Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:

Mayor and Commissioners

FROM:

David L. Corliss, City Manager

DATE:

February 12,  2013

RE:

Comments regarding Bicycle Advisory Committee’s Memo on Rock Chalk Park

 

The Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) has submitted a memo to the City Commission related to infrastructure and site planning on the Rock Chalk Park Project.  This memo serves to provide comments related to the BAC memo and responses to the issue raised in the BAC memo. 

 

The BAC memo outlined the following suggestions:

  1. All bicycle infrastructure built to AASHTO standards for the public improvement plans and for the site specific development area (i.e., on-site and nearby off-site locations and connections all need to be designed as part of the transportation system).
  2. Infrastructure to connect the Shared Use Path on George Williams Way to the existing South Lawrence Trafficway Shared Use Path through the Rock Chalk Park site needs to be built with this project.
  3. Clear internal on-site facilities that connect the existing bikeways  in the public rights-of-ways  to the on-site bicycle parking areas need to be a part of this development’s design (i.e., clearly defined AASHTO standard bikeway links from the on-site bike parking areas to the nearby bikeway network).
  4. Infrastructure for bicyclists to connect the Indoor Aquatic Center and State High School to the proposed Rock Chalk Park site needs to be planned and designed and built when the RCP is built if possible, and if not planned for construction soon after the RCP opens.
  5. Covered and long-term bicycle parking facilities (i.e., lockers or cages and not simply a few bike racks) need to be installed on the proposed Rock Chalk Park site.

 

Comments/Responses:

·         The City follows current AASHTO design standards on all projects.

·         The path on George Williams Way will extend north to Rock Chalk Drive, then west to tie into E902 Road and the K-10 shared use path. There will be streets that cyclists and pedestrians will need to cross.

·         Related to the connectivity between the Rock Chalk Park site and Free State High School/Indoor Aquatics Center, initially the route would be on George Williams Way to 6th Street then east to the high school. Overland Drive is planned to extend to George Williams Way and this road could be designated as a bike route, but the improvements do not have separate bike lanes. The existing section of Overland Drive does not have separate bike lanes.

·         Covered and long-term bicycle parking is not included with the project at this time. 

·         Generally, the City continues to look at ways to enhance facilities over time and connectivity over time throughout the community.