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Long Range Transportation Plan 113

V. Transportation System Deficiencies An analysis of the operational characteristics of the multi-modal transportation system serving the Chippewa-Eau Claire Metropolitan Planning Area reveals certain deficiencies in the performance of the system that signal the need for possible improvements. Traffic modeling, in conjunction with other data analysis, for the street and highway system serving the planning area helped to identify problem areas affecting safety and mobility. Inputs for the traffic model were updated, including completed highway projects, some minor adjustments to population and employment forecasts, and 2014 traffic counts. Additional analytical techniques have also been applied in evaluating the performance of public transit systems along with other modes of transportation. All of these analytical approaches have been applied in the evaluation of the multi-modal transportation system and in the identification of system deficiencies.

Street and Highway System Deficiencies in the street and highway system in the Chippewa-Eau Claire Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) primarily represent inadequacies in the system's ability to accommodate travel demand in a safe and efficient manner. Identification of these deficiencies provides the background for proposing recommendations to improve the capacity of the system. Problem areas were identified using the Chippewa-Eau Claire regional transportation system computer model for traffic forecasting. A system deficiency analysis was conducted by consultants for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), using the traffic model, to identify current deficiencies, along with future deficiencies for the 2045 planning horizon. The model uses existing population and employment data to generate trips that are loaded onto the highway network. To gauge future needs, projected population and employment, distributed to anticipated growth areas, generate and distribute trips accordingly. With this process, roadway deficiencies have been identified on various segments of the urban street and highway system. These deficiencies are determined from a Level of Service (LOS) deficiency analysis in which roadway segments are assigned a capacity value using methods described in the Highway Capacity Manual 2010. A number of factors influence roadway capacity, including:

Functional Classification Cross-Section Type

Facility Type Posted Speed

Area Type Signal Density

Number of Lanes

The resulting capacity is then used to determine the traffic volume thresholds for the different levels of service. Finally, the observed or projected traffic volume is correlated to the appropriate threshold to determine level of service.


Level of Service

Description

A Not Congested B Not Congested C Minimal Congestion D Moderate Congestion E Severe Congestion F Extreme Congestion

The Chippewa-Eau Claire travel demand model consists of a network that includes all routes in the functional classification system that are collector, minor arterial, or principal arterial. The extent of the network goes beyond the boundaries of the metropolitan planning area (MPA) in order to more accurately simulate travel on the MPA’s road system. The model was completed by staff at WisDOT’s Traffic Forecasting Section with consultation by SRF Consulting Group, Inc. and HNTB Corporation. Work on the model occurred over the course of 2015 with several major revisions to update, validate, and calibrate the model to ensure confidence in the model’s output. Numerous additional, smaller edits were made to fix errors in the network and to make the model best represent the real world. Existing Conditions – 2010 Network Following the methodology outlined above, the deficiency analysis conducted on the EXISTING street and highway system in the MPA found a total of 1.5 miles of roadway to be at LOS D for the base year (2010) and 0.0 miles at LOS E or F. This is 0.1% of the total network mileage. The other 99.9%, representing 1,172.3 miles is at LOS A, B, or C. Map 37 depicts this base network with roads symbolized by LOS. This represents the operation of the highway network under traffic volumes and patterns that stimulate the real world in 2010.

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Source: West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning CommissionWisconsin Department of Transportation

Map 37

Chippewa - Eau ClaireTravel Demand Model:Base 2010Level of Service (LOS)

ABCDEF

Base 2010 LOS


No-Build Scenario – Committed Projects – 2045 Network The future conditions of the model that predict travel demand are based on employment and population growth projections. Maps 3 and 4 in Chapter II give an illustration of this growth, which is distributed by traffic analysis zone. Figure 26 shows the base population and employment, the projected population and employment, and the corresponding growth in absolute and percentage terms.

Figure 26 Population and Employment Growth Projections

2010 2045 Growth Percent

Population 111,905 138,105 26,200 23.4%

Employment 68,016 102,346 34,330 50.5%

Source: WisDOT

Using these future conditions, two scenarios were tested. In the first scenario, only the currently committed highway projects were added to the network. These projects are programmed and their construction is anticipated within the next five years. In the second scenario, both the committed and planned projects were added to the network. Map 38 shows the currently committed projects and the planned projects, as well as the projects that have been completed since the last Long Range Plan in 2010, and potential future projects that require further study before being seriously considered. Under the first scenario, in which only the currently committed projects are added to the network, the LOS for the network is shown in Figure 27. Compared to the 2010 base network, this represents 22.0 additional miles at LOS D or lower, the vast majority of which is at level D – moderate congestion. Map 39 shows the network for this scenario with roads symbolized by LOS.

Figure 27

Future No-Build Scenario

Model Output

LOS Miles Percent of total

ABC 1,150.2 98.0%

D 19.9 1.7%

E 1.4 0.1%

F 2.1 0.2%

Source: WisDOT

Build Scenario – Committed plus Planned Projects – 2045 Network Under the second future scenario, in which both the currently committed projects and the planned projects are added to the network, the LOS for the network is shown in


Figure 28. Compared to the 2010 base network, this represents 20.0 additional miles at LOS D or lower, the vast majority of which is at level D – moderate congestion. This is a 9% decrease from the No-Build future scenario. Map 40 shows the network for this scenario with roads symbolized by LOS.

