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CAUSEWAY CORRIDOR CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLANTown of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina

Final Report | June, 2019

CONTENTS

Project Vision + GoalsStudy Area Existing ConditionsVisual AnalysisCharretteFinal Recommendations Opinion of Probable Cost

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CAUSEWAY CORRIDOR | CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN

01| PROJECT VISION+ GOALS


PROJECT VISION + GOALS• Maintain or increase the # of parking spaces for

businesses• Manage traffic speed and flow along the Causeway• Improve ped/bike/golf cart flow along the Causeway• Improve relationship between Causeway buildings and

the streets• Identify opportunities for landscaping• Improve visibility for businesses through wayfinding


02| STUDY AREA


ATLANTIC BEACH -MOREHEAD CITY BRIDGE

The study area is defined as the 0.7 mile corridor of the Atlantic Beach Causeway between the Morehead City Bridge and Fort Macon Road. The Causeway is a gateway for the Town, and it is the first thing visitors see when driving over the bridge.


SEGMENT 2

SEGMENT 1: Morehead City Bridge to Old Causeway RoadSEGMENT 2: Old Causeway Road to Fort Macon Road


03| EXISTING CONDITIONS




LAND USE ANALYSIS


SEGMENT 2: 17,000 AADT

SEGMENT 1: Morehead City Bridge to Old Causeway RoadSEGMENT 2: Old Causeway Road to Fort Macon Road

WESTBOUND: 14,000 AADT

EASTBOUND: 8,600 AADT


TRAFFIC VOLUMES



CRASH DATA


SEGMENT 1: Morehead City Bridge to Old Causeway Road


SEGMENT 1: Morehead City Bridge to Old Causeway RoadEXISTING CONDITIONS


SEGMENT 1

• 5-lane road with shoulders (65’ pavement width)• Narrow sidewalk on both sides (4-5’)• Narrow sidewalk buffer, lacks vertical separation• Center turn lane continues throughout entire

segment• High speed, high traffic • Excessive driveways/curb cuts• Lacks pedestrian crossings

OBSERVATIONS:



SEGMENT 2

SEGMENT 2: Old Causeway Road to Fort Macon Road


SEGMENT 2: Old Causeway Road to Fort Macon RoadEXISTING CONDITIONS


SEGMENT 2

• 6-lane road (70’ pavement width)• Narrow sidewalk on both sides (4-5’)• Narrow sidewalk buffer that goes away as the

segment approaches Fort Macon Road• Center turn lane continues throughout entire

segment• Right-of-way shifts from 200’ to 100’ after El Zarape• Lacks pedestrian crossings• Medium-high speed, high traffic

OBSERVATIONS:


CIRCULATION

OBSERVATIONS:• Most parking lots are informally connected

through gravel or pavement• Cars visiting businesses often travel low-speed

through connecting parking lots to reach their destination

• The majority of parking lots have 2-5 driveways connecting to the Causeway

existing parking lot connectivity

additional access points


04| VISUAL ANALYSIS


POLES + WIRES • The number of poles and wires creates visual

clutter throughout the corridor • Distracts from business frontages and

coastal scenery, especially when driving over the bridge


SIGNAGE

Every business uses a different design for their temporary signage, the lack of design continuity feels

cluttered and distracting

A-frame sign blocks narrow

pedestrian corridor

Text is small, and difficult to read when

driving past


LANDSCAPING

• Landscaping is sparse and offers little to no shade

• Many stretches of planting areas without any landscaping


SURFACE TREATMENTSDrainage

Issues

Poles sitting in the middle of lots; cars

have to maneuver

around them

Cars parking on gravel, grass, +

pavement; lacks clear pavement markings

Lacks clean edges between different surface

types; pavement is in disrepair

Indistinct circulation patterns


EXCESSIVE CURB CUTS

1

23

45

• At this location, there are 5 bi-directional driveways serving a single parking lot

• Excessive curb cuts segment the pedestrian realm and enhance the auto-centric feel of the corridor

