Imagine Nicholasville Road by ImagineLex

NICHOLASVILLE Road

Report & Recommendations

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

PROJECT BACKGROUND...........................................................................................................5 Imagine Lexington..........................................................................................................................................6 Imagine Nicholasville Road............................................................................................................................7

EXISTING CONDITIONS.............................................................................................................9 Transportation Network................................................................................................................................10 Corridor Character........................................................................................................................................12 Existing Development..................................................................................................................................13

Neighborhood Typology...............................................................................................................................................61 Suburban Town Center Typology.................................................................................................................................62 Regional Town Center Typology...................................................................................................................................63 Placemaking Opportunities..........................................................................................................................................64

PUBLIC INPUT...........................................................................................................................15 PublicInvolvement...............................................................................................................................................16

NEXT STEPS..............................................................................................................................67

APPENDIX A - EXISTING CONDITIONS.....................................................................................71

THE VISION..............................................................................................................................19 A Vision for Nicholasville Road....................................................................................................................20 Project Vision.................................................................................................................................................20 Project Goals.................................................................................................................................................20 Qualitative Evaluation Criteria....................................................................................................................21

APPENDIX B - PUBLIC INPUT SUMMARY.................................................................................91

ACTION PLAN ..........................................................................................................................23

APPENDIX E - BRT STATION FOOTPRINTS.............................................................................126

APPENDIX C - CASE STUDIES.................................................................................................108 APPENDIX D - SAMPLE FORM BASED CODE.........................................................................120

How to Use this Action Plan...........................................................................................................................................24 What is BRT?...................................................................................................................................................................24 What are Complete Streets?.........................................................................................................................................25 What is TOD?..................................................................................................................................................................25 Transportation Network.................................................................................................................................................26 Segment 1.......................................................................................................................................................................28 Segment 2.......................................................................................................................................................................30 Segment 3.......................................................................................................................................................................32 Segment 4.......................................................................................................................................................................34 Segment 5.......................................................................................................................................................................36 Segment 6.......................................................................................................................................................................38 What is a Catalyst Site?..................................................................................................................................................40 South Park Shopping Center & Crossroads Plaza.......................................................................................................44 Fayette Mall & The Plaza at Fayette Mall.........................................................................................................................48 Emmert Farm..................................................................................................................................................................52 The Regulatory Framework..........................................................................................................................................56 Four Development Typologies.....................................................................................................................................58 Urban Center Typology..................................................................................................................................................60

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APPROVED BY LFUCG PLANNING COMMISSION ON MAY 20, 2021

Project Background NICHOLASVILLE Road

IMAGINE LEXINGTON In February 2019, the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) completed Imagine Lexington, a comprehensive plan to guide growth in population and jobs while maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in Lexington within the urban service boundary. Imagine Lexington articulates a vision for the community over the next 20 years, reﬂecting local values to shape how Lexington grows and changes. Along with using a data-driven approach to develop the plan, LFUGC conducted a robust community outreach program that began in early 2017 during which over 10,000 people contributed. The process started with a consensus on goals and objectives and concluded with recommended policies and actions to implement the vision. Six themes shaped the plan: growing successful neighborhoods, protecting the environment, creating jobs and prosperity, improving a desirable community, balancing urban and rural characteristics, and implementing the plan. Within each theme, a series of goals and actions were developed to guide plan implementation.

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IMAGINE NICHOLASVILLE ROAD Lexington’s “Imagine Lexington” Comprehensive Plan recommends developing in-depth land use plans and transportation studies for major corridors across Lexington in cooperation with the Lexington Area MPO. Launched in late 2019, Imagine Nicholasville Road is the first corridor to undergo such study as we strive to implement the community’s policies and goals outlined in Imagine Lexington. These include locating high-density development along arterial roadways to accommodate future growth, increasing transit ridership and supporting transit-oriented development (TOD). Continuing Imagine Lexington’s approach to using comprehensive data and robust community outreach, the results of this plan include conceptual designs for each segment of Nicholasville Road to more efficiently manage traffic, create a more pedestrian, bike and transit-friendly environment, explore new ways to accommodate development, and identify the policies necessary to implement the community’s vision of a reimagined Nicholasville Road.

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Existing Conditions NICHOLASVILLE Road

TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

Crashes

Bicycling Conditions

Nicholasville Road is one of the most heavily traveled corridors in Lexington. In addition to being a commuter route - connecting residential communities in Jessamine County and further south to major employers in downtown Lexington - it also is home to the University of Kentucky, Baptist Health, and numerous large retail destinations and restaurants. High trafﬁc volumes, low speeds, and congestion make this a corridor that drivers try to avoid. A thorough exploration of existing conditions for both transportation and land use is included in Appendix A.

