URBAN DESIGN work volume Eric Burnside
Curriculum Vitae metLEX Lexington Streetcar Proposal Art in Motion Lextran Bus Stop Design Competition Phoenix Park Pavilion
Curriculum Vitae Eric Burnside eburnside91@gmail.com 859-576-0440
Personal Information Name: Eric Thomas Burnside Birthdate: 04.11.1991 Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky Current Residence: Lexington, Kentucky Citizenship: United States of America Languages: English, German Educational Background Lafayette Senior High School / School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCAPA) Location: Lexington, Kentucky Years: 2005-2009 Status: Graduated Diplomas Conferred: Commonwealth Diploma, SCAPA, Pre-Engineering University of Kentucky Location: Lexington, Kentucky Years: 2009-2013 Status: Graduated Degrees Conferred: Bachelors of Arts in Architecture (BAARCH) Fields of Study: Architecture (Major), German (Minor), Philosophy Personal History Community Involvement: UKLFUCG Arboretum (2003-2008), Boyscouts of America, Destination 2040: Lexington Fayette Urban County Government 2009 Foreign Travel: German American Partnership Program (GAPP) 2007
Extracurriculars American Institute of Architecture Students 2009-2012 Director of the AIAS & Eastern Kentucky AIA Mentorship Program Assistant Exhibition Organizer of the College of Design Student Work Exhibition AIAS Mentorship Program 2010: EOP Architects, Lexington KY Spring Break Practice Preview 2012: mOrphosis Architects, New York City, New York Translations Workshop Series 2012: Instructors Brennan Buck of Freeland Buck and Kyle Miller of Eighty-Eight West Fresh Punches @ Land of Tomorrow Gallery 2012 University of Kentucky Feminist AllianceMember 2013 Fayette Alliance Allies for the Alliance Member 2013 Awards & Honors Eagle Scout Award Boy Scouts of America 2006 Dean’s List 2009-2013 Second-Year Design Excellence Award 2011 Design Enrichment Scholarship 2011 Third-Year Design Excellence Award 2012 Janet Pike Scholarship 2012 Class of 2013 Summa cum Laude Work Experience “Art In Motion” Lexington Transit Authority Design Competition 2011-2012 - Professor Wallis Miller 2012 University of Kentucky: Architecture History & Theory Teaching Assistant metLEX Urban Analysis and Transportation Solutions Research - Freelance Collaboration with Shannon Ruhl Skills Software: AutoCAD, Rhinoceros 4.0, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, V-Ray plug-in for Rhinoceros, Grasshopper Model Building: 3D Printing (Starch and Plastic), Hand modeling and common power tools and appliances Other Specializations: Model Photography, Context Research and Analysis
metLEX
metLEX
Lexington Streetcar Proposal Lexington, Kentucky is at an interesting crossroads in its development. The city is eager to grow, economically, culturally, and especially physically, but at the same time seeks to maintain the delicate balance between an engaging and competitive cityspace and the signature bluegrass cultural landscape that lies within a fifteen minute drive in any direction from the city center - when traffic isn’t completely absurd that is. Progressive measures, such as the urban service boundary, seek to prevent suburban sprawl, a well-documented issue that has already taken root and established a strong automotive dependent culture in Lexington and nearby cities. With growing interest in sustainable lifestyles, environmental stewardship, grassroots activism, and the influence of motivated citizens and policy-makers, Lexington is a hotspot for creative solutions. Orginizations within and without of the city government are partifularly concerned with keeping Lexington’s positive energy focused on inward development. The city center is abuzz with several high-profile developments to stimulate economic activity, but Lexington, as a whole, has a traffic problem. Traffic congestion is disproportionately bad for a city this size. We believe that a viable, and marketable solution lies in diversifying Lexington’s transportation infrastructure. Lexingtonians used to commute by streetcar regularly, but like many American cities, public transportation went out when the automobile came roaring in. The following study is a critical look at the current state of Lexington’s roads, building the basis for a demand for modern streetcars in Lexington, and how such a system could begin to manifest. We are considering a flagship line and wish to start the conversation at a level accessible to anyone, not just architects, planners, or other specialized parties
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Expressway Major Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Road Local Road
Ideal infrastructural hierarchy
FHA recommends the miles of major and minor arte rials roads equal 15-25% of total miles and collector Lexington’s distribution
Major and Minor arterial equals 18.23%. while collec tor roads EQUAL 15.65%! The Norfolk Southern rail line, either by a stroke of incredible foresight or a series of fortuitous events, passes by many of the most frequently visited cultural, commercial, and institutional centers in the city. All of these locations, with the proper attention to accessibilty could be within a short walk, bus, or bike ride to a nearby rail station. A dedicated consumer base and places for those people to go are two of the most important steps in establishing a feasible streetcar line
Places of interest along the Norfolk Southen Line
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Traffic Speed (5 pm) Fast
Slow
metLEX Corridor
AM TRI
Harrodsburg Road (Fayette Co.) North Broadway Alumni Drive Georgetown Road North Limestone Avenue Tates Creek Road Leestown Road Nicholasville Road (Fayette Co.) Nicholasville Road (Jess. Co.) Winchester Road Versailles Road Man O War Boulevard (to Alumni Drive) Man O War Boulevard (to Winchester Rd.) Newtown Pike Richmond Road Russel Cave Road Harrodsburg Road (Jess. Co.)
