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Taylor staff present active-transportation and ADA transition findings; residents prioritize sidewalks near schools and parks
Summary
City staff and consultants presented an active-transportation analysis and ADA transition plan update showing roughly 50 miles of sidewalks (about 70% rated good), identifying sidewalk gaps and crash hot spots; council received the update unanimously and directed staff to prioritize corridors and produce a draft this fall.
Taylor city staff and HDR consultants presented an update on the city’s active-transportation plan and ADA transition plan and the City Council voted to receive the report unanimously.
Tyler Bybee introduced the item and turned the presentation to Leslie Pollock of HDR, who summarized an existing-conditions analysis and survey results. Pollock said the city has about 50 miles of sidewalks and that, in a visual assessment, about 70% of sidewalks were rated good; she noted the sidewalk grading was not an ADA compliance audit but a condition assessment.
Pollock said the project team identified 35 pedestrian and bicycle crashes in the past 10 years, including 17 that were fatal or serious; two contributing factors most often cited were unsafe maneuvers (which the crash reports do not distinguish by road user) and distracted driving. She identified rail crossings, high-speed roadways and sidewalk gaps as the main barriers to active transportation in Taylor. "The trail system provides the most comfortable locations for pedestrians and bicyclists because it is separated from traffic," Pollock said.
Consultants reviewed results from a public survey and a town hall. Respondents most frequently prioritized sidewalk and pedestrian improvements near schools, in residential areas and around parks and trails; when given a hypothetical $100 to allocate across needs, respondents placed highest priority on repaving streets and repairing potholes, with adding or widening sidewalks following.
Pollock said the ADA transition portion of the work assessed downtown sidewalks, curb ramps and park/trail amenities against Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines and logged locations with barriers for prioritization. She said the project team is aiming for a draft plan this fall that will recommend priority corridors and potential capital projects.
Councilman Redden moved to receive the update; Councilwoman Cobb seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Next steps listed by staff include prioritizing corridor-level infrastructure projects based on the existing-conditions assessment, survey results and public feedback and delivering a draft active-transportation plan and ADA transition plan this fall.
