[Lexington] Transportation news

[seicer]

Tates Creek road beautification

A corridor of trees is planned for Tates Creek Road median

SLC: This segment of Tates Creek is near Alumni Drive. The existing bush honeysuckle and other invasive species will be removed and be replaced with trees. The goal is to create a "Richmond Road"-type approach to downtown.

I hope the project extends down the length of Tates Creek. Trees and other flora need to be planted in the raised grass median.

Article information:

"A corridor of trees is planned for Tates Creek Road median

By Barbara Isaacs

Herald-Leader [Lexington]

January 22, 2007"

[seicer]

http://www.cdpengineers.com/pdfs/projects_...roject_desc.pdf

This is the master plan, which is quite extensive. It was to be completed in 2002? It will include --

1. Sidewalks (none currently exist)

2. Crosswalks (none currently exist)

3. Landscaping

4. Wayfinding signage

5. Gateway identification (esp. for UK)

Clays Mill Rendering + Information

[seicer]

City to see major road projects

1. Liberty Road: In early July 2007, LUFCG will convert the segment of Liberty Road from Graftons Mill Lane to Man o' War Blvd. to three lanes, with additional lanes at intersections. There will be curbs, sidewalks and wider roadways with bike lanes. Map. The existing two-lane route was suited when the area was farmland.

1a. Six houses on Liberty Road and Campbell Lane will be demolished near the Todds Road intersection. Aerial with map.

1b. This improvement project is +1 mile long and will cost $6.4 million.

1c. Design work is nearly complete, and relocation of the sewers, gas and water lines will begin soon. The power lines will be relocated soon and paving could be let in May. It should be complete in May 2008 -- before August 2008 when the new elementary school on Liberty Road will open.

1d. The section from Graftons Mill Lane to New Circle Road will be let possibly in 2008.

2. Star Shoot Parkway: Work on completing Star Shoot to Liberty Road will begin once they secure state and federal permits for crossing a flood plain. It includes constructing a bridge over the creek. Map with aerial.

2a. It includes the construction of part of the Liberty Park Trail -- a bike and pedestrian trail -- and relocating a sewer line.

2b. The cost is $1.8 million and should begin by this year. It is hoped it will be complete by August 2008.

Article information: "City to see major road projects, By Jennifer Hewlett, HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER, Sat, Apr. 07, 2007"

[seicer]

Other road projects

3. Interstate 64/75: A $14 million resurfacing project will start between Man o' War Blvd. and Winchester Avenue, and from Bryan Station Road overpass to the northern split for the northbound/westbound lanes. A contract will be let in July for the southbound/eastbound lanes.

4. 12th Street: This urban street between N. Broadway and N. Limestone will undergo reconstruction. The pavement will be reconstructed from the base up, and include new curbs, gutters and sidewalks. The sanitary sewer system (which I assume runs _directly_ under the pavement, hence the need to tear it all up anyways) will be replaced; gas and water lines will also be replaced. It will cost $650,000 and take ~1 year to complete.

5. Lansdowne Drive/E. Reynolds Road: A traffic signal will be installed at this busy four-way intersection east of the Fayette Mall. It was canned under the previous Mayor's administration after she had a falling out with the representative from that district (as was reported in the newspaper). It will cost $100,000 for the signal; other intersection improvements will cost $250,000. IMO, I hope this includes improved turning radii.

Article information: "Other road projects, Herald Leader, Sat, Apr. 07, 2007"

[seicer]

Newtown Pike will acquire shoulders

6. Newtown Pike:

6a. Shoulders will be added and sight-distances will be increased from Interstate 75 north to Iron Works Pike. This is a precursor to the Alltech Equestrian Games in 2010. It will feature 8-ft. shoulders and more than 140 trees will be planted. Major work will begin in May and will cost $11 million.

6b. The Newtown Pike extension, at 1.5 miles, will start seeing some preliminary work this year. The extension will traverse from Main Street to Versailles Road -- at High and Maxwell Streets -- then to S. Broadway at Bolivar.

6b i. Utility work will begin in 2008, and road construction in 2009. It should be completed in time for the 2010 games.

