V. TRANSPORTATION, PARKING, AND PEDESTRIAN SYSTEMS

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Planning for the movement of people and goods is an integral part of the comprehensive planning process as the community's future development, economic growth, environment and quality of life will be influenced to a large degree by the local and regional transportation system. The City of Fredericksburg has recognized the importance of addressing long-range transportation planning issues by including a transportation component within the comprehensive plan. Citizen participation in the planning process has also identified transportation planning issues regarding truck traffic and the downtown parking supply.

To address transportation planning issues in Fredericksburg, the transportation component of the comprehensive plan is focused on streets and roads from a community-wide perspective along with parking and pedestrian issues in the downtown area. Data related to traffic volumes, roadway design standards, planned street alignments, parking supplies and sidewalks are presented and evaluated to better understand existing conditions. This data along with considerations for other components of the comprehensive plan form the basis for projected future traffic flows and transportation system recommendations.

STREETS AND ROADWAYS

The state-maintained arterial roadways have historically provided and continue to provide most of the transportation system capacity within Fredericksburg. Most trip making is by private automobile. Regionally-oriented transportation options to the auto include intercity bus service provided by Kerrville Bus Company and tour buses operated by the Grayline Tours San Antonio franchise. Air facilities are limited.

Limited local transit options include Section 18 rural transportation provided by Alamo Coordinated Transit based in Seguin and Section 16(b)(2) elderly and disabled transportation service provided by the Golden Hub Senior Center. Operator interest has been expressed to the City for development of a localized tour bus service. This service is envisioned as being integrated into a multimodal transportation center for which a funding application is pending with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as sponsored by the City of Fredericksburg and the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG).

The regional arterial roadway network serving Gillespie County can be characterized in general as a radial system of state-maintained highways with Fredericksburg serving as the County's transportation focal point and hub. US 290 provides the primary east/west service with SH 16, US 87 and FM 965 being the major north/south routes. Designated major collector roadways along with the local street system interface with the arterial roadways to complete the city's traffic circulation system.

The convergence of all major roadways along Main Street (US 290) in Fredericksburg creates certain opportunities due to the degree of downtown accessibility afforded by these transportation routes; however, the mixing of through and local traffic in the downtown area also has certain negative effects on traffic operations. Downtown congestion levels and slower speeds result in delays to through traffic, and some of this congestion is attributable to truck traffic which has neither origins nor destinations within the downtown. Mixing through and local traffic in the downtown also affects parking and pedestrian operations. Downtown visitors and employees essentially compete for street capacity with through vehicles when driving to and from the area, during parking operations and when walking across the street.

A community's thoroughfare plan enables streets to be identified in terms of function and provides the basis by which future road extensions can be provided in a manner consistent with growth patterns. Street design standards identified within the context of the thoroughfare plan match street classifications with appropriate rights-of-way and pavement sections in order to provide a safe and effective traffic circulation system. The attached graphic (Exhibit V-1) depicts the existing Fredericksburg thoroughfare plan.

Traffic volume information was obtained from the City of Fredericksburg and TxDOT. The attached tabular information (Table V-1) presents 24-hour traffic counts along major arterials from 1985 to 1994. A related graphic (Exhibit V-2) depicts the most recently available (1994) volumes and count locations.

Historical traffic counts indicate growth along all corridors. The average annual growth rates range from a low of 0.45% along FM 1631 north of US 290 to a high of 6% along US 290 at the far eastern count location. For comparison purposes, traffic volumes along arterials within urbanized areas are often assumed for analytical purposes at an annual 3% growth rate to reflect "normal" growth conditions. While this growth "rule of thumb" corresponds to the average annual growth rate (2.90%) for the Fredericksburg arterial roadway system as a whole for the past ten years, traffic volumes along certain roadway segments reflect a higher than normal growth rate.