From 2016 to 2018, 4,513 crashes occurred along the corridor with seven fatal crashes. The most common were rear end crashes and angle crashes, with traffic stops and merging as significant contributors to crashes. The worst intersections for crashes include Reynolds Road, New Circle Road and Man o’ War Boulevard. Other areas with high crash rates include S Limestone at Virginia Avenue and where S Limestone and S Upper St split into one-way streets. Traffic congestion was the largest apparent contributor to crashes.

Bicycle infrastructure is increasing in Lexington, but not on most of Nicholasville Road. Where S Limestone becomes a one-way street, bicycle lanes line the right side of the street into Downtown Lexington, where bike boxes and bike racks are located as well. Right turn on red is prohibited near the University of Kentucky, enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety. A bike lane is located on a portion of S Upper Street with a short break near Bolivar Street. New Circle Road creates a barrier for cyclists, as there are no sidewalks nor is there a wide enough shoulder to safely cross the bridge. The corridor is considered to induce a high to very high level of stress for bicyclists south of S Upper Street, and moderate to high level of stress between Vine Street and Scott Street.

Intersection Level of Service Vehicular level of service (LOS) was calculated for the signalized intersections of the corridor using available data from the LFUCG Division of Traffic. LOS is a qualitative measure used to describe traffic operations and is based on delay associated with time spent waiting at traffic signals. In an urban setting, LOS D or better is desirable. The afternoon peak hour was used to evaluate vehicular LOS, as that is generally considered the most congested time of day. Eleven of the 26 intersections for which traffic data is available along the corridor, operate at LOS D or better, while 15 operate at LOS E or F.

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14.8% 4,513

of crashes occur during inclement weather

26.5% of crashes occur at intersections

crashes from 2016-2018

*Data from Kentucky State Police

7 fatal crashes

23.7% of crashes occur during evening rush hour

Pedestrian Conditions

Transit

Pedestrian infrastructure varies along the corridor. The Nicholasville Road corridor is very walkable near Downtown Lexington and the University of Kentucky. Moving south, walkability drops drastically, with large gaps beginning just south of Southland Drive where sidewalks are either not present or are deteriorating. Lack of pedestrian infrastructure at New Circle Road is a gap in the pedestrian network and a barrier to pedestrian travel. The Fayette Mall and The Summit at Fritz Farm have well maintained facilities, but the other sidewalks along Nicholasville Road in the southern section of the corridor are deteriorating.

The Transit Authority of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, known as Lextran, provides public transportation service throughout the City of Lexington, including the Nicholasville Road corridor. Lextran ﬁxed route service operates in mixed trafﬁc. Of Lextran’s 26 routes, six serve or cross Nicholasville Road. The most used line is Route 5–Nicholasville Road, which runs the length of Nicholasville Road between the downtown/University of Kentucky area and Man o’ War Boulevard.

Walk scores, compiled by www.walkscore. com, show the walkability for residents on a scale of 0 (entirely car dependent) to 100 (a walker’s paradise). Downtown Lexington and S Upper St/ S Limestone have high walkability scores above 90. The University of Kentucky area is also considered very walkable (80). The area near Kroger Field drops to a 35. Near Southland Drive, scores rise back up to 80, but then drop back to 60 from New Circle Road to the Fayette Mall. The Summit at Fritz Farm has a score of 70, but every area south of Man o’ War Boulevard has a score below 25.

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Route 5 operates seven days a week. On weekdays, it is in service from 5:30 am to 12:15 am, running every 15-20 minutes throughout the day and every 60 minutes at night. Five buses are operated during peak periods. Route 5 also operates every 50-70 minutes on Saturdays and every 70 minutes on Sundays. Scheduled travel time from downtown to Walmart is 25 minutes when traffic is light and 37 minutes during peak periods, resulting in an average travel speed – including stops – of 15 miles per hour, approximately the same as traffic along any given segment. With an average of 39,251 monthly passenger boardings, Route 5 represents over ten percent of the Lextran’s total ridership. Of the 925 stops across the Lextan system, 50 are located along Route 5. Shelters are provided at 10 of these stops. Of the remaining 40 stops, some require the riders to walk across parking lots to enter stores, which is not ideal for safety or during inclement weather. Bus stops are generally located about 2-3 blocks apart. Buses typically stop in traffic. Along portions of the southern segment of the route, pullouts have been provided. JessLex Connection is the only transit service connecting Nicholasville and Lexington. Indicated as a Demand Response bus service, JessLex Connection accommodates pre-arranged pick up and drop off locations along Nicholasville Road with access to Lextran at the Nicholasville Road Wal-Mart Park and Ride and Lextran’s downtown transit center.

