ProWalk/ProBike Conference - ChattanoogaSeptember 13-17, 2010

Bicycling and Walking in Roswell, GeorgiaPresented by:

Steve Acenbrak, P.E., LEED APDirector of Transportation, City of Roswell

770.594.6420 / sacenbrak@roswellgov.com

Introduction

Steve Acenbrak, P.E., LEED APDirector of Transportation, City of Roswell

• 6 years as Transportation Director for City of Roswell, Responsible for a $25 million CIP - roadway, bridges, intersections, drainage and multi-modal projects, etc.

• 3 years as an engineering consultant with Pond and Company serving as Director of Transportation and Director of Civil Engineering

• 20 years as an officer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers performing engineering and public works functions in a variety of assignments worldwide

• Certificate / Public Works Management / 2007• MS / Civil Engineering • MA / Business Management• BS / Civil Engineering• LEED Accredited Professional

• Challenges in Roswell

• Demographics

• Status

• Solutions

• Recent Projects

• On the Horizon…

Agenda

Atlanta Metro Area

• “Capital of the South”• World’s Busiest

Airport• Great Climate + Great

Location = Popular and Growing

18 counties

• Located in metropolitan Atlanta’s northern suburbs

• Over 150 years old

Roswell: Bedroom Community

Roswell

ATLANTA

Positive Media Coverage

“Our favorite place to ride is in a town called Roswell…”

www.bicyclingmag.comJuly 26, 2010

• Mill town

• Three antebellum homes• Smith Plantation

• Bullock Hall

• Barrington Hall

• Canton Street

Historic Past

• Narrow Right-of-Way• Difficult to add bicycle lanes• Sidewalks• Multi-use paths

Historic Past

• Suburban community• 90-100K population• About 2/3 residential, 1/3 commercial• Culture

• Car-focused• Limited transit• Limited bicycle commuter options• Active recreation

• Cycling, road and mountain• Running/jogging• Rafting/rowing on the river

Demographics

• Two types of rivers create challenges:• Chattahoochee River (water)• SR 9, 92, 120, 140 (asphalt)• Multi-lane, high speed state highways that are

difficult to cross

• Rolling hills• City Center

• Convergence of five state routes

Geography

Only a few areas to access the river along nearly 130 miles

Chattahoochee River

• Popular destination….

• ….but limited access

Status• The first and currently the only Bicycle Friendly Community in

Georgia (159 counties, 722 cities)• Bronze level

• Initial Award: 2005

• Complete Streets• Shoulders• Travel lanes

• 10-foot lanes for <35 MPH• 11-foot lanes for >35 MPH

• Repaving• 20-year cycle• Restriping

• Reconstruction• Foam-injected asphalt• Cement Stabilization

Bicycle-Friendly Policies

• Bicycle shoulders• Bicycle lanes

Solutions

• Multi-Use paths• “Share-The-Road” signing

Solutions(continued)

• Sharrows• Bike Boxes

Solutions(continued)

• Bike Roswell!• Bicycle advocacy

• RAMBO• Mountain bicycle advocacy

Solutions(continued)

• Roswell “R” bicycle racks

Solutions(continued)

Today’s Network…• Roswell has 178 miles of sidewalk facilities covering about 48% of the

City’s roadways• City Policies aim to put sidewalks within ½ mile of a school, park of transit route

• Roswell has 43.5 miles of bicycle facilities• 11.9 miles of marked bicycle lanes (width: >4 feet)• 25.4 miles of bicycle shoulders (width: 2-4 feet)• 6.2 miles of paved shoulders (width: 0.5-2 feet)

In the Transportation Master Plan…• 22 miles of new Sidewalk facilities• 50 miles of new Multi-Use trails• 16 miles of new Bicycle facilities

Summary Data

Local ConnectionsThe Roswell Loop

• Proposed connections to all major City parks

• Connects nearly all schools• Nearly 5% in place today

(although unsigned)

Regional Connections

22 miles to Atlanta Beltline

17.5 miles to Silver Comet Trail

National Connections

Roswell

Recent Projects

Grimes Bridge Road at Oxbo Road Bridge Replacement, before

Grimes Bridge Road at Oxbo Road Bridge Replacement, after

Hembree Road Bridge Replacement, before

Hembree Road Bridge Replacement, after

Old Roswell Road (now Westside Parkway) Bridge Replacement, before

Old Roswell Road (now Westside Parkway) Bridge Replacement, after

Steeplechase-Fouts Multi-use Trail, before

Steeplechase-Fouts Multi-use Trail, after

Mimosa Boulevard Extension, before

Mimosa Boulevard Extension, after

• Covered Bridge• Other Pedestrian Bridges

• Vickery Creek near Riverside Road• Big Creek along Old Holcomb Bridge Road

Pedestrian

• Holcomb Bridge Road Sidewalks (ARRA-funded)

Pedestrian(continued)

• Grimes Bridge-Warsaw-Norcross Roundabout

• SR 9 Pedestrian Connection over Chattahoochee River

In the Works

• Transit Enhancements (MARTA Offset Funds)

In the Works(continued)

• Bicycle Education (through Bike Roswell!)• More sharrows• More shoulders• More multi-use trails• More bike boxes• More connections

In the Works(continued)

• The Woodstock Road Story• The Willeo Road Story• The Old Alabama Road CMAQ Story• The Azalea Drive TE Project Story• The Hardscrabble Road

Reconstruction Study

What We Missed…

Old Alabama Road Multi-Use Trail

Other Challenges

• Hate mail to the Mayor• “Too many bicycles on the road! They slow me down!”• “Group rides don’t stop at STOP signs in my neighborhood!”

• Recently…• Bicycle accidents

Summary and Conclusion

Thank you!Presented by:

Steve Acenbrak, P.E., LEED APDirector of Transportation, City of Roswell

770.594.6420 / sacenbrak@roswellgov.com

• Wrap Up• Questions?