6b ii. 23 houses in Lower Davistown will be redeveloped. The residents should be moved by Thanksgiving. The neighborhood, one of Lexington's poorest, will be razed for the new road and new housing that is geared towards new urban development. They will be moved into temporary housing.

Article information: "Newtown Pike will acquire shoulders, By Jennifer Hewlett, HERALD-LEADER, Sat, Apr. 07, 2007"

[seicer]

New reversible lanes on Nicholasville

7. Nicholasville Road: US 27 will be resurfaced from New Circle Road to Man o' War Blvd. During the process, a small reversible lane system will be installed between Toronto and Tiverton Way -- intersections to the south and north of Man o' War. This will create an additional through lane only for 2-3 hours in the morning. (IMO, these need to be extended from the Jessamine county line north to New Circle Road -- although this is in the long-range plans.)

Article information: "New reversible lanes on Nicholasville, Sat, Apr. 07, 2007"

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New Circle to get median barriers

8. New Circle Road: New Circle from Newtown Pike (KY 922) to Industry Road (just west of US 60/Winchester Road) will be resurfaced.

8a. The limited-access portion from Newtown Pike counterclockwise to Richmond Road (US 25/421) will have cable median barriers installed.

Article information: "New Circle to get median barriers, Sat, Apr. 07, 2007"

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End of ordeal is in sight on Loudon

9. Loudon Avenue:

9a. The 2.5 year construction project, from Winchester Road and Idlewild Court, is nearing its end phase. Bids will be let in June, where the two-lane road will be reconstructed to two-lanes with turn-lanes at intersections, constructing a grass median, bike lanes, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters.

9b. The road carries 13,000 VPD and has been undergoing a major infrastructure overhaul.

9c. The cost is now $5.3 million -- including sewer line and storm sewer upgrades.

10. Other:

10a. Carneal Road from Loudon Avenue to Highland Park Drive, and Warfield Place and Logan Place, will be reconstructed. This includes new sewers, curbs, gutters and sidewalks -- at a cost of $1.1 million. Work is ongoing now and will be complete later in 2007.

10b. The first block of Meadow Lane will be overhauled as well. It will begin in the fall and be complete in mid-2008 at a cost of $750,000.

10c. An abandoned rail crossing on 7th Street will be removed in mid-April. The 350-ft. reconstruction project includes replacing sewers and relocating and upgrading utilities. Sidewalks on the south side will be added. The cost is $250,000.

Article information: "End of ordeal is in sight on Loudon, By Jennifer Hewlett, HERALD-LEADER, Sat, Apr. 07, 2007"

[seicer]

Liberty Road map

Aerial image with the improvements that will be constructed.

[seicer]

City has warm feelings for hoofers, bikers

This fact-finding trip has left the record amount of goers with a new sense of direction and commitment. Kudos, let's see some action done! This is coming from a H-L city hall reporter who is blogging from Boulder, Colorado, where the annual Commerce Lexington Leadership Visit is being held.

Notes --

1. The point of the trip is to see what lessons Lexington can learn from Boulder.

1a. The mayor, vice mayor, and 13 of the 15 Urban County Council members attended, among many others. 18 total attended!

1b. The trip only cost $22,225.

2. Boulder is an area where biking and walking is a big priority. The city has dedicated bike and pedestrian lanes throughout the city.

3. Shortly after arriving, those who went broke up into three groups: one viewed the city on foot, another on bike, and the third by bus.

4. In Colorado, a state law states that pedestrians have the right of way.

4a. The chairman of Commerce Lexington saw this firsthand, when he encountered a busy intersection after he was separated from his walking tour group. He stood on the corner and waited for traffic to clear, but instead of waiting and waiting, cars started honking, urging him to cross.

4b. The city is constructing 50 pedestrian and bike overpasses so that they will not need to mix with automobile and truck traffic as much.

4c. 25% of Boulder's population bikes to work.

Article information: "City has warm feelings for hoofers, bikers, Herald-Leader, Thu, May. 17, 2007"

[seicer]

Yellow bikes ready for riding

Notes --

1. 51 bright, new yellow bicycles were placed in downtown Lexington at various bike racks May 17.

