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To:

From:

Re:

D. Motion:

Discussion:

City of Nashua, Public Works Division

Board of Public Works Meeting Date: May 25, 2022

Daniel Hudson, P.E., City Engineer
Engineering Department

Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) Project

To approve the engineering services contract for the Safe Transportation for Every
Pedestrian project with Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc. of Manchester, NH in an
amount not to exceed $59,980. Funding will be through Department: 160
Admin/Engineering, Fund: Grant & Prior Year Escrow, Activity: Rectangular
Rapid Flashing Beacons STEP Grant.

The Division of Public Works selected Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc. (HTA)
for on-call engineering services for highway, bridge, traffic, and bicycle/pedestrian
infrastructure under RFQ0657-092420. As a task order under this selection, HTA
will be engaged to assist with the City’s Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian
(STEP) project.

The City of Nashua was selected as a sub-recipient of an AID Demonstration grant
for the STEP Program Implementation Project. The scope of this project is to design
and implement safer pedestrian crossings throughout the downtown area. These
crossings will be enhanced with high visibility markings, signage, curb extensions,
and rectangular rapid flashing beacons.

ifvetets601) Nashua \

Implementation Report Card
Baseline —> 2030 Target

% Households within 1/4 mile
of Transit stop
81% —>85%

Pedestrian Walkability: % of
most walkable roads
39% —>55%

Bicycle Traffic Stress: % of
least stressful roads
30% —>40%

Mean Travel Time to Work
(minutes)
27 —>25

Top Goal 1:
Equitable and
Connected
Transportation

Networks

Ensure access to a range of
transportation options that meet
the current and future mobility
needs of residents, workers, and
visitors of all ages, incomes and
abilities.

Action: Ensure all
public rights-of-way
are Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA)-
compliant

Recommendation 1

Timeframe: Near-term

Create an ADA Transition Plan

to guide the upgrade of existing
public right-of-way infrastructure
to meet accessibility standards.

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

Recommendation 2

Timeframe: Ongoing

Review designs for all new
public right-of-way projects to
ensure they comply with ADA
accessibility standards.

Recommendation 3

Timeframe: Ongoing

Adopt the Access Board’s Public
Right of Way Accessibility
Guidelines (PROWAG) to help
engineers meet accessibility
standards.

Recommendation 4

Timeframe: Mid-term

Create a form that can be
accessed online for residents
and visitors to submit reasonable
modification requests to respond
to accessibility issues.

Comprehensive Master Plan

Mobility and Transit

There is an opportunity to build out transportation networks throughout
the City that are equitable, and accessible to all transit users regardless
of their ability, age, and income.

Action: Adopt Complete

Streets policy and

initiatives.

Recommendation 1 Recommendation 2
Timeframe: Mid-term Timeframe: Ongoing

Develop Complete Street In conjunction with Complete
Guidelines to streamline future Street Guidelines update road and
design and create dimensional sidewalk standards to meet the
standards based on national needs of all transportation users.

best practice guidance such
as NACTO Urban Street Design
Guide, NACTO Urban Bikeway °
Design Guide, NACTO Designing Recommendation 3
for All Ages and Abilities, NACTO Timeframe: Near/Mid-term
Transit Street Guide, AASHTO

Guide for the Development of Develop Complete Streets Task
Bicycle Facilities, FHWA Achieving Force to champion transportation
Multimodal Networks, FHWA efforts in the City.

Bikeway Selection Guide, FHWA
Separated Bike Lane Planning
and Design Guide, and MassDOT
Separated Bike Lane Design
Guide.

Main Street crosswalk 101

ifvetets601) Nashua \

Action: Build robust, safe
and connected pedestrian
and bicycle network.

Recommendation 1

Timeframe: Ongoing

Improve pedestrian and bicycle
access to all open spaces, and
recreational areas.

- Evaluate opportunities for
developing buffered or
protected bicycle lanes and
opportunities for creating
shared bicycle and pedestrian
pathways to increase safety
and accessibility for all ages
and abilities.

- Address areas of concern

highlighted in the Nashua

Bicycle and Pedestrian

Project including, Main Street/

Downtown, Amherst Street,

Daniel Webster Highway, and

the North End.

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

When roads are improved
(including repaving),

evaluate and implement
accommodations for bicyclists
and pedestrians in the design,
when feasible.

