TLC Technical Assistance Projects

Accessibility to Transit

Community Charrette on Pedestrian Trail Feasibility to the Bowie MARC Station: City of Bowie, MD (2008)

Proposed alignment for pedestrian trail in Bowie

The City of Bowie applied to the TLC Program for technical assistance to study alignment options for a bicycle and pedestrian path connecting Old Town Bowie to the Bowie State MARC commuter rail station and Bowie State University. The City also asked the consultant to review the recently completed trail feasibility study for the railroad avenue corridor and other relevant issues facing trail connectivity in Bowie.

The consultant analyzed the several alignments for the trail and summarized the comparative advantages for each alignment. The consultant recommended one alternative alignment to the City Council, but it also provided detailed information about the possibility of implementing other alignments for the trail.

The proposed alternative connects the greatest number of residents to Old Town Bowie, the MARC Station at Bowie State University, and the WB&A Trail. The report details the next steps the city should take toward implementing the trail plan and pays special attention to the near term possibilities.

Please follow the link below to review the final report.

Recommendations for Proposed Railroad Avenue Hiker/Biker Trail

Fort Detrick Area Transit and Non-Motorized Transportation Access Study: Frederick (City/County), MD (2008)

Location of Public Comments received on Access to Fort Detrick

The City Frederick and Frederick County applied jointly for technical assistance to assess multimodal access to the Fort Detrick area. Fort Detrick is one of the largest employers in the county and has many transportation impacts on the surrounding community. Through the TLC grant, the City and County are striving to improve pedestrian, bicycle, and transit access to the Fort Detrick area.

The consultants identified problem areas for non-automotive users of the transportation network and developed a list of potential solutions. Some of the suggestions for improving the bicycle and pedestrian network were bike lanes/sharrows, encouraging crosswalks on all legs of an intersection, and more frequent pedestrian crossings of major roadways. As a part of the study, the consultant mapped the sites of accidents involving bicycles and pedestrians. Additionally, they identified gaps in the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including signalization issues and crossing opportunities. The consultant identified major generators of bicycle and pedestrian trips and future developments likely to influence those types of trips.

Public input played a large role in the project. The consultant set up a website where citizens could pinpoint problem areas on a map and describe the issues. Additionally, a public meeting was held which yielded much feedback on the recommendations the consultant developed for improving bicycle, pedestrian, and transit access to Fort Detrick.

The City of Frederick has accepted the documents received to date and are assessing the feasibility. The City will move forward with the implementation of many of the consultant recommendations as well as the public comments. This project was completed for $20,000.

Please follow the links below to review the consultant recommendations, consultant presentation, and specific public comments.

Summary of Work Products and Recommendations

Consultant Presentation at June 28, 2008, Public Meeting (4.2 MB)

Solutions Toolbox for Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements

The following images show locations where public comments were registered. The consultant has included recommendations to address many of these concerns (For optimal quality, download the graphic before viewing).

7th Street Comments, Military Road Comments, Opossumtown Road North Comments, Opossumtown Road South Comments, Rosemont Avenue North Comments, Rosemont Avenue Central Comments, Rosemont Avenue South Comments

Independent Shuttle Bus Consolidation (ISBC) Strategy for the Greater Brookland Community: District of Columbia (2010) Brookland Site Improvements

This project developed a consolidation strategy that addresses the operational issues posed by the current arrangement and to potential to improve mobility and access to Metro. Streamlining various existing shuttle services will reduce operations costs, decrease vehicular traffic, and encourage Metro transit use by improving shuttle service. This project was supported by the District of Columbia Office of Planning. This project was completed for $25,000.

Please follow the link below to review the final report developed for this project.

Independent Shuttle Bus Consolidation Strategy for the Greater Brookland Community (8 MB)

Maximizing Transit Opportunities in Greenbelt: City of Greenbelt, MD (2008)

Entrance to Greenbelt Metrorail Station

The City of Greenbelt requested consultant services to assess existing transit options and future transit opportunities in Greenbelt and make recommendations to ensure maximum use and efficiency of transit. The Greenbelt environs are currently served by multiple bus transit providers, with the Greenbelt Metrorail station as a hub for bus service. This project was based on the premise that better and more efficient bus service could be provided to Greenbelt residents and visitors through analysis of current service gaps and overlaps, identification of changing community needs in access to destinations, and better coordination between transit providers.