Figure 28

Future Build Scenario

Model Output

LOS Miles Percent of total

ABC 1,159.2 98.8%

D 18.4 1.6%

E 2.3 0.2%

F 0.8 0.1%

Source: WisDOT

The planned projects were selected based on their ability to further reduce the transportation system deficiencies and with consideration for the level of ease of implementation. Ease of implementation refers to minimizing negative effects and gaining popular support. Factors such as financial and environmental constraints, social impacts, intergovernmental cooperation, and general support for the project all lend themselves to determining the implementability of a project. Further analysis of the model output examines the effects of the projected population and employment growth and the proposed system improvements on how many miles are driven and how much time is spent behind the wheel on our area’s highways.


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City of Eau Claire InsetSource: West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning CommissionWisconsin Department of TransportationMPO Municipalities

Status of Transportation Projects 2015

Map 38

Completed Projects

Future ProjectsCommittedPlannedPotential(further study required)

Completed since 2010

Completed since 2010A Park Ave: Jefferson to PetersonB Birch St: Starr to PineC STH 37/85: Ramp to Lowes CreekD CTH X: STH 29 to CTH KE Chippewa Crossing BlvdF CTH T: Alpine to Old STH 29

Committed1 Short St: Bridge to STH 372 CTH AA: House to USH 123 Bartlett: 10th to 7th4 Melby - 115th to Victor5 Park Ave: Main to 0.75 mi. west6 CTH S: USH 53 east 1640 ft.7 Half Moon Lake Bridge8 UP RR Bridge: Eddy St9 Paint Creek Bridge: 195th

10 Otter Creek Bridge: AA11 Spring Street Bridge12 I-94/Hobbs Rd

Planned13 Gateway Dr.14 CTH AA: Gateway Dr. to House Rd.15 USH 12: Winchester to Schultz16 USH 12: 3rd to Winchester17 Bike trail gap

Potential (further study required)18 I-94 Interchange at CTH E19 USH 53: River Prairie to STH 31220 USH 53 Frontage road21 Crossing of I-94

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Map 39

Chippewa - Eau ClaireTravel Demand Model:Future 2045 No-Build*Level of Service (LOS)* includes committed projects

ABCDEF

Future 2045 No-Build LOS

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Map 40

Chippewa - Eau ClaireTravel Demand Model:Future 2045 Build*Level of Service (LOS)

ABCDEF

Future 2045 Build LOS

* includes committed + planned projects


VMT & VHT The continued growth and development projected for the MPA is expected to increase vehicle usage, resulting in an increase in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), vehicle hours traveled (VHT), and hours of congested travel by the year 2045. The following values come from the travel demand model output and represent projected travel for a typical weekday in the MPA. Traffic forecasts from the travel demand model for the year 2045 for the No-Build road network in total project a 33% increase in VMT, a 37% increase in VHT, and a 259% increase in hours of congested travel as shown in Figure 29. While this appears to be a huge increase in the time spent stuck in traffic, base year congestion is very low, making increases appear disproportionately large. This will become clearer in the per capita analysis. When comparing the Build network to the No-Build network, however, VMT decreases by 0.7%, VHT decreases by 1.2%, and hours of congested travel decrease by 1.4%.

Figure 29

Total Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT), and

Hours of Congested Travel, based on Travel Demand Model Output

Vehicle Miles

Traveled (VMT)

Change from

Base (VMT)

Change from

Base

Change from

NoBuild (VMT)

Change from

NoBuild

Base (2010) 3,189,608

Future NoBuild (2045) 4,229,771 1,040,163 33%

Future Build (2045) 4,199,944 1,010,336 32% -29,827 -0.7%

Vehicle Hours

Traveled (VHT)

Change from

Base (VHT)

Change from

Base

Change from

NoBuild (VHT)

Change from

NoBuild

Base (2010) 65,689

Future NoBuild (2045) 89,757 24,068 37%

Future Build (2045) 88,724 23,035 35% -1,033 -1.2%

Hours of

Congested

Travel

Change from

Base (Hours)

Change from

Base

Change from

NoBuild (Hours)

Change from

NoBuild

Base (2010) 1,416

Future NoBuild (2045) 5,090 3,674 259%

Future Build (2045) 5,018 3,602 254% -72 -1.4%

Source: WisDOT Calculating these values on a per capita basis yields the results show in Figure 30. Compared to the base network, the future No-Build scenario, projects that VMT per capita will increase 7.5%, VHT per capita will increase by 10.7%, and hours of congested travel will increase by 191%. When comparing the Build network to the No-Build network, however, VMT per capita decreases by 0.7%, VHT per capita decreases by 1.2%, and hours of congested travel decrease by 1.4%. These percentages represent the same ratios as previously calculated for the total values. In real time, per capita hours spent in congested travel in the base year is 0.013 hours, or 45 seconds, per person, increasing to slightly over 2 minutes per person in 2045.


Figure 30

Per Capita Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT), and

Hours of Congested Travel, based on Travel Demand Model Output

Vehicle Miles

Traveled (VMT) Population VMT per capita

Change from

Base

Change from

NoBuild

Base (2010) 3,189,608 111,905 28.5

Future NoBuild (2045) 4,229,771 138,105 30.6 7.5%

Future Build (2045) 4,199,944 138,105 30.4 6.7% -0.7%

Vehicle Hours

Traveled (VHT) Population VHT per capita

Change from

Base

Change from

NoBuild

Base (2010) 65,689 111,905 0.59

Future NoBuild (2045) 89,757 138,105 0.65 10.7%

Future Build (2045) 88,724 138,105 0.64 9.4% -1.2%

Hours of

Congested

Travel Population

Hours of

Congested

Travel per

capita

Change from

Base

Change from

NoBuild

Base (2010) 1,416 111,905 0.013

Future NoBuild (2045) 5,090 138,105 0.037 191%

Future Build (2045) 5,018 138,105 0.036 187% -1.4%

Source: WisDOT Another way to conceive of the hours of congested travel information is as a percent of the total vehicle hours traveled (VHT). Figure 31 shows this manner of considering these values. As indicated, in the base scenario, almost 2.2% of the VHT are during congestion. In the future, that ratio is projected to be almost 5.7% for both No-Build and Build scenarios. This increase from the base year is more than 160%. The ratio for the Build scenario, however, is 0.27% less than the No-Build scenario.

