Recommendation Concerning the West Cervantes/Mobile Highway Corridor Safety Improvements - "A" Street to Dominguez Street - Joy Jones, P.E., Public Works Department Director
That the Board take the following action concerning the West Cervantes/Mobile Highway Corridor Safety Improvements - "A" Street to Dominguez Street:
A. Direct staff to produce a Resolution to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) assuring some level of financial commitment to the corridor safety improvements project for the construction phase anticipated in FDOT Fiscal Year (FY) 2021; and
B. Allocate $1,000,000 in Local Option Sales Tax IV in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 to match the City of Pensacola's $1,000,000 pledged commitment.
[Funding: Local Option Sales Tax IV - $1,000,000 in FY 2021] |
In December 2016, the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization (FL-AL TPO) approved a Corridor Management Plan (CMP) for SR 10A (US 90 aka West Cervantes Street / Mobile Highway) from North "A" Street to Dominguez Street. The CMP details significant traffic and crash data collected from 2010-2015, which showed the annual average daily traffic along the corridor averaged 17,250 vehicles in 2015 (approximately 16,400 vehicles west of Pace Boulevard and approximately 18,100 vehicles east of Pace Boulevard.) The Level of Service standard for this segment of US 90 is LOS D - 32,400 AADT, so the corridor is functioning well within its allowable traffic capacity.
Although the corridor is functioning well within its traffic capacity, the CMP reports that during the period of 2010-2015, the corridor experienced 457 crashes - 4 were fatalities, 147 resulted in injury, and 306 caused property damage only. The 4 fatalities occurred at the intersections or in the vicinity of Cervantes / "N" Street, Cervantes / "E" Street, Cervantes / "F" Street, and Mobile Highway / Krasnosky Avenue. 82 of the crashes occurred while it was dark, and 12 crashes occurred during dawn or dusk. Since the CMP collection time period, numerous other crashes have occurred, with 1 resulting in a fatality as recently as January 5, 2018.
The county portion of the CMP limits is approximately 36% (4,250'+/-) whereas the remaining 64% (7,600'+/-) falls within the City limits, totaling about 11,850'+/-.
Escambia County Public Works and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) staff have been coordinating with City of Pensacola CRA and Planning staff and FDOT staff on ways to fund and implement near-term safety improvements (pedestrian scale lighting, pedestrian crossings, multi-modal amenities, etc.) along the corridor in efforts to address these crash issues on this state road. FDOT has agreed to expedite a safety improvements project for the corridor, has identified funding for the design phase ($910K in current FY19), and anticipates funding the construction phase in FY21, but is looking to the City of Pensacola and Escambia County to contribute to the construction costs.
To date, FDOT recently installed 72 LED additional streetlights along the corridor (June 2018) with coordination with Senator Broxson's Office, Gulf Power, the City of Pensacola, and Escambia County. Also, in May 2018 both the City of Pensacola and Escambia County entered into a joint funding partnership to locally fund a traffic feasibility study (estimated at $600K) for the corridor to evaluate the long-term recommendations identified in the CMP. FDOT plans to conduct the traffic feasibility study concurrent with the design phase for the corridor safety improvements project. The county and the city will need to deposit the $600K to FDOT before the study commences.
Although there have been some recent improvements made to the corridor from a lighting standpoint, there is still a need for roadway level traffic safety improvements to attempt to reduce or eliminate conflict points. FDOT has recommended access management improvements, installation of strategically located pedestrian signalized crossings, roadway pavement and signage upgrades, bike/pedestrian upgrades, etc.
Attached is the PowerPoint Presentation that FDOT presented to the FL-AL TPO at its Sept. 12, 2018, regular meeting regarding the corridor safety improvements project. The presentation illustrates (from a conceptual level) the recommended safety improvements that FDOT plans to construct.
The Project Delivery slide (2nd-to-last page) states a construction estimate of $8.7M, with FDOT committing $3.5M from Highway Safety Funds, $2.5M from TPO Corridor Mgt. Plan Funds, and $2M from City and County. The City has allocated $1M of City LOST funds towards to the construction phase.
Staff is requesting the Board to allocate $1M to match the City's commitment in FY 2021 for the corridor safety improvements project - construction phase. |