Historical growth in Fredericksburg traffic volumes is a combination of increasing tourism and local population growth. Growth in traffic volumes due to local travel behavior is reflected in

Table V-2 which presents County motor vehicle registration in five-year increments from 1980. Table V-2 indicates increasing population and number of registered vehicles. It is interesting to note, however, that the average number of vehicles per person in the County decreased from 1980 to 1985 and again from 1985 to 1990 (Table V-3). This is counter to the state and national trend of increasing numbers of vehicles per person. From 1990 to 1995 vehicles per person in Gillespie County did reflect the trend by increasing from an average of approximately 1.005 to approximately 1.099.

In order to determine the operational performance of the existing major street system in Fredericksburg, a capacity evaluation was undertaken using 1994 TxDOT 24-hour counts and hourly counts compiled by the City of Fredericksburg in the 100 block of west Main Street. The counts were combined with roadway laneage information and capacity values consistent with the various roadway types and locations.

The capacity evaluation is based upon the concept of "level of service" (LOS) which is defined by the Highway Capacity Manual as a qualitative measurement of speed and travel time, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, comfort, convenience and safety. Specific methodological definitions of LOS are applicable based upon the type of analysis undertaken. This evaluation is based upon estimates of daily and hourly roadway capacity for specific roadway segments and the relationship between this capacity estimate and actual volumes, (see Table V-4).

Area Frontage Principal Minor

Type     Freeway     Ramp     Road     Arterial     Arterial     Collector     Local

CBD     18000         11000    5500       5500         5500         4500         4500

Fringe     18500     12000     6000         6000         6000         4750         4750

Urban     18750     12500     6250         6500         6250         5000         5000

Suburban 19500     14000     7000         7250         7000         5500         5500

Rural       20000     15000     7500         8000         7500         5750         5750

CBD     1800         1100         550         550         550         450         450

Fringe     1850         1200         600         600         600        475         475

Urban     1875         1250         625         650         625         500         500

Suburban 1950         1400         700         725         700         550         550

Rural     2000         1500         750         800         750         575         575

In terms of evaluation terminology, most urban areas define an acceptable traffic operational service level as "D" or better. Many smaller communities, however, select LOS "C" as the desirable service level threshold. (An example of the quantitative difference between these service levels at signalized intersections is that the maximum average stopped delay at LOS "C" is 25 seconds; the maximum average stopped delay at LOS "D" is 40 seconds.) The "C" service level standard therefore reflects a less congested street system which is often consistent with life-styles associated with smaller communities. Maintenance of a LOS "C" transportation environment is recommended for Fredericksburg; however, it should be recognized that this can result in the need for increased expenditures for transportation infrastructure in order to maintain acceptable operations.

The analysis of 1994 24-hour volumes (see Table V-5) along the Fredericksburg arterial system indicates acceptable performance along all roadway segments. All but three segments perform at LOS "A", the best service level standard. US 290 (Main Street) performs at LOS "B" from west of FM 1631 to west of SH 16. This relative decline in operational performance is to be expected due to the higher volumes in the downtown area and the capacity constraints created by closely spaced signals and pedestrian and parking activity.

While the local perception may be that traffic flow within the downtown area is unacceptably congested, this is not substantiated by the analysis. Using hourly volume information collected on a Friday and a Saturday in the 100 block of west Main Street, traffic operates at LOS "A" during all hourly time periods (see Tables V-6 and V-7). It should be noted that this service level does not preclude the occasional traffic blockage due to parking or pedestrian maneuvering. The existing 1994 service level also may not be indicative of projected future traffic operations.

Tables V-8 through V-11 present traffic volume projections in 5-year increments from year 2000 to year 2015 for the major roadway segments previously evaluated. Included in these tables are corresponding projected level-of-service values. Traffic projections for individual street segments were based on historical traffic count information and the annual growth rates identified in Table V-1. For traffic projection development purposes, no major new roadways were assumed to be in place within the planning horizon in order to evaluate expected performance of the existing transportation system and identify future roadway needs.