1a. The bikes come with baskets for purses, briefcases, etc. Riders are encouraged to ride around in the downtown, and when they are done, they can lock them at any downtown rack.

2. A person can pay $10 for a lifetime usage and take any bike for a spin any time between April and October in the downtown area. The plan is to get more people out of their cars and onto their bikes. The payee keeps the key forever. It is spearheaded by Yellow Bikes LLC.

2a. You can pay the $10 at Pedal Power, High Street YMCA, Downtown Lexington Corp, or at Thursday Night Live at Cheapside.

3. They are sponsored by the developers of Main+Rose and Nunn Building Lofts, BB&T, 500's on the Main, Gray Construction and the South Hill Group who donated $2,500 each to get the program off of the ground. 80 yellow bikes were purchased total; 28 more are to arrive in the downtown soon.

4. UK has had a similar program since fall 2004 -- the Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Library. The bikes can be checked out by any UK student, faculty or staff member with a valid ID for 48-hours.

4a. The Wildcat Wheels began the Departmental Blue Bike program last October which provides free blue loaner bikes for university departments.

4b. The department has 35 yellow bikes and 20 departmental blue bikes.

4c. Wildcat Wheels has purchased only one new bike -- the rest were either donated or abandoned.

4d. The program is so successful that the bikes are "pretty much checked out all the time."

5. The idea is similar to Boulder, Colorado's "Green BIke" program that began in 1997. Other cities, such as Portland, Oregon, Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

6. Some hope that the Yellow Bikes program is a symbol of a changing Lexington culture.

Article information: "Yellow bikes ready for riding, By Jennifer Hewlett, Herald-Leader [Lexington], May. 18, 2007"

[ezcheese]

Yellow bikes ready for riding

Notes --

1. 51 bright, new yellow bicycles were placed in downtown Lexington at various bike racks May 17.

1a. The bikes come with baskets for purses, briefcases, etc. Riders are encouraged to ride around in the downtown, and when they are done, they can lock them at any downtown rack.

2. A person can pay $10 for a lifetime usage and take any bike for a spin any time between April and October in the downtown area. The plan is to get more people out of their cars and onto their bikes. The payee keeps the key forever. It is spearheaded by Yellow Bikes LLC.

2a. You can pay the $10 at Pedal Power, High Street YMCA, Downtown Lexington Corp, or at Thursday Night Live at Cheapside.

3. They are sponsored by the developers of Main+Rose and Nunn Building Lofts, BB&T, 500's on the Main, Gray Construction and the South Hill Group who donated $2,500 each to get the program off of the ground. 80 yellow bikes were purchased total; 28 more are to arrive in the downtown soon.

4. UK has had a similar program since fall 2004 -- the Wildcat Wheels Bicycle Library. The bikes can be checked out by any UK student, faculty or staff member with a valid ID for 48-hours.

4a. The Wildcat Wheels began the Departmental Blue Bike program last October which provides free blue loaner bikes for university departments.

4b. The department has 35 yellow bikes and 20 departmental blue bikes.

4c. Wildcat Wheels has purchased only one new bike -- the rest were either donated or abandoned.

4d. The program is so successful that the bikes are "pretty much checked out all the time."

5. The idea is similar to Boulder, Colorado's "Green BIke" program that began in 1997. Other cities, such as Portland, Oregon, Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

6. Some hope that the Yellow Bikes program is a symbol of a changing Lexington culture.

Article information: "Yellow bikes ready for riding, By Jennifer Hewlett, Herald-Leader [Lexington], May. 18, 2007"

[seicer]

700 attended the event, and it was a huge success! It has grown considerably since it was started. I'll post a recap of the press release tommorrow.

[seicer]

A new look for Maxwell St.: New curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and a bike lane to be added

A new look for Maxwell St., By Jennifer Hewlett, Herald-Leader, June 11, 2007

I added a map of the future Maxwell Street rebuild here. In my opinion, this is a very worthwhile project that doesn't cost all that much and is sorely needed. The curbing is practically non-existant, having been buried under layer upon layer of asphalt; the pavement is in poor condition; and there is no bike lane. It also suffers from power line congestion, but there is no money available to bury it. The removal of parking on one side is a welcome feature -- cars parking on both sides of the road cause the remainder of the lanes to be incredibly narrow, and it is safer for all if the 8 ft. parking bays are reduced to a 4 ft. bike lane.

