Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
Columbus City Council passed Ordinance 0849-2008 adopting the Columbus Bicentennial Bikeways Plan (BBP). The BBP recommends a "Share the Road" bicycle awareness and educational campaign to encourage the sharing of the High Street corridor from Nationwide Boulevard to Morse Road between motor vehicles, bicyclists and all other users.
High Street provides a key north-south connection between residential neighborhoods of the Short North, The Ohio State University Campus, and the Clintonville community as well as many retail establishments and the downtown core. It is a heavily traveled corridor by bicyclists, motor vehicles, and buses, and it provides a critical link in the Columbus transportation network carrying from 18,000 to 30,000 vehicles daily. During the development of the BBP, the section of High Street between Nationwide Boulevard and Morse Road was found to experience the highest concentration of bicycle related crashes of all arterial roadways evaluated from 2000 to 2004. There were 102 bicycle related crashes in this corridor over the five year period.
The City had previously hired a consultant to provide general bikeway engineering services, who is presently designing the locations for "Share The Road" signage and special pavement markings, or "Sharrows", throughout the approximately 6.5-mile long corridor. Design is planned to be completed in 2009 with construction completed in 2010. In addition, the consultant has provided assistance to the City in creating the education and awareness campaign, which was unveiled at the City's 2009 Bike To Work Week event held in May.
The Share the Road project was proposed in the City's 2009 Capital Improvement Program, as funding became available. However, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) approached the City earlier in 2009 with the opportunity to provide funding for the Share the Road project through the ODOT highway safety program. ODOT has committed funding up to $200,000 after reviewing the scope of the Share the Road project. In addition to providing funding for the High Street portion of this project, ODOT has given the City permission to use for other Share the Road priority locations the balance of the grant remaining after the High Street Project is completed. These locations will be determined using priorities from the Bicentennial Bikeways plan that meet ODOT grant criteria.
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Service to accept a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) in the amount of $200,000.00 and enter into an LPA agreement with ODOT for the implementation and installation of "Share -The Road" signage and "Sharrows" pavement markings.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
No additional City contributions to the project are anticipated, as the construction of this project will be 100% funded by ODOT with no local match required, except any items not covered by the grant. Funding for this project will provided in the form of a reimbursement grant from ODOT.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Service to accept and enter into an LPA agreement for a $200,000.00 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation for the Share the Road Project on behalf of the Department of Public Service, Division of Mobility Options. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City has identified the need and proposes the improvement of High Street between Nationwide Boulevard and Morse Road with "Share - The Road" signage and "Sharrows" pavement markings; and
WHEREAS, ODOT has committed to funding up to $200,000 for the Share the Road project; and
WHEREAS, additional Share the Road priority roadway locations may be improved, depending on remaining ODOT grant funding after the High Street portion of the project is constructed; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Department of Public Service be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant and enter into an LPA agreement for up to $200,000.00 from the Ohio Department of Transportation to implement and install "Share the Road" signage and "Sharrows" pavement markings on High Street between Spring Street and Morse Road, and other Share the Road priority locations on behalf of the Department of Public Service, Division of Mobility Options.
Section 2. That the Director of Public Service be and hereby is authorized to enter into an agreement with ODOT to memorialize both parties' responsibilities for the "High Street; Share - The - Road" awareness/encouragement, educational, engineering and enforcement campaign effort.
Section 3. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.