To summarize results of the evaluation of future traffic volumes, year 2000 indicates no street segment with traffic volumes corresponding to a LOS below "C" - the recommended policy service standard. In year 2005 one street segment - US 290 west of SH 16 - exhibits a LOS "D". This LOS implies that by the year 2005 capacity enhancements for US 290 are beginning to become necessary. By the year 2010, numerous segments of US 290 are projected to function with undesirable service levels as is one segment of FM 965 north of US 290. The year 2015 evaluation indicates that the entirety of US 290 east of FM 965 is projected to function with undesirable service levels. The US 290 segment east of FM 1631 exhibits service level failure. SH 16 south of US 290 and FM 965 north of US 290 are the other street segments which indicate undesirable service levels by the year 2015. All other roadway segments evaluated are projected to operate within acceptable levels of service.

The evaluation of future year traffic volumes suggests that continuing development of the Fredericksburg street system is important in terms of mobility. Specifically, the US 290 corridor should be included in long-range transportation planning activities for the area. The proposed thoroughfare plan (Exhibit V-3) was developed in concert with City of Fredericksburg staff with acknowledgment of the function of existing roadways and in anticipation of future transportation needs. The plan proposes new roadways combined with extensions of existing streets in order to increase the number of connections to the arterial system. Proposed alignments are approximations subject to engineering feasibility. One of these alignments essentially creates a northern extension of FM 2093 from its current terminus at SH 16 south of downtown to intersect with US 87, US 290 and on to SH 16 north of downtown. Development of this alignment is viewed as the community's number one transportation planning priority. Other more localized roadways, while also important to the future transportation system, are of a relatively lesser priority than the FM 2093/US 87/US 290/SH 16 connection.

On-going implementation of the proposed thoroughfare plan will assist the City of Fredericksburg in addressing mobility needs. The provision of additional linkages between the arterial state highway routes will tend to better disperse through volumes thereby lessening projected congestion along the US 290 corridor. This concept may at some future time need to be expanded to include development of a truck bypass route. Planning for this type of facility or other future arterial roadways should be coordinated with TxDOT and may entail right-of-way and pavement sections which exceed minimum design standards established by the proposed thoroughfare plan.

Table V-12 and Table V-13 summarize Fredericksburg traffic accident data during 1994. Accidents are summarized for mid-block and intersection locations. A total of 250 accidents were reported for the year; three of these were not assigned to either an intersection or mid-block location due to uncertainty regarding description. The accident locations map (Exhibit V-4) provides a graphic which aggregates both intersection and mid-block accidents and depicts general locations ranked by number of occurrences in relative terms of high, medium or low. A total of 139 mid-block accidents were reported in 1994. Locations along East and West Main Street accounted for 51 of these incidents, with the highest number of accidents within an individual block being 5. This total occurred at multiple locations along East Main: 100 block; 700 block; and 1100 block. The second highest total of four accidents also occurred at multiple locations along East Main: 500 block; 600 block; and 1300 block. Four accidents were also reported in the 100 block of South Adams/Highway 16.

A total of 108 intersection accidents were reported in 1994 with the highest individual total being 9 at the intersection of Main Street and S. Washington/US 87. The second highest individual total of 5 accidents occurred at the intersection of S. Adams/Highway 16 and W. Live Oak. The next highest accident total of 4 occurred at two intersection locations: S. Adams/Highway 16 and Main Street; and Highway 16 and Highway Street.

Traffic accident data in Fredericksburg during 1994 do not appear disproportionate with traffic volumes and also do not appear to reflect an atypical community accident profile. The City in conjunction with TxDOT should, however, routinely examine accident data to identify trends and program improvements where appropriate. Immediate attention should probably be given the Main Street/US 87 intersection due to the number of reported accidents.

One of the keys to the success of a downtown is the presence of an effective parking supply. Effective parking means that there is a sufficient number of parking spaces to satisfy the demand for them and that these spaces are located in areas that encourage their use. Parking spaces that are too far from people's destinations or which have a time limit that is not in line with the needs of the primary consumers are not effective. This could lead to improper parking in inappropriate locations or act as an impediment to business.