JESSAMINE CN TY FAYETTE CNTY

railway Shillito Park

E LIMESTON

Regency Center

railway Walmart

Fayette Mall 27

South Park

The Summit at Fritz Farm

Brannon Crossing

University of Kentucky

SVILLE RD Baptist NICHOLA Hospital Zandale Center

Lexington Green

The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of KY

RS T EST ON E Good Samaritan Hospital

LIM

Kroger Field

North RURAL COMMERCIAL

SUBURBAN RURAL

MAJOR COMMERCIAL

SUBURBAN RETAIL

RESIDENTIAL

DOWNTOWN

EXISTING LAND USES

CORRIDOR CHARACTER Through its span, Nicholasville Road changes primary land uses as it moves from the agricultural fringes of the city into the downtown area. Properties along the corridor and their frontages are sometimes controlled by single large owners, affecting the corridor’s overall character and functionality. This analysis was informed by an additional zoning review that summarizes the zoning districts found along the corridor, as well as a summary of the corridor’s main users and the impact from their parking areas. The results from both of these reviews are located in Appendix A. The following is a summary of the general character zones along Nicholasville Road, moving north from Jessamine County into Downtown Lexington:

UNIVERSITY

Downtown (DT)

From Brannon Crossing to the county line, a RURAL COMMERCIAL character includes single-story, auto-oriented commercial structures surrounded by agricultural uses. Crossing into Fayette County toward Man O’ War Boulevard, SUBURBAN RURAL uses include autooriented businesses, warehouses, agricultural, and residential communities. North of Man O’ War, MAJOR COMMERCIAL areas are predominately made up by large shopping centers and big box stores. Once the corridor crosses over the New Circle Road interchange, a smaller SUBURBAN RETAIL

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character emerges and features smaller shopping centers.

Green Space (GS) Highway Oriented Commercial (HC) Heavy Industry (HI)

The corridor makes a signiﬁcant shift in character to RESIDENTIAL at the Southland Drive intersection. Single family homes front a narrower street with curb cuts for residential garages.

Light Industry (LI) Low Density Residential (LD) Medium Density Residential (MD) Mixed Use (MU) Public University (OPU)

The UNIVERSITY area encompasses the many buildings and various uses that are a part of the University of Kentucky, including hospital and academic buildings.

Ofﬁce, Industry & Research Parks (ORP, ED) Parks & Recreation (PR) Professional Services (PS) Retail Trade (RT, RO, RT/HD, CC) Semi-Public (SP)

The DOWNTOWN area is the urban center of Lexington. Nearly all types of uses can be found dispersed across the gridded network of streets.

Utilities (U) High-Density Residential (EAR-3, HD, VHD, TA) Warehousing and Wholesaling (WW, OW)

EXISTING DEVELOPMENT MARKET

PREVIOUS STUDIES

Nicholasville Road is a major corridor connecting downtown Lexington with Jessamine County. Along its span, the corridor includes some of the region’s top employers and destinations, such as:

Housing Study FIndings

University of Kentucky (12,800 Employees)

•

Baptist Health (1,852 Employees)

•

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (2,945 Employees)

Regionally, according to NAI Isaac, toward the latter end of 2019 the Lexington market was performing favorably with regard to industrial, ofﬁce and retail markets, summarized below: • •

•

Industrial: Vacancy rates trended downward to 2.77% with a total of 18 Million Square feet Office: Vacancies remained low across the region, with suburban Class A and Class B office at 14.73% - higher than CBD rates of 13.13% Retail: The Lexington area includes over 14 Million square feet of retail at a 6.49% vacancy rate. Regional Malls are over-performing this metric at 4.3% vacancies.

For the purposes of this study, the corridor is being looked at from two perspectives - a 150-foot buffer to understand conditions along the corridor, and a half-mile buffer to understand the corridor’s larger area of influence. The figures to the right summarize the major demographic composition of these two geographies, such as residents, housing units, businesses, and employees. These represent a significant portion of Lexington’s overall population of 325,520 residents - 10% of which are within the corridor’s area of influence.

20.4% HOUSING UNIT GROWTH BETWEEN 2000 AND 2015

22,780 HOUSING UNITS NEEDED BY 2025 TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND

7,355 MULTIFAMILY HOUSING UNITS NEEDED BY 2025 TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND

Imagine Lexington FIndings Completed in 2018, Imagine Lexington sets a county-wide strategy for how growth should occur, based on ﬁndings from an exhaustive public engagement process. The plan recommended densifying and concentrating growth along major corridors, including Nicholasville Road, in addition to supporting compact and walkable developments. Imagine Lexington’s six themes also support diversifying housing options.