• There is an opportunity to consolidate driveways where feasible to make circulation more intuitive and predictable for drivers, and to create more parking


05| CHARRETTE


APRIL 4-5, 2019• Steering Committee/Kickoff Meeting

– Met with town officials and local business owners to discuss opportunities and constraints along the Causeway

– Site tour along the Causeway with the steering committee to gather more information, including a visual analysis

– Meeting allowed consultant team and steering committee to develop a shared vision for the corridor

• Work Session – Open to the public– Consultant team developed solutions on-site with input

from local residents and business owners • Draft Vision Presentation – Open to the

public– Presented preliminary ideas for the Causeway and

gathered feedback from residents and business owners (Above) The steering committee takes a tour of the corridor on April 4, 2019.


06| FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS



Morehead City Bridge to Moonlight DriveMoonlight Drive to Exxon Gas StationExxon Gas Station to Fort Macon Road

SHOPPINGCENTER

1. Parking lots connect to create a slow-speed

frontage road with on-street parking (shared lanes

are bike + golf cart-friendly)

2. Sidewalk shifts back from the Causeway (widens

buffer + creates space for landscaping + shade trees)

3. Driveways consolidated where feasible to formalize

entrances + exits

4. Artistic crosswalks and plaza opportunities to

enhance pedestrian safety and boost placemaking

5. Crossing improvements with median refuge islands6. 12-foot meandering multi-use path for bikes,

pedestrians, + golf carts when the frontage road

ends

7. Wayfinding signage replaces temporary signs and

directs visitors to public parking, boat access points,

restaurants + shops

ATLANTIC BEACH CAUSEWAY


OVERALL PLAN

RECOMMENDATIONS:


Morehead City Bridge to Moonlight Drive

THE CAUSEWAY AT MOONLIGHT DRIVEEXISTING CONDITIONS

• Gravel, grass, + broken pavement all blend together • Parking spaces are informal and unstriped• Utility poles sit in the middle of the lot• No connection (pedestrian facility or visually) to existing storefronts • Sidewalk lacks a significant buffer from the road• No shade or pedestrian amenities


THE CAUSEWAY AT MOONLIGHT DRIVEPROPOSED


THE CAUSEWAY AT MOONLIGHT DRIVE

• Intersection improvements: artistic to highlight town’s local flavor/enhance placemaking; prioritizes pedestrian movement/increases visibility of pedestrians

• Pedestrian improvements: • Street furniture faces storefronts (rather than the street)• Low-growing flowering vegetation + shade trees increase buffer space between sidewalk +

road (doubles as rain garden)• Pedestrian-scale lighting and branded wayfinding improves walking experience

• Circulation improvements: • Bump-outs protect poles from vehicles and act as traffic-calming tool• Clear pavement markings and striped spaces are more intuitive for drivers, golf carts +

bicyclists

PROPOSED


RECOMMENDATIONS:


Moonlight Drive to Exxon Gas Station

RECOMMENDATIONS:


Exxon Gas Station to Fort Macon Road

PLAN VISION REVIEW• Maintain or increase the # of parking spaces for Causeway businesses• Manage traffic speed and flow along the Causeway

– Unnecessary/excessive driveways consolidated where feasible– Center medians with dedicated left turns – Striped parking spaces and continuous surface treatments – Shade trees in medians + planting strips and proposed bump-outs aid in traffic-calming

• Improve ped/bike/golf cart flow along the Causeway– Continuous network of multi-use paths, sidewalks, and shared-lanes along the Causeway

• Improve relationship between Causeway buildings and the streets– Sidewalk and crossing improvements that safely bring people closer to building frontages – Furnishings and other amenities that face building frontages and visually connect the corridor

with repetition of elements• Identify opportunities for landscaping

– Existing landscape areas widened along the Causeway and enhanced with low-maintenance perennials and shade trees

• Improve visibility for Causeway businesses through wayfinding


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