City of O'Fallon, IL - Chapter 2<br />Bicycle Facilities Plan

Chapter 2
Bicycle Facilities Plan

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II. Bicycle Facilities Plan

Introduction and Purpose

This chapter presents a coordinated plan for the establishment of bicycle facilities in the City of O’Fallon. It builds upon the information and analysis provided in Chapter I. It also takes into consideration the comments heard at the public meeting held on August 4, 2004. The purpose of this plan is to recognize and formalize bicycling as an element of transportation, recreation and fitness in the city.

A. Goals and Objectives

1. Develop Bikeways as an Important Element in the City’s Transportation and Recreation System

a. Establish a Bicycle Facilities Committee (BFC) comprised of representatives from the Departments of Public Works, Parks & Recreation, and Planning, to oversee design, development, engineering and ongoing operation of the bikeway system.

b. The BFC should meet regularly and on an ongoing basis to develop and manage the physical components of the bikeway system.

c. Develop appropriate budget levels and an implementation timetable.

d. Selectively modify existing city streets when financially feasible, to include bicycle accommodations that are appropriate to traffic levels and to the type of traffic.

e. Ensure that new local, collector, and arterial roads are designed to include bicycle facilities that are adequate for projected traffic levels as well as the anticipated type of traffic (automobiles, trucks, and buses).

f. Utilize, to the extent feasible, inactive rail corridors as well as utility and drainage corridors, to develop a trail/greenway system that interconnects neighborhoods with institutional, commercial, and retail areas.

g. Strive to ensure that the network of linear trails and on-street bikeways is sufficient to enable bicycle movement between most residential, institutional, and commercial/retail land uses as directly as possible.

h. Adhere to appropriate federal and state design guidelines and standards for bicycle facilities.

2. Establish Programs to Effectively and Safely Use the Bikeway System

a. Establish a Bicycle Task Force (BTF) made up of representatives from the Police Department, local schools, businesses and the community at large, to oversee development of programs to promote effective usage of the Bikeway System. The Mayor’s Office or a designee should make appointments.

b. The BTF should meet regularly to oversee the implementation of all programmatic aspects of the Bicycle Facilities Plan.

c. Support the Police Department in the enforcement of all applicable state laws regarding bicycle operation and road-sharing, and in the development and enforcement of additional local ordinances as appropriate.

d. Educate cyclists on safe bicycle operation.

e. Educate both bicyclists and motorists on how roads can be safely shared.

f. Encourage bicycle usage for transportation, recreation, and fitness purposes.

B. Bicycle Facility Components

1. Introduction

This section addresses the physical aspects of the O’Fallon Bicycle Facilities Plan. The principle component is the plan on the following page (Illustration 17). Key elements of this plan include:

2. Trails

It is proposed that several additional trails be developed and interconnected – through a system of bicycle routes and bicycle lanes – with the three existing facilities in Hesse Rock Springs, and St. Ellen Mine Parks. These trails will become the backbone of O’Fallon’s new interconnected bikeway system, and would ensure the preservation of alternative transportation, recreation, and environmental habitat corridors as residential development continues. They are described below.

North Extension of Hesse Park Trail. The unused rail corridor north of Kyle Road should be developed into a trail. The new trail is approximately 2.8

miles in length, and would be connected to the existing Hesse Park facility by way of a bicycle route on Illini Avenue. This trail will provide important alternative transportation, recreation, and fitness opportunities for residents in the city’s near-northern subdivisions.

Ogles Creek Trail. The Ogles Creek corridor should be designated as an official Greenway under the Park/Open Space provisions of the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the designation would be to recognize a set of unique conditions that further differentiate this corridor from those typically associated with the city’s Riparian Zones X and Y. (A definition of the proposed greenway zone with approximate limits and permitted uses is provided in the Implementation Strategy section.) The trail would be built within the greenway corridor and would encompass approximately 6.5 miles. It would extend from Milburn School Road on the south to a point near the Old Lebanon-Troy Road on the northeast. The Ogles Creek Trail will provide alternative transportation, recreation, and fitness opportunities to the northwestern, northern, and northeastern portions of the city where significant residential growth is anticipated to occur.

Engle Creek Trail. A 6.5 mile trail along Engle Creek should be developed from its western terminus at the Hesse Park Trail to Reider Road at the east edge of city’s Facility Planning Area (FPA). The entire Engle corridor should be designated as an official Greenway. The trail will provide important alternative transportation, recreation, and fitness opportunities for the residents on the east side of the city, and to students at the Oak Hill, Moye, and Hinchcliffe Schools.

Rock Springs Branch Trail. The Rock Springs Branch offers another unique trail/greenway opportunity for residents in the southeastern portion of the city. Here, a trail should be developed within an officially -designated greenway corridor from Edgewood Drive on the southwest to its terminus at the Engle Creek trail on the northeast. This facility would be approximately 4.5 miles in length, and would provide critical connections to the Rock Springs Park and its trail system. The Rock Springs Branch corridor should be designated as a greenway. The corridor is also close to O’Fallon Township High School and to the Laverna Evans Elementary School, which will provide important alternative transportation opportunities for students.

