Map 3-3 depicts recommended bicycle system improvements, while the sections below describe the facility types and projects in greater detail.
(A) Bike lanes.
(1) The city’s major streets currently lack dedicated bike lanes, forcing cyclists to ride on narrow roadway shoulders (if they exist) or in vehicle travel lanes. Safely accommoda ting bicyclists on major roadways is important, as major streets generally offer the most direct routes between bicyclist destinations while providing better connectivity than lower-order streets. Consequent ly, commuter cyclists and those traveling longer distances often gravitate to these routes.
(2) Map 3-3 depicts proposed bike lanes on portions of S Main Street, E Eighth Street and Wallowa Avenue. The proposed bike lanes on S Main and E Eighth streets would transition to proposed shoulder bikeways on Wallowa Lake Highway, connecting cyclists to the future Marr Ranch State Scenic Area, Wallowa Lake and other destinations south of town. The Wallowa Avenue bike lanes would enhance east-west bikeway connections, linking with proposed shoulder bikeways on Hurricane Creek Road and Imnaha Highway. This project would also connect cyclists to two proposed Bicycle Boulevard corridors and a potential shared use path along the Wallowa Union Railroad.
(3) The city’s bike lane implementation projects would primarily occur through shoulder widening. Sufficient right-of-way width and minimal physical obstructions exist on most roadways targeted for improvements. Potential issues include topography and right-of-way encroachment on E Eighth Street, and the Big Bend Ditch bridge on W Wallowa Avenue.
(4 ) Depending on funding or other constraints , bike lane project implementation could occur in multiple phases. For instance, the city and ODOT could first widen the western/southern shoulder of S Main Street/E Eighth Street. This improvement would vastly improve conditions for southbound bicyclists riding in the uphill direction. As ODOT and Wallowa County own and maintain most roadways targeted for future bike lanes, the city will need to coordinate with these agencies during project planning, design and implementation.
(B) Shoulder bikeways.
(1) Shoulder bikeways are common in less-developed and rural areas, and typically consist of a wide paved shoulder for pedestrian and bicycle travel. This plan recommends shoulder bikeways on several roads in the city’s outlying areas, including Oregon 82, Imnaha Highway, Wallowa Lake Highway, and Airport Lane/Hurricane Creek Road. Shoulder bikeways on Oregon 82 and Imnaha Highway would connect cyclists to popular recreational riding routes such as Walker Lane, Wilson Lane and Dobbin Road. Shoulder bikeways on Wallowa Lake Highway (south of the proposed bike lanes on E Eighth Street) would better connect riders to the future Marr Ranch State Scenic Area, the Nez Perce National Historic Park, Wallowa County Park and Wallowa Lake.
(2) The city residents have consistently expressed a desire for shoulder bikeways on Airport Lane/Hurricane Creek Road, an attractive bicycle route linking Joseph with Enterprise. Several previous plans, including the Highway 82 Corridor Plan and Wallowa County TSP, reference this project (although funding has not been secured). Within the city’s urban growth boundary, sufficient right-of-way and bridge width may exist for shoulder widening, although bridges and culverts on the corridor’s remaining sections do not provide sufficient width.
(3) The proposed shoulder bikeway projects would require roadway widening, as most roads targeted for improvements currently provide narrow or no shoulders. Most proposed shoulder bikeways lie outside the city’s urban growth boundary and are located on county- or ODOT-owned roadways. The city should coordinate with these agencies to establish seamless bicycle connections in these jurisdictional transition areas.
(C) Bicycle boulevards.
(1) (a) The city benefits from a generally well-connected system of lower-volume streets that - with the addition of relatively small-scale treatments - could become spectacular bicycling routes for riders of all ages and skills.
(b) These streets (commonly referred to as “bicycle boulevards”) accommodate bicyclists and motorists in the same travel lanes often with no specific vehicle or bike lane delineation.
(c) Traffic controls along a bicycle boulevard assign priority to thru cyclists while encouraging thru vehicle traffic to use alternate parallel routes.
(d) Traffic calming and other treatments along the corridor reduce vehicle speeds so that motorists and bicyclists generally travel at the same speed, creating a safer and more- comfortable environment for all users.
(e) Boulevards also incorporate treatments to facilitate safe and convenient crossings where bicyclists must traverse major streets.