1. Maxwell Street, between Rose Street and Woodland Avenue, is scheduled for a rebuild within the next year. The project, collaborated between the Aylesford Neighborhood Association, the University of Kentucky, and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, sould begin by mid-2008.

1a. The street will sport new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, landscaping, streetlights, and a bike lane. The bike lane will take the place of the on-street vehicle parking on the south side. The lane will also be extended to Kentucky Avenue near Woodland Park. Several businesses are also advocating for parking meters along the north side of Woodland in the business district. The sidewalks will increase in width, from 4 ft. to 6 ft.

2. The funding has come in from multiple sources: $153,000 in a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality fund that was recently awarded by the state; $28,000 from LFUCG; $10,000 from UK; and $11,000 that will be raised by the neighborhood association.

3. The road, which will serve as a "gateway" to the area, could be a model for other downtown route makeovers.

[seicer]

Man o' War upgrades proposed: Suggestions for 9-mile stretch outlined in report

By Michelle Ku, Herald-Leader [Lexington], June 20, 2007

Man o' War @ Wikipedia

Man o' War Boulevard, Lexington's southern beltway, has major issues. Big changes are recommended to ease congestion and improve safety on the four-lane highway, which was completed in 1988. The study was released yesterday as part of a community-wide congestion management report. Finalized cost estimates and a prioritized list of improvements will be done by June 30.

The projects include --

1. Widening Man o' War from four to six lanes between Richmond Road (US 25/421) to Interstate 75. This stretch, at nine miles, had 2,704 reported crashes from 2000 to 2005. With the exception of Crosby and Jocasta drives, all intersections are now considered "high crash" locations. This could cost $13.25 million, and is on the Lexington-area 2030 Transportation Plan.

2. Converting Armstrong Mill Road, Rapid Run and Crosby drives intersections with traffic signals to two-lane roundabouts -- similar to Wellington Way. Each would cost $450,000.

3. Constructing an urban SPUI at Man o' War and Nicholasville Road (US 27), where US 27 would "fly over" Man o' War. This could cost $23.4 million.

4. Restricting left-turns at several intersections, including McKinley Way, Darby Creek Road, Helmsdale Place and Rapid Run and Jocasta drives onto Man o' War. That would cost $82,500.

5. Construct breakdown areas for vehicles in each direction near intersections. The road has no shoulders, and accidents often snarl at least one lane of traffic.

[MrFSS]

I live near Lexington and drive on New Circle now and then. Anyone know what the median construction is/will be between Harrodsburg Rd and Richmond Rd? They are putting in some type of concrete footer, but it doesn't look level on the top. Strange!

[seicer]

^ That will go from Richmond counterclock-wise to just outside of Old Frankfort Pike. It is the footer for the cable median-barrier system.

[MrFSS]

^ That will go from Richmond counterclock-wise to just outside of Old Frankfort Pike. It is the footer for the cable median-barrier system.

[seicer]

^ I can't recall from the six-year-plan, but it should be this year. Along with that, they are constructing a longer acceleration ramp at the Harrodsburg Road to New Circle Road SB on-ramp. which is nice.

Short range plans call for New Circle Road to be reconstructed and widened from Newtown Pike (KY 922) southwest to Leestown Road. Portions of this work could begin in 2009, but most likely 2010. It would involve interchange reconstruction at Newtown Pike, where the existing partial cloverleaf would be replaced with a single-point urban interchange, and the other interchanges would receive substantial upgrades. Long-range plans call for the remainder of the beltway to be widened to six-lanes. They will be reserving room for additional lanes, as the highway carries enough traffic at peak-hours for eight-lanes, plus auxilleries.

[seicer]

Here is a gob of news from the Herald-Leader.

