilot Program ............................................................................. 14 GreensboroWill Add New Car Charging Stations .................................................... 15 New Parking Access and Revenue Control Equipment Coming............................ 15 New Routes Roll Out in August.................................................................................... 16 Downtown Parking Decks............................................................................................. 17 Local, State and Federal Dignitaries Celebrate Electric Bus Dedication .............. 18 Downtown Depot Now Features Solar Panels .......................................................... 19 Public Transportation News Briefs .............................................................................. 20

This spring, decorative downtown pedestrian street lights were upgraded with LEDs and additional taller teardrop style LED fxtures were installed along South Elm Street. The fxtures have improved light levels on the street and sidewalk and enhanced this critical downtown corridor. PAGE 3

G D O T B Y T H E N U M B E R S

$ $36.9 million budget

89 City Employees

All fgures are for the 2018-2019 fscal year, unless otherwise noted.

PLANNING

• 1,028 development plans reviewed • 14 trafc impact studies reviewed • $75 million local transportation infrastructure investment planned in the next 5 years • $1.5 billion state/federal transportation infrastructure investments planned in the next 5 years

INFRASTRUCTURE

Roads • 1,489 miles of roads for which GDOT is responsible • 8.9 million vehicle miles traveled in Greensboro daily

Streetlights • $3.5 million budget • 27,000 streetlights • 124 new streetlights

PUBLIC OUTREACH

• 5,540 streetlights inspected

• 1,267 resident requests for transportation services received • 94 neighborhood trafc concerns addressed • 15 public meetings conducted

Signs & Markings

Sidewalks

• 4,617 trafc control signs replaced/modifed • 303 miles of street markings

• 10 miles of sidewalks built

installed/modifed

CRASHES *

Trafc Signals • 3 new trafc signals installed • 864 preventative maintenance activities/signal modifcations • 61 trafc signal timing evaluations/modifcations

P Parking

• 11,131 trafc accidents • 134 pedestrian accidents • 32 trafc fatalities • 6 fatal pedestrian accidents *Figures are for calendar year 2018

• 30,275 parking tickets issued • 1,539 parking ticket appeals

GREENSBORO TRANSIT AGENCY

• 16 bus routes

• 9 paratransit

vehicles ordered

• 55 buses

GTA

• 4.1 million

• 5 fxed-route diesel

passenger trips

buses replaced • 49 paratransit

• $21.9 million budget • 207 contracted employees

TRANSPORTATION

vehicles

PAGE 4

M E T R O P O L I T A N P L A N N I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O N

Looking to 2029: Future Funding Priorities

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) administers a needs-based multimodal prioritization process to identify, rank, and select transportation projects for implementation using state and federal funding. First initiated in 2009 by executive order and then codifed into state law by the Strategic Transportation Investments Act of 2013, the process ranks projects on needs-based criteria such as congestion, safety, and freight, as well as input points allocated by the area metropolitan or rural planning organization and the NCDOT Division engineer. The process is the basis for project selection under the Transportation Improvement Program or TIP. The TIP includes all state and federally funded projects from across the state for all modes. One of the most important responsibilities of the Greensboro Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), stafed by the Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT), is its role in identifying, prioritizing, and securing funding for area transportation priorities under this process. This involves making tough choices on which projects to submit for a limited number of slots for evaluation and how to allocate its very limited supply of local input points. Staf continues to think creatively in an efort to identify additional needed projects and break related projects into phases. This includes sorting through data, coordinating with other departments and stakeholder groups, and listening to the community. Staf also works very hard at projecting potential results, identifying which projects are most competitive, and ensuring that NCDOT tallies its scores correctly for MPO area projects. $615 Million in Projects Approved prioritization, known as Prioritization 5.0, after public review and approval by the MPO’s Transportation Advisory Committee. The prioritization process takes two years to produce the Draft TIP. The Draft FY 2020- 2029 TIP was released in early 2019 and will be adopted in September 2019. The Greensboro MPO area is slated to more than $615 million in transportation investment under this program. The MPO submitted its project list to NCDOT in September 2017 for the most recent round of

Some key projects included in the initial draft: • US 29: Access management and safety