Figure 31

Hours of Congested Travel per Vehicle Hour Traveled

Hours of

Congested

Travel

Vehicle Hours

Traveled

(VHT)

Percent Hours

of Congested

Travel per VHT

Change from

Base

Change from

No-Build

Base (2010) 1,416 65,689 2.16%

Future NoBuild (2045) 5,090 89,757 5.67% 163%

Future Build (2045) 5,018 88,724 5.66% 162% -0.27%

Source: WisDOT To summarize, the future increases in VMT, VHT, and hours of congested travel are reasonable. This is especially true when considering projected population growth, as in the per capita calculations. In addition to the 23.4% projected population growth, employment growth is projected to be 50.5%. Transportation is frequently a prerequisite


for, as well as a side effect of, economic growth, so this strong economic growth in employment makes the reasonable increases in these transportation measures even more acceptable. Certain locations that the model indicated would have higher congestion will be monitored for the effects of potential future growth and development. The planned projects will be pursued, as their effect has been shown to modestly mitigate the effects of future growth. Crashes In addition to capacity-indicated deficiencies of the highway system, safety is also a critical concern. Concentrations of vehicular crashes are indicative of system operating deficiencies. A review of WisDOT's crash data for the years 2011 through 2013 shows a total of 7,070 crashes. (Analysis uses the entire town for towns that are partially within the metropolitan planning area.) Analysis of this crash data for the Chippewa-Eau Claire MPA helped to identify those intersections experiencing the highest number of vehicular crashes and those experiencing the highest rate of vehicular crashes, the number of crashes relative to the number of vehicles traveling through the intersection. Figure 32 displays the 22 intersections with the highest number of crashes. Figure 33 displays the 20 intersections with the highest average crash rate. Ten intersections are common between the two, indicating a high crash volume and a high crash rate. Intersections with a high number of crashes typically have high traffic volumes. Of the 22 intersections with the highest number of crashes, 11 of them were on Clairemont Avenue and six of them were on Hastings Way, both of which are high traffic volume principal arterials. Drawing conclusions about intersections with a high frequency of crashes is somewhat harder, but relevant factors include traffic volume, roadway design, traffic control measures (e.g., signals), and vehicle speeds. Of the 20 intersections with the highest

Source: Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory and WisDOT


crash frequency, three were on Clairemont Avenue, and three were on Hastings Way. This shows that these particular intersections on these roads with high crash counts present safety concerns even considering the higher likelihood of crashes due to more cars entering the intersection. Map 41 identifies the top 20 intersection locations with the highest average crash rates for the three-year period. These concentrations of crashes tend to indicate areas where problem street configurations and/or inadequate traffic control treatments exist. This crash rate is expressed in crashes per one million vehicles entering the intersection. Crash rates of 1.5 to 2.0 are considered early warning signs of impending problem areas and should be monitored more closely to determine whether there exists a continuing trend that may require safety improvement measures. Though the data indicate none are present here, crash rates greater than 2.0 are considered problem areas and should be studied for the application of the appropriate safety improvement. Intersections need to be examined individually to determine appropriate treatments. Examination of the types of crashes occurring or even the time of day can help to indicate what may be needed to improve the intersection safety. For their part, WisDOT has taken this information about crash locations and acted on it. Of these top crash locations that are under their jurisdiction, they are analyzing and monitoring sites, placing new signal heads, and realigning lanes in order to reduce crash rates and improve driver safety.

Source: Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory and WisDOT

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Source: West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning CommissionChippewa County Land InformationEau Claire County Land InformationWisconsin Department of Transportation

Crashes: Intersection Locations with theHighest Average Crash Rates, 2011-2013

Rank Intersection Rate* 1 Coleman St. & Wheaton St. 1.89 2 STH 178 & CTH S 1.84 3 STH 93 & Hamilton Ave. 1.62 4 Brackett Ave. & Hastings Way 1.59 5 Birch St. & Hastings Way 1.54 6 Galloway St. & Farwell St. 1.45 7 Mall Dr. & Skeels Ave. 1.44 8 Park Ave. & Main St. 1.38 9 STH 37 & Craig Rd. 1.37 10 Clairemont Ave. & London Rd. 1.36 11 Hastings Way & Kirk St. 1.23 12 Birch St. & Starr Ave. 1.22 13 1st Ave. & Lake St. 1.14 14 Fairfax St. & Skeels Ave. 1.12 15 Rushman Dr. & Grand Ave. 1.09 16 STH 124 & 40th Ave. 1.06 17 Bellinger St. & Madison St. 1.05 18 Golf Rd. & Commonwealth Ave. 1.04 19 Stein Blvd. & Clairemont Ave. 1.02 20 Clairemont Ave. & North Crossing 1.01

* Rate equals number of crashes per one million entering vehicles

Map 41

!(Intersection Location with Crash Rank


Public Transit System For the purposes of this plan, the public transit system in the MPA will be examined from the perspective of its performance relative to other similarly sized transit systems in the state, and the degree to which the system meets the needs of MPA residents. Map 20, in Chapter IV, shows the existing Eau Claire Transit system. The Transit Development Plan (TDP) for the Eau Claire Transit (ECT) system was updated in May, 2014. The purpose of the TDP is to determine how well current transit services are meeting local needs and to identify opportunities to improve the transit system. The project’s three main tasks were to:

1. Inventory Existing Conditions and Review Performance of Current Transit Services

2. Evaluate Service Options and Improvements 3. Develop Recommendations

In the TDP, a Level of Service (LOS) Assessment was conducted for several of ECT’s service characteristics. The ratings are based on the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (2003, authored by the Transportation Research Board). Figure 34 displays those ratings, the service characteristics, and corresponding comments.