Due to a perceived shortage in downtown parking identified by residents of Fredericksburg, the City of Fredericksburg commissioned a parking component to the Transportation Section of the Comprehensive Plan. Initially, the scope of the study was limited to a review of publicly available on-street parking. During the study process, conversations with Fredericksburg city staff lead to the expansion of the scope to include an evaluation of private off-street parking. The off-street parking study would supplement the analysis completed for on-street parking.

The purpose of the parking study is to provide information to City staff regarding the availability of parking in central Fredericksburg and the ability to meet current parking demand. At the direction of City staff, the study area was limited to the following geographic boundaries: Northern boundary - Austin Street, Southern boundary - San Antonio Street, Western boundary - Milam Street, Eastern boundary - Washington Street. These boundaries correlate with those used for the pedestrian circulation study.

The methodology used to complete the parking study consisted of an examination of existing City of Fredericksburg parking regulations applicable to private off-street parking areas, visual surveys of parking operations including inventories of public on-street parking and private off-street parking lots, and an exercise comparing parking requirements of specific land use classifications with existing downtown parking supply. A discussion of the characteristics of downtown parking, parking types, parking areas, existing conditions for public on-street parking, regulations for private off-street parking areas, and existing conditions of off-street parking in downtown Fredericksburg follows.

In order to understand the characteristics of downtown parking it is important to first define parking demand. For the purposes of zoning ordinance applications, parking demand can be defined as the accumulation of vehicles parked at any given time as a result of activity at a site or in the area. In mixed use settings, such as that found in downtowns, parking demand has less of a peaking characteristic than that in single use situations. For example, a suburban retail shopping center might provide five (5) spaces per 1,000 s.f., with these spaces being fully utilized only during the peak of the Christmas shopping season. Downtown, this peak parking demand might occur at night or on a Saturday when office parking demand is nonexistent. Similarly, a stand-alone restaurant might provide ten (10) spaces per 1,000 s.f. to meet peak demand; but downtown, a combination of office space vacancy at lunch and a walk-in lunch crowd radically reduces this demand. As in this example, central Fredericksburg is made up of a variety of uses.

In downtown Fredericksburg, parking demand is made up of short-term parkers and long-term parkers. Generally, individuals who park for a short period of time are people who are conducting day-to-day activities like grocery shopping, dropping off a package to a federal express outlet, or having a leisurely lunch. The long-term parkers could be tourists who are visiting the historic downtown for the day and who plan to remain parked for an extended period of time throughout the day; or, they could be residents of Fredericksburg who work in the downtown area. The key to making short-term spaces available for downtown visitors lies in maintaining a high turnover of spaces. Typically, cities use hourly limits, parking meters, and other enforcement measures to ensure a high turnover of spaces. However, the City of Fredericksburg currently does not enforce hourly limit restrictions nor do they utilize parking meters. This has the effect of reducing the supply of short-term spaces in the downtown area.

Results of visual surveys in downtown Fredericksburg indicates the presence of four (4) classifications of parking which are described as follows:

Handicapped (HC) Parking in "handicapped" areas is reserved for vehicles licensed by the State for use by the handicapped. Generally, these vehicles will display a license plate or rear view mirror hang tag with a wheelchair symbol. Handicapped parking spaces are signed and the pavement marked with a wheelchair symbol.

Emergency (E) Parking in "emergency" areas is limited to emergency vehicles only including, but not limited to, police, sheriff, fire, EMS, and ambulance vehicles. Emergency parking spaces are signed.

Open Public (P) "Public" parking is open to any vehicle. Parking in these areas may or may not be restricted to a specified number of hours. This is generally indicated by posted signs.

Restricted Public "Restricted public" parking is open to the public only during designated

(P-R) time periods. Generally, these are parking lots owned by private businesses and used as employee and customer parking during normal business hours. Signs are posted at the entrances to these parking areas indicating that parking is available to the public during weekends and on business holidays only.