improvements from Gate City Boulevard to Summit Hills. The project will also include reconfguring the interchange at Summit Avenue and Phillips Avenue. • US 220 (Battleground Avenue/Wendover Avenue): Reconfgure Battleground Avenue, Lawndale Avenue, andWestover Terrace between Fernwood Drive andWendover Avenue to improve trafc fow and safety. • I-40: Widen interstate between Freeman Mill Road and US 29. Improve and modify Randleman Road and Elm-Eugene Street interchanges to improve safety and mobility. NCDOT is currently in the process of fnalizing the TIP, and the fnal document may include changes from the previous draft. This is due to project cost increases, the number of projects in the pipeline, and NCDOT’s relative success at completing projects earlier than previously anticipated. The approval of the Draft Fiscal Year 2020- 2029 TIP has been delayed from the typical June date until September to review and make needed funding and scheduling revisions, also known as rebalancing. Therefore the new funding identifed for in the TIP may be adjusted along with scheduling when the revised TIP is released. The Greensboro MPO has many projects included in the TIP. Many of the new projects to be added under Prioritization 5.0 are scheduled for the later years of the TIP. Any projects scheduled in those years are subject for reprioritization and are potentially subject to change. The MPO staf is evaluating the projects to minimize rebalancing impacts and has a strong partnership with NCDOT. The partnership has allowed both the MPO and NCDOT to maximize the use of funds resulting in accelerated project construction. For more information on the prioritization process and selected projects, visit the MPO website at www.guampo.org.

PAGE 5

M E T R O P O L I T A N P L A N N I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O N

Key Project Updates The Greensboro Urban Loop is nearing completion. The last two pieces of the loop are currently under construction. The shorter section is from Battleground Avenue to Lawndale Avenue and the more extensive section is from Battleground Avenue to US 29. They are expected to open to trafc December 2019 and November 2022, respectively. In addition, NCDOT hopes to open the section of the Urban Loop from Lawndale Avenue to Elm Street by late 2020. The City of Greensboro is well positioned for future economic development with the completion of the Urban Loop, I-73 Connector, and I-40 widening from US 220 to Sandy Ridge Road. The I-73 Connector and I-40 widening projects were completed years ago but along with the Urban Loop create a more reliable transportation network. These projects, along with the City’s expertly managed trafc signal system, have a lot to do with Greensboro still being rated as the #1 City in the USA for driver satisfaction after three years at the top of the list. The MPO staf has also been working closely with the city’s trafc engineering staf on identifying new projects for consideration under Prioritization 6.0 as well as for the City’s next transportation bond. This includes studying new trafc patterns prompted by the loop completion. Such projects are much smaller in scope compared to the Urban Loop, but are very important to avoid creation of new bottlenecks so trafc can fow smoothly. Other smaller scale but important safety and mobility projects include US 29 and I-40. US 29 north of the Urban Loop will be upgraded to interstate standards and will be known as I-785. The section south of the Urban Loop is scheduled for safety improvements including ramp closures to reduce confict points. These two projects are tentatively scheduled for 2027 and 2029, respectively. Eforts will be made to accelerate the US 29 safety improvements since this is a key corridor under the Vision Zero Greensboro initiative.

Another project is at Friendly Avenue, Pembroke Road and Green Valley Road. It includes the construction of turning lanes, access management, and safety improvements at the intersections. This project, currently scheduled for 2026 construction, will complement the FY 2021 project to add turn lanes and reduce delays at the West Friendly and Lindell Road intersections. To view projects currently under construction or near term construction, visit the City’s online road project mapping tool at www.greensboro-nc.gov/gdot.

PAGE 6

£ ¤ 220

Transit Projects

¿

15

£ ¤ 158

13

13 Ã Rail Projects 11

Map ID

27 21

È Highway Projects Airport Projects

o

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

È

11 9

25 26

23 18

26 ! Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects 27 Intersection & Interchange Projects

Ë

22 17

16 28

1

1

!

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

24 19

3 22

7 4 5 6 8 6

5 23

§ ¨ ¦ 40

7

9

17 24

£ ¤ 70

£ ¤ 29

28 20

4 3

12 10

16

20 15

21

2 2

19 25

8

29 29

10

14 12

18 14

£ ¤ 421

§ ¨ ¦ 85

£ ¤ 311

Funded Projects Division

Regional

State

30

Miles

0

2

4

New projects receiving a funding commitment: 1. Yanceyville Street grade separation at the Norfolk Southern Railroad Main Line near Rankin Road. 2. I-40/I-85: Upgrade Rock Creek Dairy Road interchange. 3. I-40: Widen to six lanes between US 311 and US 421. 4. PTI Airport: Improve aircraft movement with taxiway bridge over Ted Johnson Parkway. 5. PTI Airport: Improve aircraft movement between Taxiway D and 12. 6. PTI Airport: Increase apron for future expansion. 7. US 220: Reconfigure Battleground Avenue, Lawndale Avenue, and Westover Terrace between Fernwood Drive andWendover Avenue. 8. NC 68: Upgrade from Gallimore Dairy Road to Triad Center Drive to superstreet. 9. NC 68: Improve access from Fogleman Road to Alcorn Road. 10. NC Railroad/Norfolk Southern: Close crossing and construct grade separation at South English Street. 11. I-785/US 29: Upgrade expressway to freeway. 12. NC Railroad/Norfolk Southern: Extend Pomona Yard auxiliary track. 13. US 158: Widen lanes in Guilford County. 14. Bridford Parkway and Hornaday Road: Construct sidewalks from Wendover Avenue to West Nicholas Road. 15. Benjamin Parkway andWestover Terrace: Construct sidewalks and side paths and modify intersection. 16. Green Valley Road: Construct new sidewalks and improve accessibility of existing sidewalk between Friendly Avenue and Battleground Avenue. Map Index 2018-2019: Projects Selected for Fiscal Year 2020-29 TIP