6,000 UNMET GAP OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS

CONTEXT MAP

FA Y JES ETTE SA CO MI UN NE CO TY UN TY

AREA OF INFLUENCE AT A GLANCE (HALF-MILE BUFFER) HAL FM ILE B NICH UFF ER OLA SVIL LE R D

•

2017 HOUSING STUDY TAKE-AWAYS

The 2017 Housing Study looked at the current housing market in Lexington/Fayette County to provide a forecast of housing demand for the next ﬁve years. Though the resulting demand numbers are for the entire city/county, these show a strong housing market that will continue to grow. The study identiﬁed multiple sub-markets along the Nicholasville Road corridor (submarkets 2,6, 11 and 12) as having opportunity for future housing growth, some of which are the fastest growing in the region. This same study found a county-wide demand for 7,355 multifamily housing units. With the addition of premium transit, the potential for higher density Transit Oriented Development (TOD) along the corridor can accommodate some of this growth.

North

30,707

12,529

155

RESIDENTS

HOUSING UNITS

RESIDENTS

HOUSING UNITS

$200,066

57%

$287,500

71%

MEDIAN HOME VALUE

RENTER-OCCUPIED

MEDIAN HOME VALUE

RENTER-OCCUPIED

3,634

100,052

222

2,529

BUSINESSES

EMPLOYEES

BUSINESSES

EMPLOYEES

Source: ESRI, 2020

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NICHOLASVILLE ROAD CORRIDOR AT A GLANCE (150 FOOT BUFFER)

Public Input

NICHOLASVILLE Road

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

E-Newsletters, Press Releases and Social Media

Public and stakeholder input was a very important part of this study. Feedback received was used to shape the concepts and study recommendations. A variety of strategies and tools were used to engage the public and stakeholders. These include:

Public outreach was conducted via e-newsletters, press releases, and social media to inform project recommendations. A database of e-mail addresses from members of the community who self-identiﬁed through either the Imagine Nicholasville Road or Imagine Lexington websites, as well as key stakeholders in the study area, received project updates via e-newsletters that informed the public of upcoming public meetings, or information on the website that was available for review. Public meetings were advertised via the city of Lexington and Lexington Area MPO social media channels, press releases, and radio ads.

• • • • •

Project Website – www.ImagineNicholasvilleRoad.com E-newsletters, press releases and social media Two public meetings (in-person and digital) Public surveys Stakeholder interviews

Project Website

Public Meeting #1

The project website, www.ImagineNicholasvilleRoad.com, kept the public informed on project updates and opportunities to get involved and share feedback. The project site included important project updates and information on the schedule, milestones, events, and opportunities to provide feedback.

The ﬁrst public meeting was held on March 4th, 2020 in the Community Room at Lexington Green along Nicholasville Road. Approximately 150 people attended and the event was covered by local media. The meeting included a formal presentation and interactive stations for the public to share feedback and talk to project team members. The stations included maps to note issues, concerns, and opportunities. Visual preference boards allowed the public to identify images they did and did not like pertaining to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), BRT amenities, aesthetic design, bicycle/pedestrian facilities, and development. A build-adevelopment station allowed attendees to “redevelop” a site along Nicholasville Road, providing insight into the land uses preferred by the public.

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Public Survey

Public Meeting #2

Concurrent with the public meeting was a survey, available through the month of March 2020 and accessible via the project website. The survey provided respondents with the opportunity to identify issues and opportunities throughout the corridor, share their feelings on various modes of travel along Nicholasville Road, and share their ideas on development and transportation improvements. Over 5,000 people responded to the survey. A more detailed summary of the feedback is located in Appendix B. A word cloud, shown below, highlights the words that were used to identify the issues with Nicholasville Road, as well as the top 15 words that were used to deﬁne the vision for the corridor. The feedback from this survey and the ﬁrst public meeting were key to the development of recommendations for the study.

A series of catalyst site redevelopment and transportation improvement concepts were developed using input from the ﬁrst round of public involvement, and local stakeholder interviews, the existing conditions review, and lessons learned from case studies around the country. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a second in-person public meeting was not possible. Instead, the improvement concepts were presented in a series of four videos shared on the project website for the public to view between November 9 and December 2, 2020. Follow-up surveys were included, with questions pertaining to the public’s perception of these concepts. Feedback from this second virtual public meeting was used to reﬁne the proposed recommendations. The recommendations stemming from this effort were used to prioritize local transportation recommendations and to guide future development concepts for Nicholasville Road.