Figure 34

ECT Level of Service Assessment Fixed-Route Service Coverage LOS % TSA Covered Comments

A 90.0–100.0% Virtually all major origins & destinations served

Service Frequency LOS

Average Headway (min)

Vehicles/ Hour Comments

D 21-30 2 Service unattractive to choice riders

E 31-60 1 Service available during the hour

Hours of Service LOS Hours of Service Comments

C 14–16 Early evening service provided

D 12–13 Daytime service provided Source: Eau Claire Transit – Transit Development Plan

The level of service assessment indicates that ECT’s best attribute is its fixed-route service coverage, for which it earns an “A” because it covers 90%-100% of the transit-supportive areas (TSAs). ECT earns scores of “C” and “D” for its hours of service, which run during daytime on some routes and include early evening on other routes. The service frequency attribute was ECT’s lowest scoring, earning a “D” on routes with two vehicles per hour and an “E” on routes with one vehicle per hour. These low ratings make it hard to attract “choice” riders who have other transportation options.


A WisDOT report reviews performance of Wisconsin transit systems and includes similar transit systems in other parts of the country. For comparison with the Eau Claire Transit system, Figure 35 shows operating data and performance measures for similar transit systems: seven in Wisconsin and four in other states.

Figure 35

Eau Claire Transit Performance Indicators

Peer Comparison, Wisconsin and Nationwide Cities, 2013

Transit System

Revenue

Passengers

Passenger

Revenue

Revenue

Hours

Expense per

Revenue Hour

Revenue per

Expense Ratio*

Cost per

Passenger

Passengers

per Revenue

Hour

Passengers

per Capita

Revenue

Hours per

Capita

Beloit 254,781 $217,552 21,451 $88.35 11.48% $7.44 11.88 6.92 0.58

Eau Claire 1,072,024 $926,899 88,391 $59.71 17.56% $4.92 12.13 14.61 1.2

Janesville 510,646 $609,479 32,873 $102.18 18.15% $6.58 15.53 8.03 0.52

La Crosse 1,218,087 $1,235,791 89,897 $58.41 23.54% $4.31 13.55 16.46 1.21

Oshkosh 1,007,695 $931,758 65,280 $65.44 21.81% $4.24 15.44 15.2 0.98

Sheboygan 562,752 $757,695 61,368 $62.38 19.79% $6.80 9.17 9.55 1.04

Waukesha 1,206,354 $1,596,884 85,028 $100.71 18.65% $7.10 14.19 15.67 1.1

Wausau 675,612 $455,278 30,207 $101.25 14.89% $4.53 22.37 10.95 0.49

St. Cloud, MN 2,372,625 $1,762,444 128,413 $76.77 17.88% $4.15 18.48 21.45 1.16

Fargo, ND 1,735,251 $841,293 100,644 $69.53 12.02% $4.03 17.24 9.82 0.57

Pueblo, CO 662,790 $520,151 56,079 $78.89 12.74% $4.52 17.47 7.7 0.44

Billings, MT 1,052,015 $605,345 60,213 $87.72 10.57% $7.42 11.82 5.77 0.49

Peer Average 1,027,553 $871,714 68,320 $79.28 16.59% $5.50 14.94 11.84 $0.82

Source: WisDOT Transit System Cost Efficiency Report, 2007-2013

* aka "Farebox Recovery" Ratio

Operating Data Performance Measures

In terms of the operating statistics, ECT has more revenue passengers, passenger revenue, and revenue hours than most of the peer systems. With respect to the performance measures displayed here, ECT is operating better than average for five of the six traits: expense per revenue hour, revenue per expense ratio (“farebox recovery” ratio), cost per passenger, passengers per capita, and revenue hours per capita. Outreach was conducted during the production of the TDP. Eau Claire Transit services were discussed with a variety of people in the Eau Claire area. This was a key step in understanding the system’s strengths and weaknesses and defining potential directions for change. Stakeholder input during the needs assessment phase was conducted through several different avenues to gather feedback on current services from a wide range of users, non-users, and others with insight into the transit system.

The following outreach techniques were employed:

Public meeting

Stakeholder meetings

Surveys: o On-board customer o Community o University

Passenger vignettes


When asked to identify strategies that would improve ECT service and attract new riders, respondents mentioned,

Increasing the frequency of ECT service

Increasing the speed of service to important destinations throughout Eau Claire

Improving facilities and vehicles, including improving the location of the transfer center, enhancing the safety and amenities within facilities

Improving the ease of understanding and using the ECT system

Provide service later at night

Adding Sunday service

Extending service to locations such as Chippewa Falls and Lake Hallie

Provide better customer information (maps, signage, technology) The TDP presents recommendations for ECT that strengthen the current route network and provide targeted service increases where there will be the greatest return on investment.