17. Old Battleground Road: Construct greenway sidepath from Lake Brandt Road to Bicentennial Greenway and reconstruct pedestrian bridge. 18. Lawndale Drive: Construct sidewalks from Pisgah Church to Beaconwood Road and improve ADA compliance. 19. Cone Boulevard: Construct sidewalks from O’Henry Boulevard to Saint Regis Place. 20. Friendly Avenue: Install right turn lake on Pembroke Road and add dual left turn lanes. 21. Church Street: Upgrade intersections at Archergate Road and Spencer-Dixon Road. New projects listed for long-term funding, subject to reprioritization: 22. US 29: Safety improvements and ramp closure between Gate City Boulevard and Summit Hills Drive. 23. I-40 Business/US 421: Widen to six lanes between I-74 and I-40. 24. Summit Avenue: Construct bike lakes and sidewalks and improve safety from Sullivan Street to Fourth Street. 25. Spring Garden Street: Construct sidewalk from Merritt Drive to Holden andWest Market Street to Pomona Road. 26. Pleasant Ridge Road: Install turn-lane and separate left and right turn lanes on Fleming Road. 27. McKnight Mill Road: Upgrade Minorwood Road intersection. 28. Church Street: Add sidewalk from Lees Chapel Road to Electra Drive, replace wheelchair ramps. 29. McConnell Road: Install roundabout at Gorrell Street andWillow Hope Street intersection.

PAGE 7

T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

Major Projects Under Development Throughout Greensboro

Downtown Greensboro Streetscape Masterplan In 2016, Greensboro voters approved $25 million dollars for downtown streetscape improvements. In order to identify opportunities and priorities for improvements, GDOT is developing a master plan for streetscapes in the central core of downtown Greensboro that will determine opportunities and constraints. This plan will serve as the design guidelines for the development of construction documents to implement improved sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting. Design guidelines will be prepared with recommendations for sidewalk widths, parking and loading zones, transit facilities, bicycle facilities, trees, and furnishings. The masterplan is complete. The following projects will be funded by the bonds: • Bellmeade Street and Eugene Street streetscape • Davie Street streetscape – currently under design • Elm Street streetscape • Wayfnding signage – currently under design • Greene Street streetscape and two-way conversion – currently under design Old Battleground and Cotswold Terrace With the closure of portions of Old Battleground and Cotswold Terrace, trafc patterns in the area have changed and there is a need to implement permanent changes to address the trafc concerns. A public meeting was held in December 2017 where four alternatives were presented to reestablish the Old Battleground and Cotswold Terrace connection. A majority of respondents favored a roundabout. Based on public input and trafc, safety, and emergency

response considerations, GDOT picked a design that includes a full access roundabout. GDOT held two additional public meetings in March 2018 to get comments on the proposed project. Comments received validated that the selected design alternative was preferred and provided valuable perspectives into trafc and transportation concerns, issues, and needs in the area. The project is currently under construction and is scheduled to be complete in fall 2019. Vandalia Road Vandalia Road is proposed to be widened between South Elm-Eugene Street and Pleasant Garden Road. The scope of the project consists of widening from a two-lane shoulder section to a three-lane section with a center turn lane, curb and gutter, sidewalks, and bike lanes. The project is currently in the design phase with construction plans anticipated to be completed at the end of the year. Right-of-way purchasing is expected to begin in late fall 2019. Construction is expected to begin in 2021. Alamance Church Road Alamance Church Road will be widened between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and the city limits. The improvements include widening from a two-lane shoulder section to a three-lane section with a center turn lane, adding curb and gutter, sidewalks, bus shelters and bike lanes, and realigning Bristol Road. Right-of-way purchasing is expected to begin in fall 2019. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2020.

PAGE 8

T R A N S P O R T A T I O N

Summit Avenue The Summit Avenue Streetscape project is planned to include enhancements and improvements for Summit Avenue, from Banner Avenue to Sullivan Street, and for Yanceyville Street from Bessemer Avenue to East Lindsay Street. This project is scheduled for construction in the fall of 2019. The project includes storm drainage improvements, a landscaped median, bicycle lanes, decorative street lighting, and gateway features. It also entails upgrading the existing six-inch water main to an eight-inch water main along Summit Avenue from the North Murrow Boulevard interchange to Bessemer Avenue. A Phase 2 Summit Avenue Streetscape was added to the project in 2016 upon the voter approval of the downtown bonds. Phase 2 will cover Murrow Boulevard to Abe Banner Avenue. This part of the project will extend bike lanes all the way into downtown. The project is in the design phase and construction is expected to start in spring 2020.