PM TRI 2.21 1.80 2.80 2.77 1.34 2.21 2.06 1.61 2.20 1.69 1.35 1.62 1.45 2.06 2.30 1.43 1.31
2.36 2.08 2.00 1.93 1.83 1.79 1.71 1.68 1.65 1.63 1.59 1.59 1.44 1.40 1.28 1.25 1.00
2x
Travel Time
Travel Rate Index (TRI)
1x
TRI = 1.0
TRI = 2.0
Car Registration Projection 350000
MTA
300000 250000
Fayette County
200000 150000 100000 50000 1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
ThatĂs nearly
80,000
more vehicles on road in the next years
Conventional means of dealing with traffic congestion include widening lanes, adding smarter more responsive signals, adding new lanes, etc. All of these are great and necessary improvements, as cars, clearly according to the population projection, are not going anywhere. The data above, on the preceeding pages and pages following will show that Lexington’s major arterial roads are too few in number and already gridlocked at peak traffic hours. Many rush hour drivers, seeking alternate routes, use the collector and neighborhood roads, (often speeding to make up for the detour). This creates safety and congestion issues for neighborhoods as kids catch the school bus. Lexington needs more miles of high-capacity/higher speed roads, in other words more spokes in the wheel, more than it needs the existing roads widened. New roads though, in a city that continues to grow is extremely challenging and invasive. The beauty of the Norfolk Southern railroad line and other decommissioned and underused rail lines is that a dedicated corridor is already planned seamlessly into the current system. Whether a streetcar line could share the existing rail or the corridor is expanded lightly, the interruption of every-day traffic would be minimal. Additionally a passenger transit line would open exclusively industrial zoned land to potential commercial investment, turning the area around tracks from undesirable to highly marketable pedestrian zones.
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Collision location
metLEX The morning traffic reports from one’s local FM station in Lexington is almost always an extensive broadcast with a number of the same intersections receiving mention on a far too frequent basis. For instance, the center lane of Nicholasville Road, (US 27) changes direction during the morning and evening rush hours, and for those that neglect to anticipate the change are in for a very stressful, and possibly dangerous scramble to merge. Many residents and out-of-towners will tell you how they have never experienced a situation like it. The maps to the left and right indicate the nine most collision prone roads in the city. As one would expect, these nine roads are many of the most frequently travelled, high traffic volume thoroughfares. This is good. These roads are obviously designed to handle high traffic, high speeds and allow swift emergency access. The road to improvement, though, lies in shifting the proportion of the middle chart below. Naturally, the idea would be to keep the number of collisions as close to zero as possible, but in lieu of that, cities would prefer to keep collisions isolated to these major aterial roads to best facilitate access for emergency personel. Considering then, the amount that daily commuters use collector, and neighborhood streets as alternatives to congested, major roadways may contribute significantly to the frequency of collisions off of the major and minor arterial roads, increasing the danger to pedestrians and residents. Some means of alleviating the pressure on the existing major arteries, say streetcars, would very likely keep collisions where they are most manageable, make morning and evening commutes considerably less stressful, and reduce expenditures on updates to the existing infrastructure as the city copes with growing population. 9 Most Collision Prone Roads (2005-2008)
30,715 Collisions (2005-2008)
KY-4 Broadway US-27 Interstate US-60 Harrodsburg Tates Creek Richmond Man o’ War
1,507.27 miles of roa d by classification
9 most accident prone roads
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=250,000 unlinked Passenger Trips Ride Frequency
2004-2005
=Everyday
=3-5 day s
=1-2 day s
=Occasio
=Work
=College
=Schoo l
=Other
=Doctor
=Socia l
=Shoppin g
=Soc. Se
=Park&Rid e
=Drop of f
=Bike
2005-2006
2007-2008
2010-2011
Trip Purpose
Rider Statistics (2008-2009):
total riders: approx. 4 million
Personal Vehicle Availability
= 0
= 1
Arrival to Stop
= 2
= 3+
=Walk
metLEX *All paved bike lanes, shared lanes, and paved shoulder roads in Lexington Lextran
23 fixed routes 73 fixed route buses
Lexington proudly possesses a rapidly growing bicycle culture. The number of dedicated trails, shops, and community events has risen greatly in the past few years. Unfortunately biking as a form of daily commute is struggling to catch on. Clearly indicated by the map above, there are relatively few streets in lexington with dedicated bike lanes, and most streets simply have a paved shoulder, or bicyclists are encouraged to attempt to intregrate into traffic with motorists, an attempt that too frequently does not go well for one, or both parties. While bicyclists could operate independently from motorists and streetcar passengers, improving Lexington’s bicycle infrastructure will indirectly contribute to changing the city’s car-dominate culture. Ultimately continuing to encourage the bicycle culture will further many of the same goals as establishing a modern streetcar system. Lextran has also had great success in recent years and clearly indicates Lexington’s interest in affordable, high-quality public transportation. As the diagrams on the previous page indicate Lextran’s ridership has grown steadily, but perhaps the