These changes include:

Neutral Cost Strategies o Route Changes, Adjustments, Consolidations, and Improvements o Parking Lot Service Changes

Targeted Frequency Improvements o Various Routes

Capital Investment o Vehicle Purchases o Transfer Facility o Storage facility

Full System Development o UWEC Service o Saturday service expansion o Third Ward circulator o Carson Park shuttle o Regional service o Sunday service

The possibility of a Chippewa Valley Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is still being considered, but the state legislation necessary to create such an entity has not been restored. When passenger rail comes to Eau Claire, ECT will need to serve an important feeder role, moving arriving rail passengers to their final destinations and providing the connection to the rail station for those departing. The Chippewa Falls shared-ride taxi system (SRT) provides a demand-response service for the city’s transit users. The demand for the door-to-door service remains high. The programmatic limitations of the transit service restrict the service area to within the city’s corporate boundary and do not allow for the provision of service to


outlying areas or connections with ECT. There is demand to travel outside the city for shopping, particularly since Kmart closed. Performance indicators obtained from the 2013 National Transit Database show the system productivity at 4.19 passengers per revenue hour, up slightly from 2012’s 4.16 passengers per hour. Faced with increasing operating costs, the city may need to reassess its fare structure and hours of service to be able to meet a growing demand for the SRT service.

Specialized Transportation

Specialized transportation services—via van, small bus, or taxi—provide essential transportation and independence for those who have difficulty using traditional fixed-route service because of a disability. Specialized transportation is a form of “demand-response service” that responds to riders’ individual requests (or demands) for service. Specialized transportation and other demand-response services fall under the umbrella of paratransit, a term coined in the 1970s to encompass a continuum of transportation services between the private automobile and conventional fixed-route service, including taxis, jitneys, and car and vanpools, in addition to demand response transportation. Outside of the ECT service area, there are also specialized services for the elderly, in addition to those with disabilities. Specialized transportation services within the planning area are impacted by funding constraints and programmatic regulations that limit availability. Restricted hours of operation, trip prioritization, advanced registration, and program eligibility requirements are restrictive measures used by special transportation providers in applying limited resources to the transportation needs of the mobility impaired. It is anticipated that the demand for these services will increase sharply over the coming decades, as baby boomers begin to need additional services to continue active lives and meet their daily needs. Current financial restrictions and a future of increasing demand are faced by all special transportation providers and could result in accessibility limitations for specialized transportation users.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities

Bicycle facilities in the MPA include miles of off-street paths, on-street bike lanes, shared lanes, and signed bike routes. The general perception of bicycle users in the planning area is that the local road and street system affords a relatively safe and unlimited access to area destinations. However, bicycle travel via primary motor vehicle travel corridors is impeded by motor vehicle traffic, speeds, and both natural and constructed barriers that affect directness of travel, bicycle route continuity and access to area destinations. Natural barriers to bicycling, typically river crossings, have mostly been overcome with the use of abandoned railroad bridges, bridges built for non-motorized travel, and the like, addressing some of the most difficult and costly challenges of a bikeway system. In general, the area still lacks some connections for a


continuous bikeway system and attendant bicycle facility improvements, but progress continues to be made. Constructed barriers could require bicyclists to travel far without a direct route to get to their destinations. These barriers can include major highways such as I-94, USH 53, STH 29, and STH 312. Within the MPA, there are 69 locations where roads or trails cross one of these four highways with overpasses, underpasses, or at-grade crossings, seen in Map 21 of Chapter IV. Fifty of these crossings are safe for bicyclists because they are either for non-motorized travel only, feature sidepaths or sidewalks, or offer a safe mixed-traffic situation. The remaining 19 crossings are all mixed with vehicles, have high vehicle speeds and/or volumes, or cross at-grade without a traffic signal. Of these, five are moderate for crossing and 14 are not recommended for bicyclists to negotiate. Additionally, some crossings are far apart and require added riding to cross the highway. For instance, the distance from the unsafe crossing of I-94 at USH 53 to the safe crossing of I-94 at STH 93 is 1.8 miles. There is development occurring along this corridor, especially south of I-94, which is increasing demand for bicycle accommodations. These factors should lead to a greater consideration of how and where bicyclists cross highways and if any accommodations or new infrastructure are warranted. While there is still a call for a number of off-street facilities, a stronger contingent of bicyclists are leaning toward on-street accommodations in arterial corridors, often the most direct route. Many of the needed facility improvements identified are directly related to street maintenance and capacity requirements to safely accommodate bicyclists. The bicycle transportation recommendations for improvements to the proposed bikeway system would pave shoulders on the rural road network as reconstruction is needed and increase the capacity on urban streets to accommodate a wide curb lane/bike lane where possible as reconstruction is needed. Off-street bicycle trails are still the favored option for recreational cyclists and to meet the comfort level of occasional and younger riders. A few connections are still needed to complete a regional system of these trails, including approximately 35 additional miles of new bike paths throughout the planning area. The most current representation of these needs is on Maps 26 – 28, in Chapter IV of this report: the plan recommendations from the cities of Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, and a map showing the needed connections between the cities and to connect the urbanized area to the larger Chippewa Valley region. The Chippewa Valley Transit Alliance and Friends of the Chippewa River State Trail worked with the Regional Planning Commission to produce a bicycle map for the Chippewa-Eau Claire urban area, seen in Maps 22 – 25 of Chapter IV, and available for free in its entirety at bike shops, libraries, and other locations throughout the area. In addition to bikeway facility improvements, supporting facilities to accommodate bicycle parking at primary destinations were also identified as needed to encourage and accommodate bicycle usage. Bicycle racks need to be considered in all destinations,


