Transportation
Mini-Vision: We will have a convenient, efficient, and integrated transportation system that is accessible to people of any age, income, or ability. The system will allow freedom of choice between walking, bicycling, bus transit, rail, air, and personal automobile. It will facilitate economic development, sustainable use of energy and naturalresources, as well as human safety and health in both urban and rural areas of Greater Eau Claire.
Priority Issues to Be Addressed:
1. Making mass transit a real/reasonable choice for people. This includes insuring convenience, frequency, and accessibility to all neighborhoods and business centers as well as implementing Sunday service.
2. Intercity access which includes getting in and out of Eau Claire County. It will include such aspects as a Regional Transit Authority, rail, air, and passenger van service, and will strive for intermodal connectivity.
3. Creating a bicycle and pedestrian friendly infrastructure for recreation and commuting purposes.
Priority Issue Being Addressed: 1. Making mass transit a real/reasonable choice for people. This includes insuring convenience, frequency, and accessibility to all neighborhoods and business centers as well as implementing Sunday service.
Rationale for Addressing the Issue: Increasing fuel/energy costs; a growing need to improve impacts on the environment (emissions); the high cost of auto/vehicle ownership; reducing vulnerability to dependence on the automobile; benefits to economic growth/development; direction of urban development that will include more mixed-use neighborhoods and an invigorated city center.
Strategy to Address the Issue:
|
Action Step |
Parties Involved |
Timeline |
Resource Options |
|
1. Substantially increase EC Transit marketing/educational efforts 2. Create new Transit Development Plan (Long term growth plan). 3. Explore creating periphery parking and feeder/express routes as well as park & ride substations. 4. Support a multi-use, intermodal transfer center in downtown Eau Claire.
7. Establish a summer bus route loop to Carson Park, university, downtown, and Phoenix Park.
|
EC Transit, City Council EC Transit, local businesses, Wisconsin Department of Administration EC Transit, City Council, public, Representative Ron Kind
EC Transit, Chippewa Valley Museum, Parks & Recreation |
Immediate and ongoing
6 months (before Transit Development Plan process)
|
Grants, advertising revenue, partnerships Grants
Community organizations, businesses, neighborhood associations, educational institutions. UW-Eau Claire Student Senate, area businesses |
Measures of Success: Increased ridership, service, lower cost per rider, affordability for passengers maintained.
Priority Issue Being Addressed: Intercity access, which encompasses travel in to, out of, and within EC County
Rationale for Addressing the Issue: Insuring quality access has long term positive benefits to economic growth, development, and quality of life. The types of access include, but are not limited to: Rail, Regional Transit Authority, Passenger Bus Service, Air, Roads (freight/commuter/leisure). The City of Eau Claire would serve as the regional intermodal hub integrating bus lines, rail, and air.
Strategy to Address the Issue:
|
Action Step |
Parties Involved |
Timeline |
Resource Options |
|
1. Create Regional Transit Authority.
2. Secure rail option/access for West Central WI.
3. Promote intermodal, multi-use facilities and park & rides.
5. Encourage an employee-friendly environment for using alternative means of transportation (i.e. - carpool incentives, flexible hours to match mass transit schedules, reserved parking spaces for hybrid vehicles.) |
EC Transit, State Legislature, Governor, regional cities, towns such as Chippewa Falls, Fall Creek, Augusta, Hallie. West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission
Airport Commission/Staff, local entities
Local business, Local Gov't., Local educational institutions |
1-5 years
|
Explore various dedicated funding sources used by existing RTA's (i.e. - 1/4 % sales tax authority, advertising options for mass transit vehicles)
Fed, State, Public-Private partnerships
Fed, State, Public-Private partnerships
|
Measures of Success: Creation of Regional Transit Authority, rail network, increased airport utilization, building of intermodal multi-use facilities.
Priority Issue Being Addressed: Creating a bicycle-pedestrian friendly infrastructure
Rationale for Addressing the Issue: Benefits to health, economic development and growth, quality of life, and increasing the alternatives to transportation modes
Strategy to Address the Issue:
|
Action Step |
Parties Involved |
Timeline |
Resource Options |
|
1. Complete the trail systems for bicycling and walking, and way finding network (area wide). Include availability of quality bicycle maps for the system.
2. Promote sidewalk policies for area, and target specific pedestrian routes for areas with high potential usage (schools - ie 3rd Ward to Memorial - Planck Street Hill; South Hastings Way; grocery stores, schools, and shopping zones).
3. Improve pedestrian safety with effective signs and public awareness, especially regarding “Yielding to Pedestrians” law.
4. Promote mixed-use old and new neighborhoods which utilize higher density housing and access to commercial zones for such amenities as a grocery store.
5. Have the City of Eau Claire apply for "Bicycle Friendly Community" designation (info at http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/ )
|
Local Gov't., interested user groups, WI DOT, Chippewa Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Altoona Outdoors, Bike/Ped Advisory Commission
Local Gov't., building assoc., businesses, neighborhood assoc., Safe Routes to School Program
Local Gov't., Plan Commission, neighborhoods
|
immediate, 1-5 years
immediate, ongoing
immediate, ongoing
(Goal to reach Bronze by 2010, Silver by 2012, Gold by 2015) |
Grants, Fed., State, Public-Private partnerships, inter-governmental partnerships
Grants, use of existing programs, Safe Routes to School Program
Other communities who have the designation: Madison, La Crosse, etc. |
Measures of Success: Completion of trail system, bicycle-friendly street design policies, more people bicycling and walking for commuting and recreation purposes.