most significant concusion one can draw from the data is that Lextran has yet to attract a significant portion of “choice” riders, or passengers with other personal means of transportation. Each graphic indicates that an overwhelming majority of Lextran customers ride the bus nearly every day to their primary daily occupation and have no other means of getting to where they are going. Choice ridership is crucial to the growth and success of Lexington’s public transportation, as every choice rider who opts for the bus is one less car with which the buses have to compete in traffic. But the nature of mass transit is automatically disadvantaged to using one’s own personal vehicle. Why would people ride the bus, if it takes longer, stops frequently, and doesn’t always drop you at the most convenient location to the door? Many cities have offset these obvious disadvantages with dedicated bus lanes, or signals that change in favor of approaching buses. These too would be great improvements for Lexington, but consider the dramatic positive change the streetcar line could have. It is by no means a replacement for Lextran, rather the opposite, a catalyst for its explosive growth. No doubt, many people will still defer to their own vehicles, but many other still will be enticed by the prospect of relaxing on their morning commute, saving money on gas, reducing their carbon footprint, and arriving at their destination in a comparable amount of time as driving their own car.
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L E X I N GT O N T R A N S I T P A S S
Along with attracting “choice� ridership, our proposal anticipates an integrated supporting campaign to make the use of public transportation as convenient and accessible as possible. Above is an example of a potential map indicating the streetcar line (in bright green) and its relationship to bus routes, and possible bike rental stations. Two or three separate and distinct maps will discourage potential riders from coordinating their transit route to make use of all available forms of transit. Additionally, a transit app for smart phones and tablets would be essential, and a single pass, valid for varying numbers of fares or amounts of time further streamlines the process. We simply envision a comprehensive public transportiation system for the 21st century, accessible to all.
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Douglas lives in Meadowthorpe and is visiting his nephew at Kentucky Children’s Hospital From his house Pepper Dr., he walks to the metLEX stop at Meadowthorpe 10 min
Gloria lives on McClain Drive near downton lexington and commutes to the Toyota plant in Georgetown daily After biking to the metLEX transit hub near Rupp Arena, Gloria can relax on the ride to Toyota, yet get there faster than driving 12 min
6 min 22 min
Jordin and his family live on Cornwall Dr. in southern Lexington. It’s game day and they are headed to Rupp Arena. They could drive but its not worth the traffic or $20 to park
Devin and Terrence are students at UK living on south campus. They want to spend a Saturday afternoon at Fayette Mall
They can get on the streetcar a short distance away at Shilito Park. Then it’s a straight shot to Rupp Arena
They walk or bus to the stop at Virginia Ave. Since they are out-of-state students so they don’t have reliable, personal transportation. They can go to the mall quickly, cheaply, and don’t have to find a parking spot once they arrive
16 min
5 min
5 min
13 min
Phoenix Park Pavilion
PHOENIX PARK PAVILION Instructor: Mike Mckay
We were tasked with designing a pavilion for Phoenix Park in downtown Lexington, Kentucky as an introduction to various means of digital production and graphic representation. The final form and material treatment were developed through an iterative process throughout the semester, with the intent to arrive at a final form made with a very high degree of control and intent
Phoenix Park Pavilion
Phoenix Park Pavilion
Formal Process
Material Section Studies
Phoenix Park Pavilion
Section
Section
Soutland Bus Shelter
SOUTHLAND BUS SHELTER
Art in Motion: Bus Shelter Competition In collaboration with Madelynn Ringo For several years, the city of Lexington has been holding bus stop design competitions for Lextran stops throughout the city. The goal is to set a new standard for bus shelters for a public service that is desperately lacking in crucial infrastructure. At the same time, each shelter must incorporate a green roof and other sustainable technologies into the design and a means of displaying local artwork to passengers and passers-by alike. The stops act as a demo for the city’s commitment to using sustainable building techniques and the importance of integrating local culture and context into the built environment.
Visual and physical access to both Good Foods and Soutland Drive
Orientation and the shading screen resist the prevailing wind yet allow artwork to be viewed from within and out of the shelter
Orientation and openings allow clear line of site for approaching buses. For both passengers and drivers
Soutland Bus Shelter
SECTION
Thin wood slats made from tobacco sticks, a relic of the local tobacco culture are woven through structural menbers to shade and protect the shelter from wind. while not completely blocking the view of approaching buses and occupants. The tobacco
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ELEVATION
sticks, obsolete in relation to today’s tobacco production are often found rotting in barns in the surrounding area. They were often hand-hewn from rare hardwoods. Our proposal gives them a new life.
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PLAN