Central Fredericksburg has publicly available on-street parking and private off-street parking. For clarification purposes, definitions are provided below:

On-Street Parking On-street parking is directly accessible from the street system and exists within the right-of-way.

Off-Street Parking Off-street parking facilities are indirectly accessible from the area street system via driveways.

ON-STREET PARKING

A visual survey of the parking supply in downtown Fredericksburg was conducted on 9/29/95 and 12/13/95 in order to document the existing on-street parking supply for inclusion in the Fredericksburg Comprehensive Plan. Together with off-street parking data and information gathered for the Pedestrian Circulation Plan, the information will be used as a tool to identify parking deficiencies and opportunities. In addition, this information can be used in the development of future parking policies for downtown Fredericksburg. At the direction of City of Fredericksburg staff, parking spaces were counted along the following street segments: Austin Street, Main Street, and San Antonio Street between Milam and Washington; Milam Street, Orange Street, Crockett Street, Adams Street, Llano Street, Lincoln Street, and Washington Street between Austin and San Antonio; and Nimitz Parkway. These boundaries correspond to boundaries used in documenting off-street parking and sidewalk conditions for the Pedestrian Circulation Plan.

For the purpose of documenting existing conditions, marked parking spaces were counted at on-street locations within the geographic boundaries previously described. All parking spaces were classified according to the types previously described.

The City of Fredericksburg provides approximately 1,258 marked parking spaces for public, handicapped, and emergency vehicles within the downtown area (see Table V-14 for a parking summary and Exhibits V-5 through V-9 for specific street locations). Along Austin and Milam Streets, an estimated 87 additional spaces are available but currently unmarked.

The geometry of marked parking spaces is mixed throughout the downtown area. Along Main Street, angle parking is provided. All other streets within the downtown area provide a mix of angled and parallel parking. Some of the unmarked areas are used by downtown visitors, employees, and residents as angle parking and parallel parking depending upon surrounding pavement markings.

On-street public parking within the downtown area is limited to two (2) hours according to posted city signs. However, it is current city policy not to enforce the two hour time limit. As a result, a recent parking study indicates that parking is currently being utilized by out-of-town visitors, residents of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County, and particularly Main Street merchants and their workers for longer time periods. Use of the parking supply in this fashion precludes the high-turnover intended by the two hour restriction. This behavior contributes to a local perception of a lack of available parking.

Additional public parking exists along street segments paralleling and adjacent to Main Street (see Exhibits V-5 through V-9). However, lack of public awareness, lack of pavement striping, poor signage, and disconnected pedestrian ways create an underutilization of the parking supply on these roadways.

At the request of City of Fredericksburg staff, the following discussion of off-street parking was prepared in order to supplement the analysis of on-street parking already presented. Study elements include: (1) an estimate of the existing number of off-street parking spaces; (2) a discussion of existing City of Fredericksburg parking code requirements; and, (3) an assessment of the effectiveness of downtown parking supply in meeting demand. In order to complete study element number one (1), a visual survey of the off-street parking supply in downtown Fredericksburg was conducted on 3/16/96.

Results of the visual survey indicate that two types of situations exist with regards to off-street parking lots -- some parking areas "appear" to meet city standards (i.e. lots are paved, striped, signed, etc.) while others are simply grassy areas where consumers are allowed to park "at will." This presented a problem in terms of determining the actual number of off-street parking spaces provided in downtown Fredericksburg. In order to arrive at a "fair" assessment of off-street parking, the consultants measured lineal feet and/or counted the existing parked cars in all areas being utilized for off-street parking. While it is acknowledged that this method will not produce precise results, it was felt that existing parking practices/operations would at least provide an estimate of off-street parking demand. The estimated number of off-street parking spaces will be added to the inventory of publicly available on-street parking spaces so the assessment indicated as study element number three (3) can be completed. In conducting the visual survey element of this study, it must be noted

that although single-family/duplex residential uses are required by city ordinance to provide off-street parking, these spaces were not counted and they are not included in the estimate of parking demand.