commercial areas, employment centers, schools, and parks. Eau Claire has a bike parking ordinance that other municipalities can follow. The collection and analysis of crash data involving bicyclists also reinforced the need for the continuation and potential expansion of safety education and enforcement programs to improve safe bicycle usage. There were 71 bicycle/vehicular crashes reported between 2011 and 2013 in the MPA. Of these 71 crashes, 67 resulted in injury for a total of 67 injured people and one fatality. The bicyclists ranged in age from 7 to 69, and more than 81% of the crashes involved bicyclists under age 30. About 77% of the crashes involved males. The crashes occurred at various locations throughout the MPA. The wide distribution of the crashes emphasizes the need for education and awareness, both for bicyclists and for drivers. Bicyclists need to be aware of the fact that they are considered a vehicle and, as such, are expected to follow the rules of the road. Drivers need to be reminded that bicyclists are on the roads in increasing numbers and that they have every right to be there. The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), and previously the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, have been good sources of funding for education and enforcement programs, in addition to planning and infrastructure improvements. The cities of Eau Claire, Altoona, and Chippewa Falls have actively and successfully utilized this source of funding for engineering and education improvements in the recent past. Pedestrian facilities within the planning area are primarily located within the corporate boundaries of the Cities of Altoona, Chippewa Falls, and Eau Claire. For the most part, the Village of Lake Hallie and the towns do not have sidewalks, though they would be beneficial in many places. However, the paved shoulders of rural roads often facilitate bicycle and pedestrian travel, even though their primary purpose is to improve the safety and maintenance of the road for vehicular traffic. Growing rural development within the MPA is increasing not only vehicular traffic on many rural roadways but also bicyclist and pedestrian travel. Narrow rural roads with nonexistent shoulders present safety problems for motorists, as well as bicyclists and pedestrians, as vehicle volumes increase. Very low volume rural roads may be suitable for bicyclists. The pedestrian facilities within the corporate limits consist of municipal sidewalks, pedestrian bridges over water bodies, and pedestrian overpasses and underpasses crossing major vehicular traffic arteries. In addition, developed multi-use trails are intended to accommodate both pedestrian and bicycle travel. In general, the urban area affords pedestrians an adequate measure of safety through existing pedestrian facilities and traffic control measures. However, inconsistent enforcement of municipal policies affecting the installation and maintenance of sidewalks leaves many developed areas without sidewalks or with discontinuous segments of sidewalks. There are also many areas where existing sidewalks are in disrepair and require maintenance or replacement. Winter snow removal on walkways is another aspect of maintenance that often receives a lower priority.


Pedestrian problems arise primarily from conflicts with vehicular traffic. Pedestrian/vehicular crash data provides an additional analytical approach that can help to identify system deficiencies. A review of available pedestrian/vehicular crash data for the planning area revealed no point concentrations of pedestrian conflicts. There were 66 pedestrian/vehicular crashes reported from January of 2011 through December of 2013 in the MPA. Of these 66 crashes, 65 caused injury for a total of 75 injured people and zero fatalities. The crashes involved pedestrians ranging in age from 3 to 66 with an average age of 29 and 10 victims under age 16. About 60% of the pedestrians were male. While there are no point concentrations of pedestrian/vehicular crashes, certain areas exhibiting high concentrations of both vehicles and pedestrians offer the greatest potential for such conflicts, most notably the central business districts with more pedestrian activity. The area of highly concentrated student pedestrian activity, near the University along Water Street, 4th Avenue, Garfield Avenue, and State Street, yielded a higher number of crashes involving pedestrians. Conversely, pedestrian traffic along segments of Clairemont Avenue and Hastings Way often presents a potential conflict due to long crossing distances of the multi-lane facilities, the longer distance between designated pedestrian crossing areas, and the resulting tendency to cross the street in mid-block. Conflicts may also occur in higher numbers near schools and parks during periods of peak use. As is noted in the previous section on Bicycle Facilities, the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, now the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), is one good source of funding for K-8 school-related pedestrian and bicycle planning, engineering, education, and enforcement projects, which has been successfully utilized by Eau Claire, Altoona, and Chippewa Falls school districts and city public works departments. Similarities exist between bicycle and pedestrian crashes such that an analysis of the two together is warranted. A total of 137 bike and pedestrian crashes occurred in the period 2011 to 2013. In terms of age, 33 (24%) were school-aged (6-17), 41 (30%) were college-aged (18-22), 28 (20%) more were younger than 40, and 30 (22%) were 40 or older. The majority (54%) then, are 22 or younger. This increased incidence of young victims of bicycle and pedestrian crashes could indicate several factors:

Members of this group cannot drive or have a lower rate of access to a car, meaning they rely more on non-motorized travel and travel more miles by bike or foot, exposing them to a greater number of hazards.

The level of physical and mental development for some younger people can lead them to make unwise decisions relative to street safety. This is also true of young drivers.

The places that this group travels to frequently (schools and colleges/ universities) may present street conditions that are less safe.

The frequency of bike and pedestrian crashes by time of day shows that the highest number occurred after school and after work followed by the before school/work time. Of the 137 crashes, 27 (20%) occurred between 2:01 and 4:00 PM, 24 (18%) occurred between 4:01 and 6:00 PM, and 18 occurred between 6:01 and 8:00 AM. These


patterns correlate strongly with commuting time to and from school or work. Crash frequency by month also indicates a correlation to weather and/or school and college/university students. The four months with the most crashes correspond with the school session months that have weather more conducive to bike and pedestrian travel. Those four months (along with their number of crashes and percentage of the total 137) are May (21, 15%), June (16, 12%), September (17, 12%), and October (14, 10%). The numbers decline in both the colder months and hotter months, though no causation has been statistically determined. The bicycle and pedestrian crashes are distributed throughout the metropolitan planning area, but some geographic concentrations of crashes do exist.