City Joins Connected Vehicle Technology Partnership

Over the coming years, connected vehicle technologies are expected to transform the way our vehicles interact with each other and infrastructure to improve efciency and safety. The Federal Highway Administration is sponsoring a multi-year connected vehicle pilot program in New York, Tampa Bay, andWyoming. These programs are conducting real-world tests of connected vehicle technologies to address a variety of transportation issues unique to these varied urban, suburban, and rural settings. In this vein, Greensboro Department of Transportation has entered into an agreement with Trafc Technology Services (TTS) for an exciting connected vehicle partnership. As a part of this agreement, GDOT will confgure our central trafc signal system servers to push out real-time data from our signals to the company. TTS processes this data and partners with vehicle manufacturers to provide predictive information to drivers in their vehicles through existing mobile networks.

The data can be used to tell drivers when a signal is expected to turn green or to advise them on the optimal speed to avoid stopping at an upcoming trafc signal. This data could be used in a variety of other ways in the future including interfacing with the vehicle’s engine to optimize start-stop technology or to enable smarter vehicle routing services. In return, GDOT will receive signal performance metrics about how these vehicles are interacting with our trafc signals. This data is expected to help us understand where we may be able to improve our signal operations.

PAGE 9

S A F E T Y

City Adopts Plan to Reduce Trafc Fatalities and Serious Injuries

VISION ZER0 GREENSBORO

At its May 21 meeting, the Greensboro City Council unanimously adopted the Vision Zero Greensboro Two-Year Action Plan, a data-driven, interdisciplinary approach to signifcantly reduce trafc fatalities and serious injuries over time with a long term goal of zero through infrastructure improvements, policy changes, enforcement, education, and community engagement. The plan is available at the Vision Zero website, www.greensboro-nc.gov/VisionZero. The Two-Year Action plan was developed with the help of community stakeholders and consultants, who analyzed trafc crash data. It focuses on several areas for safety improvements: speed and keeping drivers alert, running of-road crashes, and protecting every road user, especially the most vulnerable. The plan takes into account comments from hundreds of residents, who identifed distracted drivers, running red lights and speeding as their top safety concerns in an online survey. The plan identifes strategies that Greensboro, partner agencies, and community groups will work on over the next two years to meet the death and injury reduction goals. It also identifes a “high injury network” – areas identifed by data analysis where it is a high priority to invest resources in roadway improvements and other eforts.

Fatal Crash Data There were 138 fatalities between 2012 and 2016: • 72%motor vehicle drivers or occupants • 26% pedestrians • 2% bicyclists • 78% of roadway departure fatalities involved a younger driver • 2 of 3 bicyclist fatalities were related to intersections • Speeding contributed to 50% of unbelted fatalities

“

In 2017, a record high of 42 trafc fatalities occurred in Greensboro.

These fatalities, along with serious injuries from roadway crashes, bring profound and sorrowful impacts in our community, afecting family, friends, neighbors, and community members from throughout the City. — Nancy Vaughan Mayor, City of Greensboro ”

(2012 - 2016 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), NHTSA)

PAGE 10

S A F E T Y

Vision Zero Two-Year Action Plan

Identify and implement infrastructure countermeasures to support Vision Zero Greensboro is a collaboration between City staf, community stakeholders, and residents. Feedback was essential to developing the plan’s three emphasis areas, 17 objectives and 43 strategies. The process included: • 2 stakeholder workshops • 6 community outreach events • 10 emphasis area working group meetings • 57 partner agencies • More than 1,000 surveys (online and in-person) OBJECTIVES Engineering • Communicate and coordinate improvements to existing policies, design standards, and planning processes. • Prioritize data management and technology to improve safety analysis. • Prioritize safe travel for bicyclists and pedestrians. • Emphasis Area objectives. Education and Encouragement • Build partnerships with agencies, universities, advocacy groups, and private entities to support Vision Zero Greensboro eforts. • Develop and implement education campaigns targeted to specifc age groups. • Develop and implement education campaigns promoting awareness of vulnerable users. • Develop outreach materials to educate the public on Vision Zero Greensboro. • of safety. • • Examine policies or legislation the City can enact locally or at the state-level to support Vision Zero Greensboro. Enforcement • Explore the feasibility of implementing automated enforcement technologies. • Support data-driven approaches to trafc safety for all users. • Identify legislative and judicial solutions to support Vision Zero Greensboro enforcement eforts. Emergency Services • Improve emergency response time. • Improve data collection and coordination. • Identify and adapt new technologies. PAGE 11 Deploy efective community engagement eforts to create a culture Leverage technology resources to support Vision Zero Greensboro.