In order to complete study element number two (2), off-street parking requirements for the City of Fredericksburg were obtained from the existing City of Fredericksburg Zoning Ordinance dated November, 1991. Where appropriate, parking requirements for other cities and similar uses were also obtained. City of Fredericksburg staff provided square footage data and general use classifications for establishments within the study area. Completion of this portion of the study was necessary so that some estimate of parking demand (as a function of code requirements) could be achieved.

Parking effectiveness is a function of the supply of available parking and the demand for parking during peak periods. In order to assess Fredericksburg's downtown parking effectiveness (study element number 3), parking supply was considered in the aggregate (i.e., publicly available on-street parking and private off-street parking). Parking code requirements and square footage data provided information on anticipated demand for specific land uses. The assessment completed in this study was an exercise comparing parking requirements to parking supply.

Off-street parking located within the following geographic boundaries is included in the study: Northern boundary - Austin Street, Southern boundary - San Antonio Street, Western boundary - Milam Street, Eastern boundary - Washington Street. These boundaries correlate with study efforts related to on-street parking as well as pedestrian circulation.

Off-street parking is regulated according to §6.863 (Table) "Off-Street Parking," within the City of Fredericksburg Zoning Ordinance dated November 1991 (revised 10/92, 1/94 and 8/94). In general, the parking table provides information on the minimum number of off-street parking spaces that must be provided for specified use classifications throughout Fredericksburg. Special provisions applicable to off-street parking in central Fredericksburg are contained within §6.825 of the zoning ordinance. In order to preserve the historic character of central Fredericksburg, the special provisions section reduces the off-street parking requirements for land uses within central Fredericksburg to fifty-percent (50%) of what is required outside of central Fredericksburg. In addition, specific historic structures listed within the Fredericksburg Historic Research Survey are exempt from off-street parking requirements altogether.

Design standards for off-street parking facilities are outlined in §6.860. Typical design elements include parking space dimensions, paving, drainage, safety features, lighting, and accessway standards.

Table V-15 provides information on off-street parking requirements used for study purposes by use classification. It should be noted that the fifty-percent (50%) special provision has not been applied to these ratios. The "Codes" which appear in the left column were randomly assigned and are used to delineate use classifications for performing the mathematical functions contained in Tables V-16 through V-21, "Minimum Off-Street Parking Required (by Use Classification)". Except where noted otherwise, the ratios used to calculate minimum off-street parking were excerpted from existing City of Fredericksburg parking requirements (see City of Fredericksburg, Zoning Ordinance dated 11/91 (revised 10/92, 1/94, and 8/94), Table 6.863, pages 6-91 through 6-97).

1 Fredericksburg zoning ordinance requires information on seating capacity for restaurants and person capacity for funeral services. Due to data limitations, the parking ratio for similar uses was selected from PAS Report No. 432, "Off Street Parking Requirements." David Bergman, Editor. May 1991.

2 Available data is insufficient to determine exact parking ratio. However, the assigned ratio is intended to provide the most restrictive requirement for this use classification based on existing City of Fredericksburg code.

3 The Fredericksburg zoning ordinance requires one (1) space per four (4) person capacity. Due to data limitations, requirements for a similar facility are reflected here.

4 Generally, the building official will determine the number of spaces to be provided for this type of facility. However, in order to provide an estimate of parking, Fredericksburg city staff were consulted and a decision made to use a ratio of 1:400 s.f. for this type of facility.

5 Use of this ratio assumes that square footage data provided by the City of Fredericksburg for residential establishments referred to a single dwelling.

6 Generally, the City of Fredericksburg does not require minimum off-street parking for this type of facility. The ratio reflected is an estimate intended to provide a "worst case" situation.