Prioritize first-last mile bicycle
facilities between future
commuter rail stops and
neighborhoods

Include bicycle parking in
major activity centers and
destinations to encourage
bicycling throughout the city.
Develop a Bicycle and
Pedestrian Master Plan for
the city, to further implement
these recommendations.

Action: Adopt a Vision
Zero policy with the goal
of reducing traffic injuries
and fatalities on Nashua
streets

Recommendation 1

Timeframe: Mid-term

Identify streets where fatal or
serious injury collisions are likely
to occur and prioritize these areas
for safety-related improvements.

Crosswalk in front of Nashua Transit Center

Comprehensive Master Plan

Mobility and Transit

103

ifvetets601) Nashua \

Action: Expand Rideshare
and Shared Micromobility
Options

Recommendation 1

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

Recommendation 3

Timeframe: Ongoing
* Seek partnership to

reimplement bike share
systems.

Recommendation 2

Timeframe: Mid-term

With new bikeshare program,
start a pilot in one zone of the City
with key destinations to build up
support and a fan base among the
community.

Timeframe: Near/Mid-term

As support and funding continues
to grow, expand the bikeshare and
e-scooter program throughout the
City.

Recommendation 4

Timeframe: Near/Mid-term

Ensure that bikeshare and
e-scooters stations are placed
near important destinations, like
job centers, shopping areas, the
downtown, and popular civic
assets (the riverfront, town hall,
the library, etc.) to encourage
the use of less carbon intensive
transportation methods.

Recommendation 5

Timeframe: Mid-term

Work with a carshare vendor to

locate shared vehicle spaces in

residential neighborhoods so

people can reduce their need

to own a private vehicle while

retaining access to cars when

necessary.

* Work with developers to
include car share spaces in lieu
of parking minimums.

Recommendation 6

Timeframe: Mid-term

Conduct a feasibility study to
determine the desire for employer
based carpooling or rideshare
programs.

Recommendation 7

Timeframe: Mid-term

Provide wayfinding and
educational programming to aid
residents, visitors, and people
who work in Nashua how to use
the alternative transportation
methods.

EScooter Share

Comprehensive Master Plan

Mobility and Transit

105

ifvetets601) Nashua \

Action: Collaborate

with regional transit
authorities to improve
regional public
transportation options
for City residents, visitors
and workers to reduce
reliance on automobiles.

Recommendation 1

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

Recommendation 3

Timeframe: Ongoing
Expand transportation services

for seniors to encourage aging in
place.

Recommendation 2

Timeframe: Ongoing/Long-term

Improve frequency on key Nashua
Transit System routes.

Recommendation 4

Timeframe: Ongoing

Implement bus lanes, improved
transit shelters, and transit
signal timing in coordination with
Nashua Transit System and other
regional transit authorities to
improve bus operations.

Timeframe: Mid-term

Expand Nashua Transit System
route in the evenings, on
weekends, and on holidays so
transit is a reliable option for
everyone.

Recommendation 5
Timeframe: Ongoing

Advocate for new Nashua
Transit System and regional
transportation routes to cover
more of the places people live,
work, and visit in Nashua.

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Top Goal 2:

Carbon-free
Transportation and
Building Design
Advance carbon-free
transportation and building
design to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.

Action: Encourage the
accelerated adoption of
electric vehicles.

Recommendation 1

Timeframe: Near-term/Ongoing

Develop public awareness
campaigns to encourage
consumer purchase of electric
vehicles.

- Provide training for City staff
to understand the benefits
of electric vehicles and
infrastructure needed to
increase charging capacity for
the City.

* Provide workshop and event
days to educate the public on
the benefits of switching to
electric.

https://imagine.nashuanh.gov

Recommendation 2

Timeframe: Near-term/Ongoing

Increase availability of charging

stations throughout the city.

- Upgrade land use codes
to have underground
infrastructure for charging to be
run at the exterior of residential
parking lots.

- Add two Level 3 DCFC charging
stations to each downtown
parking garage (High Street and
Elm Street)

- After that, add one more Level
3 DCFC station each year until
there are ten stations in each
downtown parking garage.

» Eliminate any property
tax increase that could be
associated with adding a
charging station to a residence,
workplace, or shopping center.

- Facilitate the creation of
additional privately-owned but
publicly-accessible Level 2
charging stations.

- Increase the number of
City-owned Level 2 charging
stations.

- Develop requirement for
new construction to require
publicly-accessible charging
stations

* Continue to partner with the
state and region to implement
electric corridor study, to
continue locating more stations
citywide.