VISION ZER0 GREENSBORO

B I K E S & P E D E S T R I A N S

Greensboro Implements Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects

Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT) is working in partnership with other City departments including Engineering and Inspections, Parks and Recreation, and Field Operations to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in the community. The efort is guided by Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Masterplan (BiPed Plan), a far-reaching and practical plan for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements developed based on needs analysis and community priorities. Improvements underway include on-street bicycling facilities like bike lanes, sidewalk construction, and greenways. Bike Lanes The BiPed Plan established a goal for the City to get to 75 bicycle lane miles by 2022. Bicycle lanes typically get installed in one of three ways: roadway resurfacings, roadway widenings, and scratch and remark projects. The current bicycle lane inventory of is 26.2 miles, less than halfway to the goal, but pending projects will close the gap considerably. Bicycle lanes were recently installed on: • Drawbridge Parkway from Horse Pen Creek Road to Wellspring Drive • Northline Avenue from Hobbs Road to west of Pembroke Road • Hobbs Road from New Garden Road to Westridge Road • Industrial Avenue from Elm-Eugene Street to the railroad crossing • English Street from Market Street to McConnell Road • Bennett Street from Gate City Boulevard to Florida Street. In summer 2019 the City will add bike lanes on Fourth

be added to Church Street from North Park Drive to Wendover Avenue and Mayfower Drive from Spring Garden Street to West Market Street. Other bicycle lane installations are pending with the completion of the Horse Pen Creek Road widening and Holts Chapel Road roadway modernization and sidewalk projects currently under construction. Sidewalk Construction The City’s sidewalk construction program continues to make great strides towards making Greensboro a more walkable community. Between 2006 and 2015, 133 miles of sidewalks were added in Greensboro: 70 miles City and NCDOT projects, 57 miles by private developers, and 6 miles through annexations of developed areas. This rapid pace has accelerated since 2015. Major sidewalk projects since that time have included large sections of East Wendover Avenue, West Market Street, East Florida Street, Randleman Road, and Phillips Avenue. Recently-completed city sidewalk projects include Hobbs Road, Baylor Street, Dunbar Street, Holders Road, short sections of Battleground Avenue, Cone Boulevard, and North Josephine Boyd Street.

The City has approximately 25 miles of independent sidewalk projects under construction in 2019 or pending construction by the end of the year. Highlights include: • Holts Chapel Road and Lowdermilk Street • English Street from Phillips Avenue to Florida Street • Yanceyville Street from Bessemer Avenue to Lees Chapel Road • Pisgah Church Road from Battleground to Yanceyville Street

Street from Maple Street to Summit Avenue and Church Street from Summit Avenue to North Park Drive. Additionally, sharrows – pavement markings that indicate a shared bike and motor vehicle lane -- will

PAGE 12

B I K E S & P E D E S T R I A N S

• Lees Chapel Road fromYanceyville Street to Brightwood School Road • West Friendly Avenue from College Road to West Market Street, • New Garden Road from Ballinger Road to Guida Drive • Lindsay Street from Murrow Boulevard to Bessemer Avenue and • Holden Road from Spring Garden to Gate City. The Horse Pen Creek Road widening and the improvements to the College / Guilford College Road and Market Street intersection that are currently under construction will add an additional six miles of new sidewalks. The sidewalk construction program emphasizes connecting people to transit, schools, higher education, employment, parks, high density residential areas, and other destinations. Improving safety, accessibility, and mobility are key considerations, as is responding to community priorities and neighborhood sidewalk requests. Greenway Construction GDOT is also working in partnership with Engineering and Inspections and Parks and Recreation on planning and implementing greenway projects across the community. The current push is to complete the Downtown Greenway. Recently completed sections include 1B and 1C from Elm-Eugene Street across Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to Gate City Boulevard. Work is under way to complete section 3C Smith Street from Prescott Street to Spring Street and Phase 2 along Murrow Boulevard and Fisher Avenue from Gate City Boulevard to Greene Street.

Yadkin Greenway extension to Markland Drive. In the meantime, construction will begin in late 2019 on a related project to upgrade sidewalks on Hill Street to full greenway width to connect the Latham Park and Lake Daniel greenways with the Atlantic and Yadkin and Downtown greenways. Assessing Greenways and Sidewalk Conditions In 2018 GDOT staf collected feld data and created computer mapping and a database inventory of conditions and features along the City’s greenway system. This was the frst such efort to comprehensively assess greenway conditions in the city. The project collected information on pavement conditions and whether there were signs, bridges, lighting, benches, curb ramps at intersections, and more. This data allows the City to pinpoint and prioritize sections that are in need of repair. Based on this information, Parks and Recreation has already funded some of the priority repairs, and Guilford County has made much-needed Bicentennial Greenway repairs between Battleground Avenue and Old Battleground Road. GDOT is working with Engineering and Inspections and Parks and Recreation to develop design plans for greenway repaving, the replacement of bridges, and the replacement or supplementing of existing lighting, amenities and features at other priority greenway locations. Projects in development include reconstruction of the Latham Park Greenway between Hill Street and Wendover Avenue, Lake Daniel Greenway from Friendly Avenue to Elam Avenue, and the Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway from Lake Brandt Road to BurMil Park. In 2018-2019 GDOT also completed a similar data collection process for sidewalk conditions. This was a mammoth undertaking given the current sidewalk network is over 530 miles long. The goal is to enable a comprehensive and prioritized plan for repairs and upgrades. GDOT and Field Operations will study the data and use it as a basis for future repair contracts. This data also enabled the City to complete a federally- mandated update to the its Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan by the deadline of June 30.