Experience suggests that mixing land uses (as occurs in downtown areas) results in a demand for parking space that is less than the demand generated by individual development projects. Mixing land uses also tends to create a situation where peak parking demand occurs at various times throughout the day depending on the land use. Part of the reason this occurs has to do with the concept of "captive markets" which refers to the practice of making one trip to achieve multiple purposes. (For example, a person who works in the downtown area is likely to walk to lunch destinations in the downtown area rather than drive from one downtown location to another.) The mixing of uses in the downtown area (as in downtown Fredericksburg) promotes a captive market thus decreasing demand for parking during any one time interval.

Approximately 3,225 parking spaces would be necessary in downtown Fredericksburg if peak demand for all land uses as defined by code requirements were to occur during similar time intervals. Existing City of Fredericksburg zoning ordinances allow for a fifty-percent (50%) parking discount

for establishments within the study area. Historic structures are allowed a 100% parking discount within the study area. Without either of these adjustments, the existing parking supply in central Fredericksburg would be approximately 79% of ordinance requirements.

City of Fredericksburg staff and results of a visioning survey completed as part of the comprehensive planning process indicate that residents of Fredericksburg perceive a parking deficiency within the downtown area. Without the benefits of a parking utilization study, conclusions are based on personal observations of the existing parking system. Visits to downtown Fredericksburg, both on weekdays and on weekends, and actual observations of parking operations do not demonstrate acute parking shortages within the downtown area. It is acknowledged, however, that parking immediately adjacent to or in front of any specific establishment along Main Street is difficult. Additional parking opportunities do exist, however.

The City may wish to consider encouraging parking along Austin and San Antonio Streets, as well as many of the side streets between Milam Street and Washington Street. Encouraging parking along these street segments has the added benefits of providing exposure for businesses not located on Main street and relieving traffic congestion along Main Street. In addition, the new city transportation center which is proposed to be sited south of the downtown area will tend to impact parking as some visitors are likely to utilize these services when visiting Fredericksburg. Specific street segments that may be suitable for providing additional designated parking in the downtown area include: the north and south portion of Austin Street between S. Lincoln and N. Washington; the north and south portions of San Antonio Street between S. Crockett and S. Adams Streets; and, the north portion of San Antonio Street between S. Llano and S. Washington. Other opportunities for parking should also be examined along side streets between Milam Street and Washington Street.

Providing for additional parking is facilitated with pavement striping, appropriate signage, and continuous pedestrian linkages to/from Main Street. Implementation of these improvements will likely increase effective utilization of publicly available parking areas and possibly spur redevelopment in some existing areas. In determining necessary improvements and implementation strategies, provisions for wheelchair access should also be considered.

Enforcing design standards for off-street parking areas identified in this study as "grassy" is problematic for two reasons: (1) It is likely that enforcement would be applicable only to new development; and (2) Preservation of the historic character of downtown Fredericksburg was identified as one of the key goals during the comprehensive planning process. Given these constraints, the city may wish to consider working with existing businesses to find ways of making private lots more accessible to the public.

A visual survey of sidewalk conditions in downtown Fredericksburg was conducted on 9/29/95 for the purpose of developing a Pedestrian Circulation Plan to be included as a component of the Fredericksburg Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the Pedestrian Circulation Plan is to provide linkages between available parking supplies and the central business district, points of interest, and public activities. The sidewalks were rated using the definitions outlined below. At the direction of City of Fredericksburg staff, sidewalk conditions were rated along the following street segments: Austin Street, Main Street, and San Antonio Street between Milam and Washington; Milam Street, Orange Street, Crockett Street, Adams Street, Llano Street, Lincoln Street, and Washington Street between Austin and San Antonio. Exhibits V-10 through V-14 graphically depict pedestrianway survey information.

Good (G) Sidewalks classified as "good" are considered to be in good physical repair and appearance. Although some cracking of the pavement surface may be visible, the cracking is not considered severe enough to impede pedestrian or wheel-chair traffic. These sidewalks should continue to provide appropriate access for wheelchair and foot traffic.

