Transit Access Study: Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress

Public Transportation in the New Hampshire Seacoast provides residents with critical access to jobs, medical care, education and training, grocery shopping and other basic life needs. COAST and UNH Wildcat Transit also provide area employers access to an expanded labor pool, particularly given challenges with housing affordability in employment centers like Portsmouth and Dover, and UNH’s main campus in Durham.

While many of the 441 stops on COAST’s fixed route network and 143 stops on UNH Wildcat Transit’s regional network are in relatively walkable downtown areas, many others are along auto-oriented arterials with inconsistent or in some cases nonexistent sidewalks and crossing safety measures. To some degree this is simply a result of the economics of land development, as affordable land tends to be outside of downtown centers, so that’s where affordable housing is built, and where many workers critical to the region’s economy tend to live. Other commercial development along these corridors tends to be auto-oriented, such that to date municipalities have not invested in pedestrian facilities there, or required developers do so as new projects are permitted and built.

The intent of this project is to assess pedestrian access in the vicinity of transit stops on the COAST and Wildcat fixed route networks. This includes not just whether sidewalks exist on the main streets and roads where transit stops are located; but also where gaps exist on connecting streets that transit riders use to walk from the stop to their neighborhood, to work, to the library or the park. Sidewalk data was collected and analyzed with a model of Pedestrian Level of Traffic Stress (PLTS) to identify road segments in transit stop areas where sidewalks do not exist, or are in deteriorated condition. To assist municipalities in prioritizing sidewalk gaps and rehabilitation needs, the project also includes a series of connectivity analyses identifying segments that connect to the greatest number of nearby destinations.

Land Use Applications

Following the geographical model of transit access points, the planning commissions worked together to compile proposed language and best practices for communities to utilize in their site plan and subdivision regulations for the purpose of increasing accessibility and encouraging transit usage. These include the addition of sidewalks where possible and ensuring maintenance agreements are in place for potential transit shelters. Some of this model language was piloted with the cities of Portsmouth and Dover. Portsmouth opted to implement some of these changes in their site plan regulations, while Dover sought information about some of the best practices and how they could be implemented in the technical review committee (TRC) process. This comes at a time where the City of Dover is pursuing alternatives to impact fees. SRPC provided suggested amendments to requirements the City asks for in traffic impact studies that major developments are often required to provide, and some additional guidance for pursuing transit and transportation-related exactions from developers and applicants.