Planning continues for the future construction of the Downtown Greenway Phase 4 and the Atlantic and

PAGE 13

B I K E S & P E D E S T R I A N S

City Adopts Scooter Pilot Program

traveled more than 150,000 combined miles. GDOT is now in the process of evaluating operational and safety data from the scooters and making recommendations on next steps. We expect to make recommendations to City Council on any ordinance or programmatic changes later this year.

Bird and Lime Scooters in Greensboro

Average Average

Total Miles

Ride

Ride

Over the past year, Greensboro has witnessed the emergence of a new form of transportation called micro-mobility. Across the country, cities like Greensboro have seen the sudden deployment of new electric stand-up scooters that are operated by private companies and can be unlocked and paid for through a smart phone app. While the scooters ofer the promise of a fexible transportation option, there have also been safety and operational concerns. After their arrival last summer, Greensboro Department of Transportation (GDOT), in coordination with the Police and Legal departments, had them removed from City right-of-way last while we developed recommendations for City Council to regulate their use. In November, GDOT presented recommended ordinance changes to City Council to regulate the safe operation of standup electric scooters in the City. The approved ordinance allowed the scooter companies to operate with a permit from the City. The ordinance created a $500 permit fee and $50 fee per scooter. It included key safety requirements, such as prohibition of operation on sidewalks, in parking decks, or on streets with speed limits greater than 35 miles per hour. After reviewing applications from interested companies, Lime and Bird were selected to participate in a pilot permit process through August 1. Since that time, there have been more than 150,000 scooter rides that have

Rides

(minutes) (miles)

Bird

47,000

69,000

21 min

1.5

Lime 109,000

88,000

6 min

0.5

Total 156,000 157,000

11 min

0.8

PAGE 14

PA R K I N G

GreensboroWill Add New Car Charging Stations

Greensboro expects to add two new car-charging station with the help of a $122,000 grant. Greensboro Department of Transportation has been notifed that it will receive the 2019 Clean Fuel Advanced Technology (CFAT) grant from the NCSU’s NC Clean Energy Technology Center. The CFAT project is supported with federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funds provided by the NC Department of Transportation with the purpose of reducing transportation-related emissions in eligible NC counties. The grant funding will be used for the purchase and deployment of two battery solar canopies with integrated electric vehicle charging stations. One of the grant requirements is that site preparation must be previously completed or that the project not include any ground disturbing activity. As such, GDOT would be looking to install technology similar to the EV ARC by Envision Solar, a stand-alone vehicle charging station.

The system is completely grid independent with no construction necessary. It is transportable and can be deployed in minutes. These charging stations would be located in the City- owned surface parking lots located by the Melvin Municipal Ofce Building in downtown.

New Parking Access and Revenue Control Equipment Coming Greensboro Department of Transportation’s Parking Operations Section is currently in the bidding process for a new Parking Access and Revenue Control System (PARCS) for the City’s four existing parking decks.

This project is expected to cost approximately $1.8 million and will replace the current PARCS system that is no longer supported by the manufacturer. PARCS is a collection of software, equipment, and supporting infrastructure that allows for the calculation, collection, and reporting of parking revenues associated with the City’s parking decks. The system will also monitor and control ingress and egress to and from the parking decks. This project will include replacing entry stations, proximity card readers, exit stations, and gates at all four City parking decks. Parking Operations also expects to add pay on foot stations to allow patrons to pay for parking before reaching the exit lane and may also add a pay-by-app option. Bids were received for this project in spring 2019 and are currently under review. Staf plans to have a vendor selected by the fall and expects installation to begin in winter 2019.

PAGE 15

G R E E N S B O R O T R A N S I T A G E N C Y

New Routes Roll Out in August

The Greensboro Transit Agency will roll out modifed routes in August. The changes are part of the short-term recommendations for the agency’s Mobility Greensboro 2040 master plan. The modifcations will alter existing routes and stop locations to better serve some of the busiest areas of the system. They include a new Route 13, which will improve service on the Randleman Road and South Elm Eugene corridors. All of these improvements will be made without increasing costs. The route modifcations are expected to make the system more efcient and reliable, increase passenger trips, and enable the City to use a three-year, $500,000 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant from Federal Highway Administration and NC Department of Transportation that

will pay for 80 percent of the operating costs for the new route on Randleman Road. GTA’s route modifcations are part of the agency’s Mobility Greensboro 2040 Plan. The plan involved extensive analysis, consideration of transit industry best practices, and continuous public involvement. Mobility Greensboro 2040 establishes core routes with a future goal of 15-minute frequent service along mixed-use corridors. Secondary neighborhood routes primarily serving residential areas would maintain 30-minute service. The routes have been redesigned to improve efciency and on-time performance system-wide and to create direct and bidirectional service wherever feasible on the core routes.

