Background Data to Aid in Corridor Planning Sara

Background Data to Aid in Corridor Planning Sara Leitner MS Transportation

What is Corridor Planning? l l l A framework to enhance the connection between land use and transportation planning City of Austin has created a corridor planning guidebook to aid in this process Objective: – To identify issues that need to be addressed on the candidate corridor

Background Data l Area Maps – l l l Corridor Boundaries, Land Use, Neighborhood Associations, Facilities Pedestrian Walkable Catchments Accident Type and Location Other

Data Sources l l City of Austin GIS Data Sets website Orthophotographic Imagery

Creating Area Maps l Easy to create using basic functions learned in class this semester

Corridor Map

Land Use Map

Neighborhood Association Map

Facilities Map

Pedestrian Walkable Catchment Areas l l l Method used presented by the Congress for the New Urbanism in a Transportation Tech Sheet “Maps showing the actual area within a five- to ten- minute walking distance from any activity center or transportation stop. ” A good target is 60%

Method for Determining Walkable Catchments l Set-up Arc. View Themes – l l Add Network Analyst Extension Choose Find Service Area Option – l Add Themes to view and change units to feet This will allow the five- and ten- minute walking distances to be entered into the program Choose Line Length as the Cost Field

Method for Determining Walkable Catchments l Locate the Site using the address button l Specify 1320 feet (one-quarter mile, five-minute distance) Solve l – Two new themes are created: Network area and the Network itself.

Method for Determining Walkable Catchments l Find the parcels touching the network

Method for Determining Walkable Catchments l Edit the new Shapefile

North Loop Branch Library Catchment l The area of the parcels touching the network is 46. 4 acres making a walkable catchment of 37. 1%.

Transportation Stop l l The five-minute area is 79. 2% (45. 0%). The ten-minute area is 48. 1% (39. 5%).

Results of Walkable Catchment Location Walkable Catchment Percentage HEB Grocery Store 47. 4% (35. 7%) North Loop Branch Library 37. 1% Upper Crust Bakery 77. 4% (43. 1%)

Results of Walkable Catchment Transportation Walkable Catchment Percentage Stop 5 -minute 10 -minute 49 th Street 79. 2% (45. 0%) 48. 1% (39. 5%)

Concerns with this Method l l l Not totally accurate due to the use of the Street Network not Sidewalk Network Jaywalking, ADA ramps, Crosswalks and Cut. Thrus Could help discontinuity

Conclusions on GIS use for Background Data in Planning l l Provides an easy way to present visual cues in corridor studies Walkable Catchments are fast and easy to determine – This will help determine areas of the street network that needs to be concentrated on for pedestrian accessibility.