Silver Creek Trail. Silver Creek provides the fourth trail/greenway opportunity for O’Fallon. It should also be designated as a greenway. This facility will serve residents on the eastern portion of O’Fallon and could also represent a strong partnering opportunity with the city of Lebanon and Scott Air Force Base. Within the corridor, a trail is feasible from the northern FPA limit to the point south of I-64 and east of Air Force base where the creek corridor exits the FPA. The Silver Creek Greenway would result in a trail corridor of more than 9.5 miles. It would be the longest of the four greenways proposed in this plan. Because of its proximity to the three jurisdictions, it represents an ideal joint development opportunity.

Trail on Proposed Gateway Connector Alignment. IDOT’s proposed new Gateway Connector will result in extensive property acquisition to and the establishment of a major new roadway. It is intended to increase lane capacity to handle projected traffic demand in this growing portion of the region. Although this project is important and necessary, it will also have a major environmental impact on O’Fallon. The incorporation of a Class I Bicycle path within the project right-of-way could help to mitigate this impact and would result in the creation of a 7.5-mile long alternative transportation facility within a rapidly-growing development corridor. It would also establish a major new amenity for this portion of the region.

3. On-Street Bikeways

An extensive on-street system of bikeways should be developed to provide alternative transportation facilities for all areas of the city, as well as interconnections to activity generators and to the trail system described above. For each street segment, one of the bikeway treatment types identified on the following page (Illustration 16) is recommended.

The typology is based on guidance developed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for certain roads under its jurisdiction and described in its Bureau of Design and Environment Manual (BDM). It is also based on information provided by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC). Selected design sections and plan views from IDOT’s BDE manual which illustrate the typology, along with other design elements, can be found in Appendix C. Selected speed-volume matrices and charts from the PBIC which form the basis of the typology have been included in Appendix D.

Considerable portions of the IDOT and PBIC material reflect guidelines found in the Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). They are also supported by bikeway signage standards defined in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

All of this source material constitutes a substantial and growing body of data establishing acceptable on-street bikeway design practices.

Illustration 16. On-Street Treatment Typology

Treatment Type	Applicability	Design Treatment
a. Accommodation – Signed Shared Roadway	For busier roads with physical limitations that do not allow for widening in conformance with an official bicycle facility (such as a signed bike route or bike lane). They are intended for use by experienced bicyclists who are comfortable traveling on roadways.	Urban Section: Wide outside lanes – 14’ recommended, not including gutter pan. (A 13’ wide outside lane would provide some level of accommodation when the preferred widths are not available.) 15’ is preferred where extra space is required for maneuvering such as on steep grades or at railroad crossings which are not perpendicular to the direction of travel. Widening can often be accomplished through lane re-striping, and by reducing the width of the inside lane or left turn lane. Rural Section: A paved shoulder of any width up to 4’ is better than none at all; however, it cannot be signed as a bicycle facility. A width greater than 4’ is preferred, excluding gutter pans and rumble strips. 5’ is recommended from obstructions such as guard rails, signs, etc. Additional width is also recommended for higher bicycle traffic, motor vehicle speeds above 45 mph, and for higher truck/bus traffic. Warning Signage: “Share the Road with Bicycles” signs every 1/4-mile.

Illustration 16. On-Street Treatment Typology (cont’d.)

Treatment Type	Applicability	Design Treatment
b. Bicycle Lane	For busier roads with higher speeds and traffic volumes, including collectors and arterials with an urban or rural section. (Where roads may not be of sufficient width to enable the installation of bicycle lanes, consider reductions in vehicle speeds and/or traffic volumes to accommodate bicycles as per Type a treatment.) “: Busier road” is defined as either a road with permitted speed s of up to 35 mph and volumes of 10,000 + vehicles per day, or permitted speeds of 40 mph+ and volumes of 1200+ vehicles per day.	2-lane Rural Section: Min. 5’ + shoulders with 5’ striped bicycle lanes (5’, 12’, 12’, 5’). Widen shoulder on busier roads to provide more separation between motor vehicle lane and bike lane. 4-lane rural section: Min. 8’+ shoulders with 5’ striped bicycle lanes (5’, 3’, 12;, 12’, 12’, 12’, 3’, 5’). Widen shoulder to provide more separation between motor vehicle lane and bike lane. 2-Lane Urban Section: Min. 5’ striped bike lane, excluding gutter pan. With curb parking, add 5’ bike lane between parking and motor vehicle lane. (Min. 13’ between curb and motor vehicle lane, including gutter pan.) 4-lane Urban Section: Min. 5’ striped bike lane, excluding gutter pan. With curb parking, add 5’ for bike lane between parking and motor vehicle lane. (Min. 13’ between curb lane and motor vehicle lane, including gutter pan.)
c. Bicycle Route (Signed Shared Roadway)	Bicycle routes should be so-marked if they are continuous and meet standards identified in the AASHTO publication, “Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities,” and if they are at least one mile long. Shorter bike routes may be marked if they connect with other bike routes.	14’ outside lanes “Bicycle Route” and “Share the Road with Bicycles” Signs

The full listing of O’Fallon street segments and recommended treatments keyed to the previous typology is provided below (Illustration 17). Also refer to attached map, Illustration 18.