Stakeholder Engagement Numerous stakeholders were engaged throughout the project to provide information and receive feedback to guide improvement concepts and recommendations. Meetings were held with the following groups: Lexington Property Valuation Administrator Nicholasville Road Neighborhood Associations

Langley Properties

LFUCG Planning

CBL Properties

Lextran

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 7

LFUCG Planning Commission

University of Kentucky LFUCG Engineering

Lexington Area MPO Policy Committee

Webb Companies LFUCG Trafﬁc Engineering Carter Development

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The Vision NICHOLASVILLE Road

CREATING A VISION FOR NICHOLASVILLE ROAD Nicholasville Road is a primary arterial connecting neighborhoods, institutions, commercial centers, Downtown Lexington, and numerous transportation networks within the region. With the recognition that the corridor and its land uses will continue to change over the years, a new vision was established with a focus on better transportation options and more connected places. Derived from Imagine Lexington, public input was crucial to developing the corridor plan goals that are intended to be visionary, actionoriented and measurable. These goals and corridor concepts strive to equitably link all people to destinations along the corridor and improve the quality of life and user experiences along the corridor.

PROJECT VISION

...Make Nicholasville Road a safe, efficient place people want to be...

PROJECT GOALS

Increase the intensity of land uses along the corridor, particularly residential uses, in order to accomodate population growth through the more efficient use of land.

Improve mass transit viability through more intense redevelopment and transit/pedestrian oriented design.

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Improve safety and connectivity for all modes of transportation.

Coordinate transportation improvements with future redevelopment opportunities.

Develop a cohesive sense of place along the corridor.

Goal #1: Increase the intensity of land uses along the corridor, particularly residential uses, in order to accomodate population growth through the more efficient use of land. • • • • • • •

Number of residential units/houses on corridor Floor Area Ratio (FAR) ratio by segment Population density Percent affordable housing Building heights Percent open space Mean travel distance to commercial nodes, schools, parks

Goal #2: Improve mass transit viability through more intense redevelopment and transit/pedestrian oriented design. • • • • • • •

Node opportunites for land use density near transit stops Distance to nearest bus stops for developments Number of potential transit riders per station/stop Overlay zoning for pedestrian improvements Sidewalk widths with pedestrian storage near transit stops Sidewalks on both sides of the road High visible crosswalks

Goal #3: Improve safety and connectivity for all modes of transportation. • • • • • • • • • •

Spacing between pedestrian crossings Walkability score for pedestrians LOS and volume/capacity ratios for vehicular traffic Travel time estimates for vehicular traffic Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (BLTS) rating for bicycles Bicycle and pedestrian connections to transit stops Transit dedicated lanes vs in mixed traffic Number of access points (driveways, cross streets, etc) Sidestreet connectivity efficiency Right-of-Way (ROW) requirements

Goal #4: Coordinate transportation improvements with future redevelopment opportunities. • • • •

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Development district opportunities Transit connectivity opportunities Pedestrian access and connectivity with open space between transit stations/stops and development nodes Percent single-family dwelling units within quarter mile of commercial uses

While the project goals provide a broad aspirational framework, more qualitative and quantiative metrics were identiﬁed to evaluate the ideas and recommendations presented in this study. These pass/fail metrics can be used in future planning and design decision-making as more detail is determined to implement the recommendations.

Goal #5: Develop a cohesive sense of place along the corridor. • • •

Enhanced wayfinding opportunities Transit stations identified with space for amenities Branding opportunities at intersections, along roadways, public spaces, transit stops, and within future developments

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These goals and criteria reflect the priorities identified during the first public meeting and were reinforced by input collected during the second public meeting and public survey. The ideas and recommendations reflect public priorities and an action plan to advance corridor improvements and implementation.

Action Plan NICHOLASVILLE Road

HOW TO USE THIS ACTION PLAN... This action plan details the strategies needed to achieve the vision of Nicholasville Road for the City of Lexington. The plan includes recommendations for: Transportation Network Improvements --

enhancements to safely and mobility for all users Development Strategies -- redevelopment

concepts for three catalyst sites in the study area to foster the creation of new spaces to accommodate the changing demographics, lifestyles, and business needs in the area Placemaking Opportunities -- quality of life, beautiﬁcation, and placemaking enhancements to foster a more cohesive and enjoyable community The recommendations included in this action plan were developed based on public feedback, a technical evaluation of the existing conditions, and with the project goals in mind. Three speciﬁc tools were an integral part of the recommendations. They are: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), Complete Streets (CS), and Transit Oriented Development (TOD). These tools have proven success in cities like Lexington with corridors similar to Nicholasville Road. They promote the transportation and land use goals that are a part of Imagine Nicholasville Road and Imagine Lexington. Case study examples from other cities can be found in Appendix C.

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WHAT IS BRT? Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a rapid mode of transportation with the high quality of rail transit and the ﬂexibility of the bus. Bus Rapit Transit has proven to be:

Popular Cities that have replaced slow local bus routes with new BRT service have experienced signiﬁcant ridership increases. Cleveland, Ohio’s Health Line, for example, doubled transit ridership along the Euclid Avenue corridor. In Eugene, Oregon, the city’s ﬁrst BRT line boosted ridership by 74%. While not always this dramatic, all new systems in the U.S. have reported increased ridership, and new BRT lines are being implemented every year.