Downtown Eau Claire – particularly Farwell Street, Barstow Street, Eau Claire Street, and Madison Street

Near west side of Eau Claire, known as the Historic Randall Park Neighborhood – particularly Water Street, 4th Avenue, Lake Street, and Niagara Street

Near north side of Eau Claire, known as the North Side Hill Neighborhood – particularly Birch Street

Near south side of Eau Claire, known as the Third Ward Neighborhood – particularly State Street, Garfield Avenue, Summit Avenue, and Farwell Street/Washington Street

Clairemont Avenue – seven crashes between Park Ridge Drive on the west and London Road on the east

Focusing road safety improvements in these areas could yield positive results in the form of crash reductions for bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.

Access to Air Transportation Facilities Intercity passenger air transportation to and from the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport for passenger movement experienced a slight drop after September 11, 2001. Increased costs, declining enplanements at the airport, affordable and convenient van shuttle service between Eau Claire and the Twin Cities International Airport, and other factors resulted in the discontinuation of passenger air service to the Twin Cities. However, a seamless transition was made in 2010 to the more logical provision of flights between Eau Claire and O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, a more suitable distance offering hundreds of connecting flight options. While passenger boardings increased by 52 percent (13,072 to 19,810) from 2009 to 2013, any anticipated growth in air passenger service or expansion of air freight facilities is not expected to significantly impact the surface transportation connection to the airport. Melby Street, Starr Avenue, and Eddy Lane are all urban minor arterials providing adequate access from USH 53 to the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport. There are currently no significant deficiencies associated with the municipal arterial street system serving the regional airport that would restrict access to the airport facilities, or impact any potential growth of air transportation services. Melby Street reconstruction is proceeding in two segments: Starr Avenue to Anderson Drive was


completed in 2011 and Victor Street to 115th Street will be done in 2016. ECT bus service to the airport is limited and not well coordinated with flights. Bike lanes lead to the airport entrance at Starr and Melby.

Intercity Passenger Transportation

Intercity bus and commercial air passenger service provide limited travel options, placing a greater demand on the automobile to accommodate the intercity travel needs of the residents of the Chippewa-Eau Claire MPA. Intercity bus companies have made some improvement in providing service to other areas of the state, but some trips still require intercity bus passengers to travel miles and hours out of their way on circuitous routes to reach their final destination. Within the urbanized area, Jefferson Lines has pick-up points in northwest Eau Claire, on the UWEC campus at Towers Hall, and in Chippewa Falls. The Greyhound pick-up is near I-94 and outside of the ECT transit service area, making the service difficult to access without an auto or costly cab ride. Commercial air passenger service is limited to a feeder connection to Chicago O’Hare Airport which does offer worldwide connectivity. Previous limitations of the air passenger service to the Twin Cities, and now the lack thereof, has created a market demand for a van shuttle service between Eau Claire and the Twin Cities airport, which departs from their site in northwest Eau Claire. Market influences and other factors have resulted in limited modal options for intercity passenger travel for residents of the planning area. Intercity bus transportation to Menomonie, La Crosse, and Duluth would improve options for travelers in the MPA. The automobile, the highway system, and an accurate and timely traveler information system will continue to serve much of the intercity travel needs of planning area residents. The reliance on the automobile for intercity passenger travel places a greater emphasis on a sound maintenance program, and likely capacity improvements, for the state's highways, as well as the need for further improvements in the development and delivery of pertinent information to assist travelers in making safe and efficient travel decisions. One critical alternative for the area that is still receiving some consideration is the implementation of intercity passenger rail, with a stop in Eau Claire, enroute between Chicago and the Twin Cities. Passenger rail connection to Chippewa Falls should also be considered in this effort. While the route currently being studied passes through La Crosse, along the current AmTrak route, efforts to plan for a public-private partnership model for service, first between Eau Claire and the Twin Cities, is building steam. The longer corridor, continuing south from Eau Claire, is a likely “true high speed rail” corridor for the future. The Passenger rail in the corridor passing through Eau Claire would serve approximately 35,000 students at three major University of Wisconsin campuses and several Technical College campuses. It would serve one of the fastest-growing urbanized areas in the State of Wisconsin, as well as a large potential ridershed in the immediate corridor and stretching a significant distance to the north. Passenger rail would also offer relief to the busiest stretch of interstate highway in the state (based on vehicle count per lane).


Freight Transportation

The movement of commodities into and out of the MPA is dominated by the trucking industry. National trends have impacted freight rail and air cargo activity and have led to a decline of these services in the planning area over several decades. Recently, though, the boom in frac sand mining in the region has greatly increased rail shipments of frac sand through the MPA, in no small part because there is a sand processing facility in Chippewa Falls and several others in the larger region. Other recent trends are leading to projections of significant increases in freight activity. According to the State’s multimodal transportation plan, Connections 2030, truck traffic is expected to double by 2030. The plan also states that,

“… Even though trucking is expected to remain the dominant mode of freight transportation, the other modes will also carry increasing amounts of freight and will remain important parts of the overall transportation system. For example, freight trains will continue to carry the majority of coal used by Wisconsin power plants. Wisconsin freight rail traffic (measured by weight) is expected to nearly double by 2035, with much of the traffic concentrated on certain rail lines.” (Connections 2030, WisDOT, October, 2009, p. 3-16.)