The consultants presented an overview of existing bus service along with considerations for future planning at a community workshop held on July 9, 2008 at the Greenbelt Community Center. As part of the workshop, community members gathered in small groups to discuss ideas for potential improvements to bus service, and heard from a WMATA bus planner about the process for funding and implementing changes to bus service. Several members of the Greenbelt City Council were in attendance, and the workshop and the resulting report (see link below) should assist city planners and elected officials in working with Prince George's County to plot a course for future transit service in Greenbelt. This project was completed for $20,000.

Please follow the link below to review the final report.

Maximizing Transit Opportunities: Greenbelt, Maryland (2 MB)

"Multimodal Takoma!" - Development of a Multimodal Scorecard: District of Columbia (2008)

The District of Columbia Office of Planning applied to the TLC Program for technical assistance to develop a scorecard that assesses the Takoma neighborhood’s accessibility to various modes of transportation. The Office of Planning identified a need for this type of assessment due to new land use and demographic trends that are changing the way people get around in Takoma. Because the area is anchored with a Metro station, it must be able to accommodate all users.

The consultant noted that walking, bicycling, and transit are often overlooked when it comes to planning because of the emphasis on measuring vehicle level of service (LOS). The consultant reviewed several measures of LOS and safety for pedestrians, bicycles, and transit. The study summarized the existing conditions in the area, recommended neighborhood and facility improvements to accommodate each user group, and assessed the LOS for each user group.

The report analyzed roadway facilities based on their LOS and safety index in a scorecard format for 14 intersections and roadways segments in the neighborhood. It also included suggested improvements to improve the bicycle, pedestrian, and transit LOS and/or safety index. This project was completed for $20,000.

Please follow the link below to review the final report and scorecard element developed for this project.

Multimodal Takoma! Creating a Tool to Assess Multimodal Access Surrounding the Takoma Metro (4.5 MB)

Naylor Road Metro Station Area Accessibility Improvement Study: Prince George's County, MD (2011)

Naylor Road Station Area Recommendations

Prince George's County applied for TLC technical assistance to a study to develop recommendations for improving non-motorized access to the Naylor Road Metro Station. The study evaluates the quality and adequacy of existing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure (e.g., sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic signals) and identifies locations for low-cost, short-term improvements. The consultant prioritized and identified appropriate options to address missing links, intersection shortcomings, including a lack of crosswalks and bike lanes, and safety concerns such as intersections without signage, lighting, or pedestrian countdown signals. This project was completed for $30,000.

Please follow the link below to review the final report developed for this project.

Naylor Road Metro Station Area Accessibility Study (8.8 MB)

Pedestrian to Transit Accessibility Prioritization Project: Prince George's County, MD (2010)

The primary purpose of this project was to assist the County in identifying gaps in accessibility to active bus stops and to prioritize bus stop locations on which to focus limited resources to improve access and safety. This report provides a description of other bus stop improvement prioritization efforts in the Washington D.C. metropolitan region, including national practices on prioritizing bus stop improvements. The report outlines the methodology and criteria used for the prioritization of bus stop locations for improvements in Prince George’s County and consists of the prioritization of bus stops for improvements based on this methodology. Maps and tables are used to illustrate the prioritization and bus stop locations. This project was completed for $30,000.

Please follow the link below to review the final report developed for this project.

Pedestrian to Transit Accessibility Prioritization (6 MB)

Wiehle Avenue Station Multimodal Mobility Needs Analysis: Fairfax County, VA (2010)

MMLOS Intersection Comparison

This TLC project used a multi-modal evaluation tool, previously developed the TLC project completed in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, DC, to evaluate an array of potential projects to accommodate the mobility the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, local bus, and auto users at the new Metrorail Station at Wiehle Avenue in Reston. This project was completed for $45,000.

Please follow the link below to review the final report developed for this project.

Wiehle Avenue Multimodal Level of Service (MMLOS) Study (5.9 MB)

 

 

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