2nd StreetTwo-Way Conversion

Community Meeting

Wayne MartinCity Engineer, City of Harrisburg

Background1950

• Harrisburg reaches peak population of 90,000.

1951-1952

• Harvey Taylor Bridge built.

• Forster Street converted to six lanes between Midtown and Downtown.

1955

• Nolan Ziegler elected Mayor.

Early 1956

• Harrisburg appoints first traffic engineer.

• City Streets are converted to one-way arterials .

Late 1956

• Residents begin complaining about “2nd Street Speedway.”

The City will buy properties and by November clearing out will start. We are interested only if

proper ingress and egress is assured, so that our people can benefit.”

- Mayor Nolan Ziegler

1960

• Harrisburg’s population declines to 79,697.

1960

• Federal and state governments develop the River Relief Route (Route 22/322).

1970

• Harrisburg’s population declines to 68,061.

1970s

• River Relief Route will relieve traffic to the north and through traffic will no longer use Second Street allowing it to be converted back to two-way neighborhood street.

1977

• Paul Doutrich, Jr. campaigns for Mayor. Pledges to convert Second Street to two-way from Division Street at least Forster Street and perhaps as far as Market Square.”

1978

• Paul Doutrich, Jr. elected Mayor.

1978

• 70 percent of residents favor ending one-way traffic flow on 2nd Street. Interstate 81 Projects to construct portions of highways through Wildwood Park to relieve traffic congestion in the City.

1978

• Harrisburg Coalition Against Ruining the Environment sues River Relief Route and I-81 Projects. Suit is settled and a realignment of the two highways reduces impact on Wildwood Park.

1978

• Traffic Studies underway for Second Street two-way. Traffic volumes on Second Street north of Forster Street in 1978 were 9,700 ADT, predicted to be 15,100 ADT by 2000.

1979

• Mayor Paul Doutrich, Jr. issues executive order to convert Second Street to two-way. PennDOT threatens to withhold federal highway transportation dollars.

1980

• Harrisburg’s Population drops to 53,264.

1998

• Integrated Building Arts (IBA) completes Feasibility Analysis: Converting Front Street and Second Street to Two-Way Operation. The analysis concludes that the “proposed conversion of Front Street and Second Street to two-way operation may have merit.”

2013

• Harrisburg widens the North Seventh Street corridor between Reily Street and Maclay Street to four lanes to handle traffic redirected from a Second Street two-way conversion.

2013

• Independent Mayor candidate Nevin Mindlin and Democratic candidate Eric Papenfuse begin advocating the conversion of North Second Street during the Mayoral campaign.

It would make the neighborhoods more pedestrian-friendly and connect them to the river. It would clearly make Harrisburg a more bikeable, walkable and livable city.

- Mayor Eric Papenfuse, June 30, 2013

2013

• Eric Papenfuse is elected Mayor and starts meeting with PennDOT officials on converting North

Second Street to two-way traffic.

2015

• PennDOT completes preliminary feasibility study for converting 2nd Street between Forster Street and Division Street from one-way to two-way traffic flow. Sets conditions on the level of study and redesign.

2017

• City Council approves funding the traffic study and engineering planning to convert North Second Street to two-way traffic flow.

2018

• PennDOT hosts open house on Interstate 83 widening, explains that I-83 widening is important to City’s desire of a two-way Second Street.

Larry Marcus

Introductions

David Levy

Agenda

6:00 pm Introductions and Background

6:15 pm Project Technical Considerations

6:45 pm Street Design Toolbox

7:00 pm Interactive Workshop

7:40 pm Group Presentations

7:55 pm Wrap-Up and Next Steps

8:00 pm End

Technical Considerations

Overview of Technical Considerations:

• If the street currently operates one-way becomes two-way:1. What are the new travel patterns?

2. Is traffic diverted to other facilities?

3. How do the intersections operate?1. What infrastructure is needed to support the conversion?

• How can the undesired effects of two-way streets be mitigated?

• What intersection configurations best support an improved multi-modal environment?