(f) Bicycle boulevards work best in well-connected street grids where riders can follow reasonably direct and logical routes with few “twists and turns”.
(g) Boulevards also work best when higher-order parallel streets exist to serve thru vehicle traffic.
(2) Map 3-3 depicts two primary bicycle boulevard corridors in the city. A bicycle boulevard on Mill Street would connect western Joseph neighborhoods with Joseph City Park, while providing an alternative route to Main Street. Located one block west of Main Street, this corridor would lie within close proximity of downtown Joseph businesses and other attractions.
(3) Eastside Bicycle Boulevard Subarea.
(a) The project team conducted a more detailed evaluation to determine an appropriate Bicycle Boulevard corridor on the city’s eastside. Map 3-4 illustrates three potential corridors, including Lake, College and East Streets. The map graphically depicts benefits and drawbacks of each corridor, while the following table lists the evaluation criteria and results. The evaluation considered several elements affecting the bicycling environment, including pavement conditions, number of stopping points along the corridor, proximity to bicyclist destinations and quality of intersections.
(b) The following and Map 3-4 demonstrate that each corridor presents benefits and drawbacks, with no single corridor emerging as the preferred route. The project team, working with city staff, bicycle advocates and city residents, ultimately selected a hybrid alignment following Lake and College Streets, shown on Map 3-3. The Lake/College Bicycle Boulevard would provide direct access to Joseph Elementary School while lying within close proximity of Downtown Joseph businesses and attractions. This corridor also directly connects cyclists with a potential Marr Ranch State Scenic Area access point at S Main Street’s south terminus.
Eastside Bicycle Boulevard Corridors Evaluation | |||
Evaluation Criterion | Potential Corridors | ||
Option 1: Lake Street | Option 2: College Street | Option 3: East Street | |
Eastside Bicycle Boulevard Corridors Evaluation | |||
Evaluation Criterion | Potential Corridors | ||
Option 1: Lake Street | Option 2: College Street | Option 3: East Street | |
Total corridor length | 18 blocks | 18 blocks | 11 blocks |
# of stopping points for bicyclists on corridor between E Eighth Street and E Wallowa Avenue* | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Proximity to Main Street | 1 block | 2 blocks | 3 blocks |
Proximity to Joseph Elementary School | Adjacent to school | Adjacent to school | 1 block |
Proximity to Joseph Middle/High Schools | 3 blocks from school access road | 2 blocks from school access road | 1 block from school access road |
Potential conflicts with school bus loading zones | No | Yes | No |
Total existing marginal/poor pavement length | 9 blocks | 7 blocks | 4 blocks |
Total unpaved road length | 2.5 blocks | 0.5 blocks | 0 blocks |
# of intersections needing improvements” | 4 | 3 | 5 |
* This segment is the only common segment among the three corridors; count includes stopping points at E Eighth Street and at E Wallowa Avenue. ** Depending on location, intersection improveme nts may include marked crosswalks and warning signage, vegetatio n removal to improve sight distance, and/or installation of traffic- control devices where they currently do not exist. | |||
(4) Map 3-5 depicts the proposed Eastside Bicycle Boulevard in greater detail, highlighti ng specific improvem ents necessary to transform this corridor into a premier bicycle facility. Recomme nded improvem ents range from relatively low-cost measures such as wayfinding signage, directional pavement markings, and minor intersection traffic control revisions, to higher-cost measures such as pavement resurfacing. The Eastside Bicycle Boulevard would also take advantage of proposed improvements at the E Eighth Street at S College Street intersection, described earlier in this chapter.
(D) Other bikeway system improvements.
(1) Wallowa Lake State Park Access.
(a) City residents have routinely expressed interest in improved bikeway connections to Wallowa Lake State Park.
1. Numerous planning documents reference this strongly-desired connection and offer potential improvement options.
2. The Highway 82 Corridor Plan recommends evaluation of potential shoulder widening on Wallowa Lake Highway’s east side between the State Park and Wallowa County Park.
3. The Corridor Plan, Wallowa Lake State Park Master Plan and Joseph and Wallowa County TSPs also recommend consideration of a potential soft surface trail on the lake’s west side, which would also serve as a secondary emergency access road to/from the State Park.