Illustration 17. On-Street Bikeways

Street From To Type Dist. (mi.)

Thouvenot/ Drake Rds	Ill. Rt. 159	Cross Rd.	c.	3.4
Wherry Rd.	Ill. Rt. 158	Reider Rd.	b.	1.5
Ashland Ave.	Old Collinsville	Central Park	a. Ashland does not have continuity. It will require a linear connecting trail through St. Ellen Mine Park, and “Share the Road with Bicycles” signs on either Booster Rd. or Friese Ln., to Hartmann and back to Ashland.	1.6
Cambridge Blvd.	Greenmount Rd.	Third St.	a.	0.6
Third St.	Cambridge Blvd.	Rock Springs Park trailhead	c.	2.0
W 5^th St/ U.S. 50	Old Collinsville Rd.	Reider Rd.	a.	6.9
State St./Old Vincennes Tr./ Borcher’s Ln	U.S. 50	Rock Springs Greenway	c.	4.4

Illustration 17 (cont’d.). On-Street Bikeways

Street From To Type Dist. (mi.)

Central Park/ Green Mount Crossing	Hartman Ln.	Greenmount Rd.	b.	1.7
New Road	Carr	Greenmount Rd.	b.	.7
E. Wesley	White Oak	Seven HIlls	a.	1.1
White Oak	E Wesley	Mace’s Grove	a.	.1
Mace’s Grove	White Oak	Engle Creek Greenway Trailhead	a.	.1
Porter Rd	Simmons Rd	Oberneufemann /Schwagel	c.	.4
Ogle Rd	Oberneufemann/ Schwagel	Hinchcliffe School	c.	.2
Hinchecliffe School road	Ogle	Hesse Park Trailhead	c.	.4
Milburn School	Ill. Rt. 159	Simmons	b.	3.3
Milburn School/Fairwood Hills Rd	Simmons	N. Lincoln/ Engle Creek Greenway trailhead	c.	1
West Deer Creek	Fairwood Hills Rd	Smiley St	c.	.7
Bethel Mine/Bethel School Rd.	Ill. Rt. 159	Bowler Rd. (extension of Lincoln)	b.	4.7
Lemen/Lemen Settlement	Bethel School Rd	Rail-Trail adj to Wiitte	a.	2.0
Witte/County LIne	Witte	Bowler Rd	a.	2.4
Haury Rd	Bowler Rd	Greenway	a.	.8
Haury Rd.	Greenway	Weil Rd.		.3
Weil Rd	Haury Rd	Scott-Troy Rd.	c.	.9
Ill. Rt. 159	Milburn School Rd.	Bethel Mine Rd.	b.	1.8
Old Collinsville Rd.	Drake/ Thouvenot Ln	Bethel School Rd.	a.	4.8

Illustration 17 (cont’d.). On-Street Bikeways

Street From To Type Dist. (mi.)

Hartmann Ln.	Thouvenot Ln.	U.S. 50	a.	1.5
N. Greenmount	Southern edge of FPA	State St.	c.	1.6
N. Greenmount	Thouvenot	State St.	a.	1.5
Porter / Vinita Rd	State St.	Oberneufemann	c.	1.3
Oberneufemann	State St.	Porter	a.	0.6
Illini Dr	Hesse Park Trail	Kyle Rd.	c.	1.0
Lincoln Ave	Thouvenot Ln	Bethel School Rd.	c.	4.0
Simmons / Witte	Porter Rd	Kyle	b.	1.1
Simmons/Witte	Kyle	Lemen Settlement	a.	2.8
Clarendon/ Tazwell Dr.	Fairwood Hills Rd.	Kyle Rd	a.	0.6
Vine St	5^thStreet	E. Wesley	a.	0.8
Smiley St.	U.S. 50	Deer Creek	a.	1.9
Timber Cr.	Dartmouth	U.S. 50	c.	.3
Seven Hills Rd.	U.S. 50	Haury/Weil Rd.	c.	4.6
Reider Rd.	Wherry Rd	Hagemann Rd	b.	3.1
Pierce/ Dartmouth	Greenmount Rd.	Timber Creek Lane	c.	1.9
5^th Street	U.S. 50	O’Fallon Comm. Park	a.	0.4
6^th Street	Smiley St	O’Fallon Comm. Park	a.	0.1
Seibert Rd.	Ill. Rt. 158	S. Old State	a.	0.5
S. Old State	Seibert Rd	Wherry Rd	a.	0.9