Fair (F) Sidewalks classified as "fair" are generally characterized as being accessible to pedestrian traffic; however, they may pose some difficulty for wheelchair traffic. Pavement sections tend to be cracked or uneven. Some pathways are composed of a sandy/gravel material, while others are laid in flagstone. Consideration may need to be given to improving the areas that could impede wheelchair traffic.

Poor (P) Sidewalks/walkways classified as "poor" are generally considered to be relatively unsuitable for foot traffic and wheelchair traffic. These areas tend to exhibit severely worn and/or cracked pavement sections. In some cases, only a dirt path delineates the pedestrian walkway. These areas will tend to need major improvements.

None (N) Areas where "none" is indicated refer to places where no sidewalk, path, or walkway of any kind is provided and/or visually noticeable for pedestrian circulation. In some cases, the City may wish to install sidewalks in order to provide contiguous pedestrian linkages.

 

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS ALONG MAIN STREET

Wheelchair access to sidewalks along Main Street is generally limited by the TxDOT roadway construction design to ramps provided at corner curb cutouts. This design necessitates that wheelchair patrons utilize the outside lane of traffic along Main Street in order to gain access onto sidewalks.

Downtown Fredericksburg is concentrated with a number of retail, restaurant, and service establishments particularly along Main Street. As such, pedestrian circulation has historically been confined to Main Street. Recently, Fredericksburg has been experiencing population expansion and economic growth which has spurred development in the downtown area along roadways adjacent to Main Street. In order to stimulate more development, the City of Fredericksburg is seeking ways to encourage additional pedestrian traffic in these areas. An inviting pedestrian system is one way of meeting this objective. In addition, issues related to parking availability along Main Street can be addressed by encouraging the use of supplemental parking located on adjacent roadways. This too can be addressed by providing for adequate pedestrianways linking establishments to available parking, points of interest, and public activities.

With the exception of the Main Street system, many of the existing sidewalks in downtown Fredericksburg are fragmented, deteriorating, or nonexistent. Some areas especially pose problems for wheelchair traffic. The following describes recommended improvements to the existing sidewalk system in downtown Fredericksburg in priority order:

1. Install additional sidewalk segments where none currently exist. This will provide visitors to downtown with safe and continuous walking routes to downtown attractions. Particular attention should be given to making these improvements wheelchair accessible. Sequencing is recommended as follows: Austin Street connections on both the north and south boundaries; side street connections from Austin to Main Street for all segments between Milam Street and Washington Street; San Antonio Street connections on the north and south boundaries; and, side street connections from San Antonio to Main Street for all segments between Milam Street and Washington Street.

2. Improve areas designated as "poor" or "fair." Upgrading of these areas will make downtown pedestrianways more inviting to the public. Improvements should be made such that all pedestrianways are wheelchair accessible. Sequencing of the improvements is recommended as in number 1 above.

3. Educate residents and visitors. Safe and continuous pedestrian access to additional parking, shopping, and dining opportunities is important to residents and visitors of Fredericksburg. The City may wish to work with the Chamber to develop promotional materials identifying pedestrian linkages to parking, shopping, and points of interest.

4. Improve wheelchair accessibility along Main Street. Adding ramps adjacent to existing handicapped parking areas will discourage the use of traffic lanes for wheelchair access onto Main Street sidewalks.

5. Establish calming measures. The City may wish to consider extending the brick paving system (currently used on sidewalks along Main Street) at existing crosswalks in the downtown area. A change of texture in the roadway stimulates both the visual and audiological senses of drivers alerting them of pedestrian activity. These efforts should be coordinated with officials of TxDOT.

6. Enhance Main Street pedestrian crossings at intersections. While some community sentiment apparently exists for creating mid-block pedestrian crossings along Main Street, this cannot be recommended from a transportation and safety perspective. Implementation of specially textured crosswalk paving material as suggested above or enhancing existing crosswalk striping at intersection locations would be preferable, perhaps in conjunction with minor signal timing modifications which give more "green time" for pedestrian crossings.