--

City looks to break the bottlenecks: Solutions being studied, but probably years away

By Michelle Ku, Herald-Leader [Lexington], June 24, 2007

LFUCG commissioned the $250,000 '2006 Congestion Management Plan' last year, to find creative solutions to the most pressing traffic matters in the city. Some of the recommendations in the incomplete-study include,

1. Reconfiguring several New Circle Road interchanges to shift traffic to the opposite side of the road (see graphic #1 in the post below). This is called a diverging diamond interchange, where the traffic pattern would switch on the road so that vehicles would swap sides underneath the interchange. Drivers could then make left turns onto New Circle Road without any opposing traffic. It would be controlled by two traffic signals, increase interchange capacity by 15 to 25%, and reduce delays by 65%. It is a relatively new concept in the United States and is currently being implemented in Kansas City, Missouri. It is only a stop-gap measure to a full reconstruction of the interchange.

2. Converting some Man o' War Blvd. intersections with traffic signals to two-lane roundabouts,

3. Widening Man o' War Blvd. to six-lanes between Richmond Road and Interstate 75,

4. Constructing a single-point urban interchange at Man o' War Blvd. and Nicholasville Road.

5. Add vehicle breakdown areas in each direction near intersections on Man o' War Blvd,

6. Eliminate vehicle weaving area between New Circle Road and Reynolds Road along Nicholasville Road. A second right-turn lane could be added to the Nicholasville Road ramp on the outer loop of New Circle, and signage would be installed to indicate which lane should be used to reach South Park and East Reynolds Road, versus the Lexington Green, Fayette Mall, and West Reynolds Road. The right auxillery lane on northbound Nicholasville Road to the outer loop of New Circle would be lengthened under the plan.

7. Realigning Seventh Street and Liberty Road together at Winchester Road,

8. Constructing a roundabout at Alumni Drive and University Drive (already covered under the 2050 UK Campus Expansion Plan),

9. Restriping Tates Creek Road between Hart and Fontaine Roads for a center-turn lane.

The study focused on a nine-mile stretch of Man o' War Blvd. between Nicholasville Road and Interstate 75, and other sections as a whole. The draft study should be completed by the end of June, with the final report ready for public reviewing by the end of July. Once it is complete, discussions will be held with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Lexington Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

[seicer]

Nearly 19 years later, many still dissatisfied with Man o' War

By Jim Warren, Herald-Leader [Lexington], June 24, 2007

(See prior post on Man o' War Blvd. improvements.)

Man o' War Blvd. was opened to traffic 19 years ago this December, but has fielded a host of complaints since its opening. It was 'too narrow, too slow, too small, and a pale imitation of New Circle Road.' There were also 'too many stoplights, has those big curbs, and has no pull-off lanes.'

Former Mayor Scotty Baesler, who was in office when most of the four-lane boulevard was constructed, agrees that most of the highway needs work. But much of the criticism of the road is unfair due to misconceptions. It was never designed to be a limited-access freeway like most of New Circle, and it was then scaled back because of budget constraints. It was to be a city street with no interchanges, and the original design also lacked pull-off areas for stalled vehicles. It was never designed or planned for any overpasses; breakdown lanes were not the highest priority at the time. The goal was to get four-lanes around Lexington and to pull traffic out of the subdivisions.

The original Man o' War Blvd. was actually to be called Tiverton Way, and was listed on city plans as far back as the 1930s. The name was changed in 1974 to honor the famous race horse, Man o' War. The idea was to connect the neighborhoods on the south side of Lexington, which were already growing rapidly before the road was even constructed. The first segment, from Richmond Road to Palumbo Drive, opened in 1975. It only had two-lanes at first. Construction ensued on other sections for nearly 15 years. The pace of construction was slow at first, but accelerated after 1983, when Governor John Y. Brown provided an additional $18 million for the project. It cost nearly $50 million to construct it fully, with the city providing $10 million, the rest coming from the state. It was finished in 1988 (typo in the newspaper), four years ahead of schedule.

There were many complications. New subdivisions were being constructed during the building of Man o' War, and the road had to be essentially designed around them. The scarce land due to the rapid development meant that there was only a 120-ft. right-of-way, which left no room for a shoulder or breakdown areas. In some areas, the road was built essentially inside new subdivisions. The city had reserved the right-of-way, but making changes, such as adding shoulders or interchanges, would have required the purchase of dozens, if not hundreds of houses.

