2010-252A (03) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element In order to fund these improvements, the County will have to increase its level of local commitment to bike/ped improvements to at least $200,000 a year In addition, the County needs to use available SAFETEA-LU enhancement funds for bike/ped facility construction. Finally, the County should commit to incorporate bike/ped improvements in all roadway improvement projects when feasible. While previous planning efforts have focused on new on -road bike/ped facility construction, the purpose of all bike/ped planning efforts is to provide for continuous movement and access from trip generators such as housing areas to trip attractor areas such as shopping, employment, and recreation. One new way that the county can increase mobility for cyclists and pedestrians is through development of Greenway networks. Greenway facilities such as the proposed Airport/Aviation Boulevard loop will provide a safe off-road travel alternative in corridors with low Bike/Ped levels of service such as US 1, 41" Street, and 43rd Avenue. Going forward, the county should adopt a policy to encourage the development of its greenways, such as by requiring construction of greenway segments adjacent to future development. Transit As evidenced by the recent marked increase in fixed route transit ridership, the county's fixed route transit system appears to be successfully meeting the needs of its users by providing efficient and accessible public transportation. One factor responsible for this increase was the decision to separate transit service in Indian River County into two distinct components: Indian River Transit, which offers scheduled fixed -route services along established routes for all interested riders; and Community Coach, which offers paratransit services to qualified riders. This initiative increased brand recognition and helped change perceptions about transit as a disabled -only service. In addition, routes have been modified to provide better access to major trip attractors. Besides relocating the transit hub from the Vero Beach Airport to Pocahontas Park, the county's transit provider (the SRA) established two additional transit station transfer points: one at the Gifford Health Center and the other at the Food Court in the Indian River Mall. Besides an increase in absolute transit ridership numbers, there has also been a corresponding increase in transit efficiency. Since transit service was first initiated, both ridership per capita and ridership per route mile have increased by 500%. This indicates that a higher percentage of the public is using transit, and there is increased use of buses on the road. At the same time, the cost per mile has increased only marginally, indicating both an efficient use of resources and a savings by switching passengers to fixed route services. Another aspect of public transportation that has seen improvement is regional transit service. Since 2007, the county has been providing service between southern Brevard and northern Indian River counties. Surveys conducted as part of the TDP update indicate that there may be some demand for expanded regional service. In the future, the county should expand its regional transit offerings, especially to St. Lucie and Martin counties. The county should also consider coordinating with adjacent counties in order to solve the problem of paying for service that crosses jurisdictional boundaries. That coordination could involve entering into interlocal agreements or establishing a regional authority. Community Development Department Indian River County 106