Attractive and Permanent BRT stations are designed to provide an attractive, clean, safe and comfortable place to wait for the next bus. They are designed to be highly visible and relate to their surroundings. Shelters, canopies, seating, information, and even artwork contribute to their high quality look and feel. The permanence and quality of BRT infrastructure can provide an opportunity to encourage new development around stations where desired.

Frequent and Convenient BRT systems typically operate every 10-15 minutes. Fares are paid in advance so there no lining up at the front of the bus - passengers can exit and enter via any door. Real-time information displays show the actual time the next bus is scheduled to arrive. Because BRT stations are spaced about every ¼ to 1 mile, buses can pick up speed between stops, shortening the time it takes to travel up and down a corridor. Many cities report that BRT improves bus travel time by at least 25%.

Accessible Buses and stations are designed to be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The combination of low ﬂoor buses, “high platform” stations, and precision docking allow passengers to board and exit buses without the need for a lift, ramp, or steps. Where high platforms are not possible, stations are designed so that buses can deploy ramps efﬁciently and safely. Many BRT buses have special areas for persons in wheelchairs that do not require tie-downs. BRT systems also accommodate bicycles, either inside buses or with a front bike rack.

WHAT ARE COMPLETE STREETS?

WHAT IS TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT?

Complete Streets enable safe, convenient, comfortable, and accessible travel for all users of all ages and abilities. Complete Streets are planned, designed, and operated to provide safety for everyone regardless of mode of travel.

Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a set of transportation and land use principles in which higher density, mixed-use development is focused around a transit stop in a high frequency transit corridor.

Why Complete Streets? Complete Streets...

• • • •

Create a vision Balance all needs Connect places with efﬁcient transportation Enhance quality of life

• • • •

Trigger economic and social beneﬁts Encourage comprehensive decision making Improve the aesthetics of the street Integrate technology

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Orients mixed-use developments and highest densities around a transit corridor Promotes public plazas, shopping, and dining along pedestrian connections Creates a dense network of pedestrian and bicycle friendly travel corridors Promotes walkable types of development based on proximity to transit access

TRANSPORTATION NETWORK

RIGHT OF WAY (ROW)

Due to the length and changing character of Nicholasville Road throughout the study area, the corridor was divided into six character-based segments to assess and make recommendations for transportation improvements. These improvements generally fall into three categories: vehicular improvements; bicycle, pedestrian, and neighborhood connections; and enhanced transit. The improvements for each of the six segments are highlighted in this section. The improvement types by segment include:

Generally, additional right of way will be required on both sides of Nicholasville Road for enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities, through either an easement, right of way acquisition or dedication. Transportation improvements beyond bicycle and pedestrian facilities that are likely to require additional right of way are noted on the concept plans for each section. Determining the right of way required for enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities will require a context sensitive approach. The framework for this approach is outlined in the ITE publication titled: Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach. Table 6.4 - Design Parameters for Walkable Urban Thoroughfares should be used to determine the minimum requirement for right of way on both sides on Nicholasville Rd. Chapters 8 through 10 provide additional criteria and discussion on how and when to use the various design elements.

Segment 1: BRT Stations Segment 2: Center Running Bi-Directional Bus Only Lanes Segment 3: Decorative Flush Mount Medians & Access Management Segment 4: Restricted Left Turns, U-Turns and Innovative Intersections Segment 5: Bus Access Transit (BAT) Lanes Segment 6: Park and Ride

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BRT and Nicholasville Road A BRT line is proposed for Nicholasville Road, reinforcing recommendations from the US 27/Nicholasville Road Alternatives Analysis (January 2014). Providing faster transit service along the corridor, the nearly six-mile-long BRT line will help transform Nicholasville Road into an efﬁcient multimodal corridor. The Nicholasville Road BRT line will elevate the presence, convenience, and speed of transit in Lexington. To be operated by Lextran, the line will feature 12 stations, spaced an average of every three-fourths of a mile, consisting of prominent, attractive shelters that are compatible with their surroundings while creating a distinct and consistent identity. Stations will feature seating, lighting, and information, including real-time displays. Shelters will be designed to provide sufﬁcient protection from the elements while ensuring maximum visibility.

In addition to starting at both ends of the line and at Fayette Mall, additional stations would be located to serve the new Target store and mixed-use development on South Upper Street and Good Samaritan Hospital, the University of Kentucky, UK Medical Center, Baptist Health, Southland Drive, Pasadena Drive, Lexington Green, and the Summit at Fritz Farm. A series of priority transportation treatments, tailored to each segment of the corridor, will help buses travel faster and more reliably, cutting transit travel time by 25%. These include a mix of Business Access-Transit (BAT) lanes, reversible bus-only lanes, and transit signal priority. A pre-paid fare system will reduce the time buses spend stopped at stations. Buses will run every 15 minutes. Lextran will retain its current Route 5 to provide supplemental service to all current stops along Nicholasville Road.

