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Slurry Seals and BicyclesA Marriage Made in Heaven?

2011 APWA Sustainability in Public Works Conference

Portland, Oregon

Your Presenters

Scott Gibson, P.E.Project Manager

Chris Louis, P.E.Senior Traffic Engineer

Regional Transportation Commissionof

Washoe County, Nevada

Why Do We Care?

• RTC of Washoe County.– Transit (mode split and trip reduction) – MPO (long range mobility)– Street and Highway (complete streets policy)

• Active Cycling Community (Greg Lemond).

• We Ride.• Cyclists are Tax Payers Too!

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Complete Streets

Before incomplete urban street

� 4-lane undivided� No center turn lane� No bike facilities� Numerous driveways� Pedestrian unfriendly

� Wide lanes� No designated

parking

Complete Street Opportunities

Why?

• Increase safety• Improve livability and quality

of life • Economic development• For users of all ages, modes

and mobility's• Improved traffic flow• More on-street parking• Connectivity

A Complete Street Concept

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From This…

…To This

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Complete Street Opportunities

Pavement Preservation Projects� Reconstruction� Road Widening� Corrective Maintenance� Slurry Seal

Complete Street OpportunitiesChecklist:� Road conversion� wide sidewalks� bike lanes� special bus lanes

� comfortable and accessible transit stops� frequent crossing opportunities� median islands� accessible pedestrian signals� curb extensions� narrower lanes, 10’ OK

� tight curb radii

Complete Street Opportunities

How• Road conversions• Narrow lanes, 10’ OK!• Just stripe it!

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Complete Street/Road Conversions

Significant safety benefits: lower speeds, reduced conflict points and crashes, better sight distance, refuge for pedestrians, place for bicycles

6 conflict points Vs. 2 conflict points

Safer Intersections: reduced conflict points and crashes

8 conflict points Vs. 4 conflict points

Complete Street/Road Conversions

Before/After Studies

Wells Ave. in Reno

After results↓ Crashes 31%↓ Speeds 24%• LOS no change

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Toward a Complete Street

Wells Ave. in Reno

� Bike lanes� Curb extension� Frequent

crossing opportunities

� Medians� Designated

parking lane� 10’ lanes� Tight curb radii

Toward a Complete Street

Wells Ave. in Reno

� Roundabout� Pedestrian

refuge� Lighting� Landscaping� Shade trees� Benches

� Public art

Toward a Complete StreetBike lane miles added

2009 – 26 miles 2010 – 52 miles 2011 – 22 miles

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Toward a Complete Street

Street conversions:2009 – 1 project2010 – 6 projects2011 – 2 projects

Toward a Complete Street

Victorian Pkwy before project

Toward a Complete Street

Victorian Greenway Project areas first cycle track

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Toward a Complete Street

Victorian Greenway Project areas first cycle track

Making Adjustments/Costs

• Striping

• Lane reconfiguration

• Signal Head placement

• Signal timing

• Loop detection

• Continued evaluation

• Added maintenance costs

Preventive Maintenance Provides HUGE Opportunities

• Rehabilitation/Reconstruction – 15-30 Lane miles/year.

• Preventive Maintenance – 150 -200 Lane Miles/Year

• RTC is on a 7 year cycle of microsurfacing roadways.

Provides a blank palette of opportunities enhance bicycle and pedestrian space.

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Rider Types

• Fast Roadie• Commuters• Families• Cycle Chic• Service Workers

Slurry/Bicycle Issues

• Rough Surfaces

• Ghost Striping

• Construction Lane Configuration

• Colored Lanes

• Build Solutions into Your Contracts

Rough Surfaces (Conventional Type III)

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Type II Bike Lanes

Type II Bike Lanes

Type II Bike Lanes

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Type II Bike Lanes

Type II Bike Lanes with Parking

Ghost Striping

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Ghost Striping

Grind off ALL Old Striping!

Lane Configurations

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Lane Configurations

Don’t Kill Your Road!

Conclusions

• Build the bike friendly components into the contract.

– Type II or Type I in bike lanes.

• Requires two Stockpiles.

– Grind off all old stripes.

– Raise critical valves and manholes.

• RTC has seen little escalation to program costs even with added components.

Conclusions

• Preventive Maintenance Alone is a sustainable practice but it can go beyond just the efficient maximization of the pavement network.

• If integrated into the overall transportation and planning scheme it provides great opportunities to:

– Provide Complete Streets.

– Enhance Livability.

– Increase Modal Split.

– Gain Program Support.

• Preventive Maintenance can be a Multiplier for Sustainability!

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Questions?