As indicated on Map 31 of Chapter IV, the Union Pacific Line that tracks through the City of Eau Claire is projected, by the State’s plan, to be a high density freight rail line by the year 2020. However, the UP rail line extending north from Eau Claire and the CN rail line running east and west from Chippewa Falls are identified as “light density” rail lines in 2020. These “light density” lines could require financial assistance in order to preserve rail service and avoid track abandonments. Tonnage increases projected for 2020 are almost exclusively concentrated on mainlines and not on those identified “light density” lines. The streets and highways that accommodate truck traffic in the planning area are subject to the capacity and maintenance problems identified previously in this chapter. In addition, the lack of designated and signed truck routes through the planning area often result in misguided truck shipments traveling on local streets, further impacting street maintenance, safety, and capacity problems. The diversified locations of many of the truck destinations within the MPA can add to the confusion and routing problems for truck drivers that are not familiar with the area. The intermodal facility, built by CN in 2013, located in Chippewa Falls, offers a reasonable potential to help improve the combined freight shipping capabilities of truck and rail in the MPA.

Another impact of the frac sand boom on the area was the establishment of the EOG Sand Plant in the northern reaches of the MPA. While the area has adjusted to a significant increase in truck traffic since the plant began operations in late 2011, issues related to rail continue to present some challenge. The rail company has expressed a need for additional trackage, north of CTH S, to build the long trains that are indicative of sand hauling out of the plant. This issue impacts a town road, 95th Avenue, in the


Town of Eagle Point, which the rail company has suggested closing, as well as potentially warranting a grade separation of CTH S as a main trucking access between USH 53 and STH 178 for the industrial area on the northeast side of Chippewa Falls. At the time of publication, the request of the rail company has been withdrawn and the issue is quiet for the time being. It is expected that, as business picks up again for the sand industry, the issue will resurface. The MPO will work with Chippewa County and the Town of Eagle Point to assist in the resolution of this issue, with the goal of maintaining appropriate mobility for the residents and businesses of the area, while recognizing the needs of the shippers and the sand plant to operate effectively. The greatest concern for rail operations within the MPA are safety problems associated with the at-grade street crossings. The potential for conflicts between rail and vehicular traffic affects the safety and the operating efficiency of both the rail line and the local street system. While the number of at-grade street crossings has been reduced in recent years through rail abandonments, those that remain are potential points of conflict. Recent increases in rail traffic have heightened crossing concerns, leading to intensified safety campaigns by WisDOT and rail companies, as well as discussions of some grade-separation projects. A review of WisDOT's crash data for car/train collisions reveals the occurrence of six such collisions in the MPA from January of 2004 through December of 2014. Of the six collisions, four of them resulted in four injuries, but no fatalities. All of the collisions resulted in property damage. Figure 36 lists the vehicle/train crashes over the ten year period, along with the functional classification of the road crossing the tracks. Five of the crashes were at crossings on the functionally classified system, one a minor arterial (Melby Lane) and four collectors (Eddy Lane, 40th Ave., Elco Rd., and County Highway K), all equipped with rail crossing signals and gates. The other crash occurred at rural cross-section at a town road with a stop sign. There is no waterway option for freight movement in the Chippewa-Eau Claire MPA.

Date MunicipalityCrossing

Location

Functional

Classification

Crash

SeverityTraffic Control

05/12/05 C. Eau Claire Eddy Ln. Collector INJ RR X-ing signal

07/09/06 C. Eau Claire Melby St. Minor Arterial PD RR X-ing signal

02/21/09 T. Wheaton 90th St. Local INJ Stop sign

01/04/12 V. Lake Hallie 40th Av. Collector INJ RR X-ing signal

02/14/12 T. Washington Elco Rd. Collector PD RR X-ing signal

12/27/12 T. Lafayette CTH K Collector INJ RR X-ing signal

Source: Crash Data Retrieval Facility, Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory, 2015.

Figure 36

Chippewa-Eau Claire Metropolitan Planning Area

Rail Crossing Crashes (2004-2014)


Transportation System Impacts on Air Quality

The Chippewa-Eau Claire Metropolitan Planning Area is currently in compliance with national air quality standards. The output of the transportation model for the MPA is not considered to be a reliable source of projected emissions accountable to the future network alternatives. As the area is currently within the EPA’s air quality compliance standards, further modeling is not conducted to give a more definitive analysis. We can make a general statement that automotive-related emissions have a direct correlation to the number of vehicle miles traveled. As indicated in Figure 37, the impact of the planned roadway improvements of the Build scenario, a modest set of projects, results in a slight reduction in the projected level of VMT and VHT on the road system in 2045. This is as compared to the No-Build scenario, under 2045 projected socio-economic inputs. The increased levels of efficiencies afforded by the planned projects could therefore be anticipated to provide a slight decrease in harmful automotive emissions. Also, any improvements that enable or encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation, whether transit, bicycle, pedestrian, or passenger rail, will result in some measure of improvement in air quality by reducing automotive emissions. Along reducing with particulate matter emissions that can harm breathing, carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming and climate change, also must be reduced.

Figure 37

VMT and VHT Travel Model Output

Future NoBuild

(2045)

Future Build

(2045)

Difference: Build

- NoBuild

Percent

Difference

Vehicle Miles

Traveled (VMT) 4,229,771 4,199,944 -29,827 -0.7%Vehicle Hours

Traveled (VHT) 89,757 88,724 -1,033 -1.2%

Source: WisDOT

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