The BRT line will run from Lextran’s downtown transit center to Brannon Crossing and ideally extend to Nicholasville in future phases. Between downtown and the UK campus, the BRT line will operate on Vine/High streets and South Upper/South Limestone streets, the rest will run in both directions along Nicholasville Road. It will divert from Nicholasville Road to directly serve Fayette Mall. A park & ride facility at the Brannon Crossing station will provide a convenient option for commuters.

LEGEND BRT STOP

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BRT ROUTE

SEGMENT 1 - ONE WAY PAIRS FROM VINE STREET TO SCOTT STREET Segment 1 includes South Limestone Street and South Upper Street between Vine Street and Scott Street. Recommendations along South Upper Street include restriping between Vine Street and Main Street to allow for better alignment of bike lanes and parking and will improve the sidewalk. Parking-protected bike lanes are recommended between Scott Street and Avenue of Champions along both S Upper Street and S Limestone Street. Urban intersection upgrades, such as full ADA compliance and enhanced crosswalks, are recommended at signalized intersections. BRT will run in mixed trafﬁc through this segment. BRT stations are proposed at Target on South Upper Street on the left side of the street heading south from downtown and at Good Samaritan Hospital on South Limestone Street on the right side of the road heading north towards downtown. BRT stations throughout the corridor will include shelters and seating, a raised platform so there are no steps to navigate when boarding and exiting the bus and digital signage that indicates when the next bus will arrive .

TRANSIT STATION

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Segment 1 (Vine Street to Scott Street): Enhanced Transit

BRT Stations

–

BRT in mixed trafﬁc (left lane southbound, right lane northbound).

BRT stations, as are shown in Segment 1 will exist throughout the study area and differ from a local bus stop in the following ways:

–

BRT stations at Target (southbound) and Good Samaritan Hospital northbound).

–

¼ to 1-mile typical station spacing

–

Permanent, substantial, with protections from weather

–

Passenger amenities such as seating, lighting, and messaging

Short Term – Remove right turn lane and add buffered/protected green paint bike lane. Then remove buffer 30’ prior to intersections.

–

Real time passenger information, including bus arrival times

–

Good pedestrian, bicycle, local bus, and auto access

–

Level boarding surface (no stairs to climb to board the bus)

–

Improve striping between Vine Street and High Street to move parking to the right side of the road, add bike lanes and reduce through lanes to 10’.

–

Safe and visible

–

Add parking protected bike lanes or curb protected bike lanes where parking is not present on S Upper Street Between Cedar Street and Scott Street and on S Limestone Street between Scott Street and Vine Street.

–

Convey identity and image of the BRT line

–

Integrate design with surroundings

–

ADA and crosswalk improvements at signalized intersections on S Limestone and S Upper Street between Vine Street and Scott Street.

Bicycle/Pedestrian & Neighborhood Connections

Long Term – Add aesthetic lighting on S Upper Street between Pine Street and High Street. –

Improve sidewalks on S Upper Street between High Street and Cedar Street.

Report & Recommendations

SEGMENT 2 - UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Segment 2 runs through the University of Kentucky campus. To build upon the already high bus ridership in this segment, a center running, bi-directional bus-only lane is proposed. This would replace the existing center two-way left-turn lane, providing the added benefit of access management. Left and U-turns would only be allowed at signalized intersections, improving traffic flow and safety throughout the corridor. The reversible lanes that currently begin at Conn Terrace would be removed. Buses will be able to travel in either direction in the center lane, and coordination of bus schedules will ensure there aren’t buses traveling in opposite directions using the lane at the same time. Designating only one lane for buses, and operating that lane bi-directionally, maintains essential capacity for motorists, while at the same time allowing buses to run faster and bypass traffic. Innovative intersection improvements that reduce turning movements are proposed at Virginia Avenue and Cooper Drive. Other improvements include enhancing pedestrian striping in certain locations and adding a ten-foot minimum shared use path on both sides of the roadway.

TRANSIT STATION

Report & Recommendations

Segment 2 (University of Kentucky): Enhanced Transit –

BRT on center running bi-directional bus lane.

–

BRT stations at Prall Street, UK Hospital (either at the Parking Structure or Leader Avenue).

Bicycle/Pedestrian & Neighborhood Connections Short Term – Add pedestrian striping across Montmullin Street. –

Add red pedestrian striping for emergency vehicle awareness across hospital entrance across from University Avenue.