Sunset HiIls

Greensboro

NEW ~2 S Elm-Eugene

University of North Carolina - Greensboro

NEW 12A Southtown Connector

Garre

NEW 13 Randleman

Pomona

Piedmont Heights Glenwood

Cli

Hunter Hills Latham Town

Hillsdale Park

Four Seasons Transfer Zone: 12A, and 2

Oakwood

Spring Valley

Dellwood Park

Pinecroft

d Homs

Woodle

Westbury

:I Park

Randleman Transfer Zone (Elmsley to Vandalia): 12A and 13

PAGE 16

PA R K I N G

Downtown Parking Decks The Greensboro Department of Transportation continues to work to build two new downtown parking decks. In 2017, the City entered into a public-private partnership with Elm Street Center Hotel LLC to design a 720-space parking deck that will be associated with a mixed-use development that will include a hotel, meeting center, and retail space. The developer will design and build the deck and the City will own and operate the deck, which will be located in the 100 block of South Davie Street and will span February One Place. The City has purchased all the property and demolition of existing structures is complete. Design on the deck is approximately 98 percent complete and construction will start later this year when fnal construction agreements are in place. The deck should be completed in the second half of 2020 at a total cost of $27 million. The City is also working to acquire property from Guilford County in order to build a 950-space parking deck in the 200 block of North Eugene Street, south of Bellemeade Street and across the street from First National Bank Field. The new Eugene Street deck will support a planned ofce tower on the northwest corner of Bellemeade and Eugene streets as well as a new hotel at the southwest corner of the intersection. The deck will be behind the new development, which will front Eugene Street. Construction is set to begin late summer 2019 once fnal construction agreements are in place. The total cost is expected to be $25-30 million. Bonds will be issued to build the parking decks and will be paid back over 30 years through parking revenues and property tax revenues, which are projected to increase because of the new downtown developments. Design for the Eugene Street deck is approximately 70 percent complete.

For example, Route 11, a core route, will no longer deviate of of Gate City Boulevard onto Meadowview Road. Instead Route 2, a neighborhood route, will provide the necessary coverage to NC Career Works on Meadowview Road. The route modifcations also include adjustments to bus stop locations where needed for operational efciency and safety in accordance with GDOT’s Vision Zero initiative. The new Route 13 will align with Route 12, replacing the one-way loop provided by the existing Route 12 with two way service. This will efectively double the transit service to the South Elm-Eugene Street and Randleman Road corridors. Both routes will serve the Elmsley Square area, a high demand destination not served by weekday Route 12. The current Route 12 is GTA’s highest ridership route, with nearly 500,000 annual passenger trips and consistently over-crowded buses. GTA has had outstanding service requests to improve this route for years, and now there is fnally an opportunity to take action. Two neighborhood routes, Route 4 and Route 13, into one route enables two buses to be reallocated to the new Route 13. This new route has been designed to provide nearly identical access within a quarter mile as the existing routes, and will maintain 30-minute weekday service. These modifcations will improve the convenience and reliability of the system which will make GTA a more attractive choice for moving around Greensboro. Current estimates suggest GTA may see an increase in its annual ridership of more than 250,000 passenger trips per year based on these modifcations. This increase in ridership will also increase federal funding available for GTA. This frst phase of Mobility Greensboro 2040 implementation will set the stage for future improvements. Mid-term recommendations include increasing frequency to 15-minutes on the core routes. Long-term recommendations include new crosstown connector routes to enable travel around the city without the need to transfer at the Depot. As the full plan is implemented over time, GTA will be in position to redefne itself as a dependable mobility tool that supports the human and social development needs of the community and the planned growth and economic development of the City of Greensboro. To read more about GTA’s Mobility Greensboro 2040, please visit getonboard2040.org.

PAGE 17

G R E E N S B O R O T R A N S I T A G E N C Y

Local, State and Federal Dignitaries Celebrate Electric Bus Dedication

On February 21, Gov. Roy Cooper joined local elected leaders for the dedication of North Carolina’s first battery-electric buses placed into municipal transit service.

growing number of communities dumping the pump for battery power. Built next door in Greenville, SC, the 40-foot buses were delivered and began serving Greensboro passengers January 31. The first passengers were treated to special giveaways of promotional mobile phone chargers inscribed with the hashtag #plugnride, alluding to the process of recharging the vehicles and the on-board USB ports available for personal device charging. To date, GTA has 13 electric vehicles in use with another three expected in fall 2019.