One major misconception about the boulevard is the 'outer beltway' concept -- which would have been similar to New Circle, but running from Interstate 75 to somewhere near Harrodsburg Road, hugging the Fayette-Jessamine County border. The plan was all but dead in the early 1980s. The cost for the interstate-quality road was $150 million. That left just Man o' War as the only circumferential road outside of New Circle, and it had to carry much more traffic than originally envisioned.

The former mayor calls the functioning beltway a 'compromise.' It was put on the fast track when it was built, because the city had a limited amount of money and had to get it done while the money was still available. Although the highway was adequate when it opened, it has become overloaded in recent years with increased development and more traffic lights. Many of those lights were added to subdivision entrances, because the residents complained that they could not exit out onto Man o' War safely. The downside was that the additional signals spurred more development, which led to more traffic lights.

[seicer]

38 traffic lights; 37-minute ride

Herald-Leader [Lexington], June 24, 2007

Advice for Man o' War: Timing is everything.

In 1988, traveling all of Man o' War took 25 minutes. There were 11 traffic signals and the speed limit was 50 MPH.

In 2002, the same drive took 33 minutes. There were 33 traffic signals, and the speed limit for most of the road was 45 MPH.

In 2007, the same drive took 37 minutes. There are now 38 traffic signals, and the speed limit has mostly stayed the same.

This was not even rush-hour traffic.

[Rural King]

^ Thats some serious increase in time and number of lights there. Has the area grown in density and congestion to really need that many lights in such a short span of time?

[seicer]

The area surrounding Man o' War has become built-out from Parkers Mill Road (in western Fayette County) to Interstate 75. It ends rather abruptly at the Jessamine County line, although they are playing catch-up quite fast. Those were considered replaceable farmlands as most were tobacco fields at the time.

Congestion is pretty heavy at times -- pretty much during the daylight hours. The areas east of Nicholasville Road to Hamburg Pavilion are worse, IMO, and also carry the highest traffic counts. Widening will be extremely difficult, given that there is no right-of-way to expand into. The sidewalks will need removal, and the drainage systems will need replacing, if any widening is done.

[seicer]

Survey of downtown sidewalks is under way: Part of project to make streets more pedestrian friendly

By Beverly Fortune, Herald-Leader [Lexington], June 26, 2007

Includes map of the project area.

There are many sidewalks in the downtown that are in 'deplorable condition.' The immediate need to make repairs is to spruce up the downtown in time for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Regardless, the sidewalks need replacing whether there is an event at the horse park or not. Former Mayor Teresa Isaac, with approval from the LFUCG urban county concil, recommended using $500,000 from the Central Kentucky Insurance settlement for sidewalk improvements. That sun is paying for a detailed sidewalk survey that began lat night, plus a portion of the design work. A four-member survey team started work at South Broadway and Vine to produce a high-definition, three-dimensional scan of 14 miles of downtown sidewalks. Work will take place from 6 PM to 6 AM Monday through Thursday, and will be complete by mid-September.

Some sidewalks, such as those on East Main Street, are so unsafe that immediate repairs are needed. Other sidewalks have impediments to handicapp accessibility, such as steep curb cuts and buildings that could only be entered by stepping up. Other improvements will include public spaces that encourage social interaction, places for public art, beds of flowers, and kiosks. Parking lots and vacant lots would be screened from view.

The project total will cost between $10 million and $20 million. Financing has not yet been determined, although it could be a combination of bonds, grants, and property-owner participation. Construction could begin in spring 2008 and would be done in three phases, with the downtown core being completed first.

On Vine Street, just enough repair work will be done initially to make them safe -- because it will save money in the long-term if the city decides to convert the street from one-way to two-way and introduce a green space down the center.

[Ian604]

Lextran Geneeral Manager hints at Bus Rapid Transit!

http://www.bizlex.com/story.php?id=624

[Rural King]

^ This post was not in conformity with the rules on posting. Please review the rules on posting in the link provided and feel free to edit the post to make the correction.

Thanks.