4. Depending on the roadway targeted for improvements, the project would fall under Wallowa County or ODOT jurisdiction.
(b) Establishing a dedicated bicycle facility (e.g., shoulder bikeways, shared use paths, or soft surface trails) could incur substantial cost; however several cost-effective interim options exist, including:
1. Lowering the existing posted speed on Wallowa Lake Highway between Wallowa County Park and Wallowa Lake State Park (the current posted speed is 55 mph). This measure would require a speed study to be conducted, and is also subject to ODOT approval;
2. Installing warning signs at pre-determined distances along the highway advising motorists of bicyclists’ presence (similar to existing “BIKES ON ROADWAY” signs on Wallowa Lake Highway north of Wallowa County Park); and
3. Routine police enforcement of speeding and other relevant traffic laws.
(B) Citywide improvements.
(1) Bike parking.
(a) Lack of secure, convenient bike parking is a deterrent to bicycle travel. Bicyclists need parking options that provide security against theft, vandalism and weather. Like automobile parking, bike parking is most effective when located close to trip destinations, is easy to access and is easy to find. Where quality bike parking facilities are not provided, determined bicyclists lock their bicycles to street signs, utility poles or trees. These alternatives are undesirable as they are usually not secure, may interfere with pedestrian movement and can create liability issues or damage street furniture or trees. Bike parking facilities that are conveniently located and adequate in both quantity and quality can help reduce bicycle theft and eliminate inappropriate parking, benefitting everyone. Bike parking is also highly cost-effective compared with automobile parking.
(b) The city currently specifies minimum bike parking requirements for multi-family housing, public parking lots, schools and downtown businesses. Although the city’s “blanket” requirements ensure a minimum number of bike parking spaces for most developments, the requirements may not fully address parking demand for some land uses. The city also currently lacks bike parking facility design requirements (e.g., rack type, distance between spaces and the like). The proposed Zoning Ordinance updates developed as part of this plan reflect guidelines outlined in the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (Draft update) and ODOT’s Model Development Code and User’s Guide for Small Cities.
(c) Zoning Ordinance enforcement holds equal importance. The city should periodically undertake a bicycle parking analysis to determine whether all of the bicycle parking required by the ordinance is provided and, if so, that it is sited in locations that are visible and free of obstacles. It should also be noted that the proposed ordinance updates only establish parking minimums and new developments should be encouraged to exceed these standards.
(2) Pedestrian/bicycle/transit connections.
(a) Tremendous opportunities exist for increasing pedestrian/bicycle/transit connections in the city. Pedestrian infrastructure improvements leading to the community connections shuttle route would enhance pedestrian safety, comfort and may generate more ridership since most passengers start and end their trips on foot. Integrating bicycles with transit allows the bicyclist to overcome barriers such as hills, inclement weather, night riding and breakdowns.
(b) To improve the pedestrian/bicycle/transit link, the city and community connections should:
1. Complete the sidewalk network on both sides of streets along the community connections shuttle route (specifically along S Main and E Eighth Streets) to ensure connectivity and accessibility for all users;
2. Provide benches, shelters, lighting, posted maps and schedules at transit stops (if designated stops are established);
3. Provide secure bike parking at or near transit stops (including bike racks for short-term parking and bike lockers or other facilities for long-term parking); and
4. Ensure that bicycles are always allowed on shuttle buses and other transit vehicles.
(3) Other improvements. The city should implement the following additional infrastructure improvements to further enhance walking and bicycling:
(a) Install warning signage on high-volume roadways (e.g., Engleside Avenue and Ski Run Road) advising motorists of bicycle/pedestrian traffic (particularly on roads lacking dedicated walking/bicycling facilities);
(b) Develop and implement a bicycle/pedestrian wayfinding signage plan;
(c) Develop a routine walkway and bikeway maintenance program and schedule (e.g., sweeping, pothole repair, pavement upgrades, snow/ice removal);
(d) Implement traffic calming measures as needed;
(e) Ensure that all new and upgraded pedestrian facilities meet ADA standards and guidelines;
(f) Provide sidewalks on both sides of new and reconstructed streets;
(g) Retrofit existing streets with sidewalks on both sides where possible;
(h) Complete sidewalk gaps, especially near schools and other activity centers; and
(i) Upgrade and repair existing cracked sidewalks and curb ramps.
(Ord. passed 6- -2009)