With a pair of Proterra-built GTA electric buses flanked by PTI-based aircraft as a backdrop at the Koury Aviation flight hangar at PTI Airport, a stream of speakers marked the occasion as an important advancement in public mobility and environmental stewardship. The CEO of Proterra Ryan Popple presented Mayor Nancy Vaughan with the buses as the City joined a

PAGE 18

G R E E N S B O R O T R A N S I T A G E N C Y

Downtown Depot Now Features Solar Panels

The J. Douglas Galyon Depot now has solar panels. The commercial system, which begin operating May 7, is a frst of its kind for the City of Greensboro. Installing the latest solar energy technology at the 92-year-old transit facility required a signifcant update to the electrical system and supporting structure. The panel manufacturer Ecolibrium Solar, Duke Energy, and Proterra, manufacturer of GTA’s battery-electric buses, assisted with the project. The system, mounted on the bus canopy roof, collects energy from the sun, which is used to power GTA’s new overhead battery-electric bus charger. During daily service, the Proterra electric vehicles entering the transfer center can connect with the powered canopy, powering up for the next service run. A portion of the electricity generated also powers the Depot itself, reducing the energy load for the facility. Due to the large 100 kilowatt system capacity, GTA’s solar array will also produce excess electricity that will be sold back to Duke.

The system is built to withstand 90 mile per hour winds and 15 pounds per square foot of snow load. The expected useful life is more than 35 years, although advances in technology will make upgrades benefcial within 6 to 8 years. The City received a rebate check from Duke for $75,000 less than 30 days later. “We have been preparing the solar roof program for the City for a while. There are plenty of roofs and territory on which to install and operate. With additional funding for the solar program, more city structures can get their energy needs met with rooftop solar,” said City of Greensboro Energy Management Engineer Sergey Kobelev.

PAGE 19

G R E E N S B O R O T R A N S I T A G E N C Y

Public Transportation Briefs

SCAT Adds Ride Share Service

Bus Tracker App Use Grows

As part of GTA’s eforts to improve services, Greensboro Transit Agency’s Specialized Community Area Transportation (SCAT) program launched a pilot project to ofer riders with disabilities the option of shorter, direct rides for daily use. Partnering with Richmond, VA-based UZURV, SCAT I-Ride operates similar to popular ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft. Qualifed SCAT riders call the reservation line to request door-to-door transit service with guaranteed ADA-accommodating vehicles. I-Ride, unlike SCAT’s 24-hour reservation requirement, is reserved in as little of two hours and arrives at the exact time requested. A fxed fare of $6 per trip applies to travel anywhere within the city limits. Personal care attendants ride free and additional companions are charged $6. The drivers are trained in disability sensitivity and customer service to ensure the experience meets the expectations of our customers. The launch of the pilot program garnered a positive response from the riding community, and the service quickly expanded from its original Monday through Friday hours to include weekends. Possible future expansions may include longer daily hours and reservations by web or mobile app. Concert Earns National Recognition The American Public Transportation Association recognized GTA with a frst place Adwheel Award in the category of Special Events for the HEAT Tiny Bus Concert Series. Inspired by National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk Concerts, HEAT collaborated with the UNC-Greensboro to provide live entertainment on a HEAT bus in regular operation. UNCG Chancellor Franklin Gilliam played an acoustic guitar with a jazz quartet. GTA Marketing and Communications Manager Kevin Elwood accepted the recognition at the APTA 2019 Marketing & Communications Workshop held in New Orleans, LA. Since 2006, GTA has won four national AdWheels for marketing eforts.

GTA’s bus-tracking mobile app, Transloc, continues to grow in popularity. In 2018, the system got 1,760,914 hits, up 200,000 hits over the prior year. Users of the free app can view all GTA and HEAT buses in real time and receive arrival times at any of our almost 1,100 bus stops. Riders with simple text- enabled phones can also text the bus stop numbers available for every stop to 41411 to get the next arrival times. Transloc was funded through the Participatory Budgeting Greensboro program. GTA Gives Back A little over a year after a tornado destroyed houses, churches, and a school in east Greensboro, GTA used the opportunity to give back to the community with our inaugural Helping Hands project for Habitat for Humanity. City employees and Keolis contractor staf joined bus riders for a group home build on Saturday, May 18. After a brief safety training and instruction, our crew worked to construct the frst walls of the new home. A break in the construction allowed the volunteers to hear words of gratitude from the Habitat Greensboro CEO, the fnancial sponsor of the Kay Street build, and the family who would soon call the property home. At the end of the workday, the concrete slab had its walls, ready for the next steps with several volunteers committing to return for additional assistance. Giving back through Helping Hands was an enjoyable efort for all involved, and we look forward to more opportunities to give.

PAGE 20