Adam Vest

Study Intersections

• Primary Corridor is N. 2nd Street

• Modifications to N. 2nd Street impact the Study Area

• Traffic Analysis within Study Area• 27 – signal controlled

intersections

• 6 – stop controlled intersections

Major Travel Trends

• Reviewed Daily & Peak Hour Volumes

• Morning Commute• N. Front St – heavy southbound

volumes• Maclay St – moderate westbound

volumes

• Evening Commute• N. 2nd St – heavy northbound

volumes• Maclay St – moderate eastbound

volumes

Traffic Operations – Existing Conditions

• Most intersections operate at LOS C or better during the morning and evening commutes• Signalized 20-35 seconds of delay

• Unsignalized 15-25 seconds of delay

• Key Operational Issues• Vehicles exceed available roadway capacity for a specific movement

• Delay exceeds…• 50 seconds for unsignalized intersections

• 80 seconds for signalized intersections

• Queues

EVENING COMMUTE

• N. 2nd St/Division St

• N. 3rd St/Division St

• N. 7th St/Division St

• N. 6th St/Maclay St

• N. 7th St/Maclay St

• N. 7th St/Reily St

• N. 7th St/Herr St

• N. Front St/Forster St

• N. 2nd St/Forster St

• N. 3rd St/Forster St

• Commonwealth Ave/Forster St

Traffic Operations – Key Intersections: Existing ConditionsMORNING COMMUTE

• N. Front St/Division St

• N. Front St/Maclay St

• N. 7th St/Maclay St

• Commonwealth Ave/Forster St

Crashes

• Crash data from 2015-2017• 447 total crashes within study

area• 202 crashes at study intersections

• 60% are angle crashes • 3 fatalities (2 included pedestrians)

• High crash locations: >10 crashes• Front St/Forster St – 34• N. 3rd St/Forster St – 25• N. 6th St/Maclay St – 17• N. 7th St/Maclay St – 11 • N. 2nd St/Forster St – 10

Ped/Bicycle Crashes

• Crashes involved…• 15 Bicyclists

• 27 Pedestrians

• Concentrated on the east side of the study area

• Fatal Crashes • N. 5th St/Emerald St (ped)

• N. 5th St/Maclay St (ped)

Vehicle Speeds on N. 2nd St

• Speed > 25 mph = 93%

• 85% Speed = 38 mph

• Volume = 8,866

• Speed > 25 mph = 81%

• 85% Speed = 35 mph

• Volume = 10,791

• Speed > 25 mph = 67%

• 85% Speed = 33 mph

• Volume = 13,229

South of Maclay StSouth of Schuylkill St South of Verbeke St

Traffic Diversion

• Conversion of N. 2nd St to two-way traffic

• Between 50-70% of the volume on N. 2nd St would likely divert to other streets for 1-2 hours on a typical weekday• Most of the volumes shift to

adjacent and parallel streets to the east

• Volumes also shift outside of the study area

Street Design Toolbox

Photo Source: NACTO

Pavement Markings, Flex-Post Delineators and Color Paint

Photo Source: NACTO

Pavement Markings, Flex-Post Delineators,

and Sand Color Paint or Epoxy MMA

Photo Source: FHWA

Transverse Pavement MarkingsAnd Flex-Post Delineators

Interim Sidewalk Bulb Outs

Flex-Post Delineators,Planters, and Pavement Markings

Sand Color Paint or Gravel Epoxy MMA(Not Shown)

Photo Source: NACTO

Pavement Markings and Flex-Post Delineators

Interim Median Islands

Bike Lanes and Parking

Photo Source: Google Earth

Shared Lane with Back-In Angle Parking

Location: Lancaster, PA

Photo Source: Google Earth

Bike Lane and Shared Lanewith Parallel Parking

Location: Lancaster, PA

Shared Lane withwith Parallel Parking

Location: Elizabethtown, PA

Broadway North of Times Square

Why Are Cities Changing?

Redefining Successful City Streets:

- Mobility (Congestion Relief)

- Safety

- Accessibility

….. By All Modes

Different Approach to Design

Click to add text

Safety & Mobility Balance

Focus on SPEED

Congestion relief perf measure:

good!

Safety performance measure:

life or death

Interactive Workshop

What is Your Vision for 2nd Street?

Place these features on the maps

• Corner store/grocery store• Restaurant/shop• Workplace• Park/green space

• Crosswalk improvement• Intersection narrowing/widening• Bike lane• Slow down/speed up traffic

• Add/remove parking• Other

Group Presentations2 mins each

Wrap UpWhat’s Next?

Thank You!VisionZeroHBG.org