OPEN HOUSE #1 December 4, 2014 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

Trainor Gate Road to Johansen Expressway

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DOT&PF Ivet Hall, P.E., Project Manager DOWL HKM Steve Noble, P.E., Project Manager Chase Nelson, P.E., Project Engineer Rachel Steer, Project Coordinator/Public Involvement

Introductions—Project Team 2

Project Background Review Data Collection Discuss Concepts Public Questions and Discussion

Agenda 3

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Project study area includes the road right-of-way and surrounding properties

Purpose: Improve safety and capacity for motorized and non-motorized users The upgrade to Old Steese is needed because: • Elevated crash rates • Discontinuous/lack of pedestrian facilities • Congested intersections

5 Draft Purpose & Need

• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities • Intersection and roadway improvements • Associated improvements:

– Drainage – Utilities – Lighting – Railroad crossing – Landscaping

6 Key Project Elements

Corridor Background / History 7

1996

2012

Recent Commercial & Roadway Developments 8

AUTOZONE (2014)

Land Use/Zoning and Undeveloped Land 9

10 Projected Corridor Traffic Volume

AADT=Annual Average Daily Traffic

11 Existing Conditions

12 Existing Conditions

13 Existing Conditions

14 Transportation Issues/Concerns

• Lack of pedestrian or bicycle facilities

• Long delays at Trainor Gate • Short distance/ congestion

between Steese Expy and Old Steese on Trainor Gate

• Long delays at some of the commercial driveways

• High traffic demand

15 Traffic Safety • Intersection crash rates above

state average at: • Old Steese Hwy/Johansen Expy. • Old Steese Hwy/Helmericks Ave. • Old Steese Hwy/Trainor Gate Rd.

• Congested road, driveways and intersections • Crash rates • Narrow right-of-way • Limited space for utilities • Limited pedestrian facilities • Complex on-site drainage facilities and public

storm water system • Railroad crossing • Trainor Gate Road operations

16 Summary of Key Challenges

Completed: • Topographic survey • Draft Traffic and Safety Study

In progress: • Public and stakeholder outreach • Data collection • Preliminary engineering • Environmental analysis

17 Work Completed and In Progress

Initial Concepts

Concept 1: 3-Lanes with Signals Concept 2: 3-Lanes with Roundabouts Concept 3: 4-Lanes with Roundabouts Concept 4: 5-Lanes with Signals Concept 5: 5-Lanes with Roundabouts

All concepts include: • Sidewalks • Shoulders • Trainor Gate converted to one-way (westbound)

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Trainor Gate Intersection • Not sufficient length to store traffic • Intersection improvements at Old

Steese/Trainor Gate would be in conflict with queued vehicles on Trainor Gate

• Railroad limits widening options and complicates intersection controls

• Recent closure of west leg by ARRC • Maintaining westbound movements

limits impacts to operations on Steese Expressway

• Ample capacity northbound to exit the area via Johansen Expressway

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Pedestrian Accommodations

• Non-motorized Transportation Plan • Sidewalks on one or both sides? • Shoulders to accommodate bicycles • Connections to adjacent/intersecting pedestrian routes • ADA Accessible

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21 Typical 3-Lane Road

22 Typical 4-Lane Road

23 Typical 5-Lane Road

Traffic & Safety Analysis Results

• 3-lane configuration remains heavily congested under all signalized and roundabout options.

• 4-lane and 5-lane concepts improve safety and will meet operational performance standards for existing and future conditions.

• 4-lane configuration with roundabouts has the lowest average delay.

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4-Lane vs. 5-Lane

• 5-lanes accommodates two-way center turn lane – More direct access to driveways – Longer pedestrian crossing distance

• 4-lane concept has a raised median – Prohibits left turns; – Improves safety by eliminating potential for head on and angle crashes – All movements are made as right turns and circulation around the

roundabouts

• 4-lane concept has lowest average delay per vehicle but more out of direction travel

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Signals vs. Roundabouts

Roundabouts: • Reduced traffic delay; improves air quality • Slower traffic, reduced frequency/severity of crashes • Lower annual maintenance cost

Signals: • Dedicated pedestrian crossing phases • Prioritizes Old Steese through traffic

Public Perceptions

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Survey & Mapping Summer 2014 Environmental Fall 2014–Spring 2015 Preliminary Engineering Fall 2014–Spring 2015 Final Design and Permitting Spring 2015–Spring 2016 Right-of-Way/Easements Spring 2015–Spring 2016 Anticipated Start of Construction Summer 2016

27 Schedule

Open House #1 December 2014 Area Businesses Meeting #2 Spring 2015 Open House #2 Spring 2015 Open House #3 Fall 2015

28 Public/Stakeholder Outreach

www.oldsteese.com

Fill out a comment form or email comments to: oldsteese@dowlhkm.com

Contact Us: Rachel Steer – Public Involvement Manager: 374-0275

Ivet Hall, P.E. – DOT&PF Project Manager: 451-5386

29 Questions/Comments

30 Graphics as a board:

• State environmental checklist • Primary considerations:

• Right-of-way acquisition and impacts • Possible contaminated sites • Air quality

31 Environmental Analysis

Fairbanks Area Wide Planning

Consistency with: • FMATS Non-motorized Transportation Plan • Richardson Highway/Steese Expressway Planning

and Environmental Linkage Study • FMATS Long Range Transportation Plan • 2011 Helmericks Extension Mitigation Strategy Study • 2010 Steese Highway/Johansen Expressway Area

Traffic Improvements Study

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North of Trainor Gate Road

33 Existing Conditions

34 Existing Conditions

South of Trainor Gate Road