–

Improve bicycle/pedestrian access at existing Lextran Route 5 stop in front of the Kentucky Clinic.

Center Running Bi-Directional Bus Only Lanes A bi-directional bus lane runs in the center of the street, using a single reversible lane. Special signals control bus movements to ensure safety, and bus schedules are coordinated to avoid conflicts. Passing lanes for buses are provided at stations. This configuration is primarily used on two-way streets as it maintains traffic in both directions and keeps driveways open, while also providing the benefits of access management, and a refuge for pedestrians. The Red Line in Indianapolis successfully utilizes a center running bi-directional bus only lane along a part of the route.

Long Term – Add minimum 10’ shared use path along each side of Nicholasville Road.

Vehicular Improvements –

Detailed trafﬁc study to improve the Virginia Avenue intersection to accommodate center bi-directional bus lane, as well as evaluating roundabouts at the Virginia Avenue/Press Avenue and Huguelet Drive/Parking Garage intersections.

–

Detailed trafﬁc study to evaluate innovative intersection improvement concepts that restrict turning movements to improve the US 27 and Cooper Drive/Waller Avenue intersection.

–

Access management and right-in/right-out at non-signalized intersections throughout the corridor to accommodate the center bi-directional bus lane.

–

Widen US 27 at Prall Street to accommodate center bus lane, left and U-turns, and BRT station.

–

Restrict left turns into Maxwelton Court.

–

Connect Maxwelton Court to Winnie Street for additional access to neighborhoods.

–

Widen the block between Conn Terrace and Transcript Avenue to accommodate the center bi-directional bus lane, left turns and possible BRT station.

–

Remove reversible lanes beginning at Conn Terrace.

Report & Recommendations

Proposed

Existing

SEGMENT 3 - COOPER DRIVE TO SOUTHLAND DRIVE Segment 3 begins at Cooper Drive with the center running bi-directional bus lane continuing south to Alumni Drive. South of Alumni Drive the bus will run in mixed traffic in the right lane. The main traffic complaint in this segment comes from inbound traffic that only has one travel lane during the afternoon peak because of the reversible lanes. Removing the reversible lanes through this segment is recommended to provide greater reliability during the peak periods and adding a center lane mountable or flush median will allow emergency vehicles to bypass traffic, while still providing a pedestrian refuge. Access management will be improved, benefiting traffic flow and safety. Additional improvements through this segment include providing a bicycle and pedestrian connection from Rosemont Garden to Baptist Health, University of Kentucky apartments and the arboretum, as well as a 10’ shared use path on both sides of the roadway, to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. A center lane, event-only transit stop will be located at Kroger Field, along with a regular BRT transit stop at Baptist Health.

Report & Recommendations

Median or Mountable Treatments Decorative flush mount medians are recommended throughout this segment to provide access management and promote safety and traffic calming. Due to the large number of emergency vehicles that use Nicholasville Road and the hospitals located along it, a flush or mountable median can be crossed by emergency vehicles.

Segment 3 (Cooper Drive to Southland Drive): Enhanced Transit –

BRT in center running bi-directional bus lane between Cooper Drive and Alumni Drive.

–

BRT in mixed trafﬁc in the right lane between Alumni Drive and Southland Drive.

–

Event-only BRT station at Westwood Drive (in front of Kroger Field).

–

BRT station at Cherokee Park.

Bicycle/Pedestrian & Neighborhood Connections Short Term – Improve bicycle/pedestrian connection from Shawneetown Apartment complex to Rosemont Garden and Nicholasville Road on both sides of Baptist Health (including improved bicycle/pedestrian facilities on McDonald Avenue and Hiltonia Park)

Access Management Access management is a concept that addresses the issues caused by numerous access points to development that lead to an increase in trafﬁc congestion and a decrease in safety. By balancing the competing needs of mobility and accessibility, access management can help reduce crashes and increase capacity. This is typically accomplished by removing and consolidating curb cuts and full access points, as well as adding medians as a form of preventing left turns in places they are not designated. A study* performed by the Kentucky Transportation Center found that on urban roads with a similar classiﬁcation to Nicholasville Road, access management provides a 30% potential reduction in crashes, and a 34% potential reduction in delay.

Existing

Long Term –

Add 10’ shared use path along each side of Nicholasville Road.

Vehicular Improvements –

Remove reversible lanes throughout the segment.

–

Use access management from Cooper Drive to Alumni Drive to accommodate the center bi-directional bus lane.

–

Remove the Dantzler Drive approach from the signal at Alumni Drive to reduce intersection delay.

–

Access management from Alumni Drive to Southland Drive to improve safety and reduce congestion (right-in/right-out at all non-signalized intersections except Lackawana Drive and Shawnee Road which will allow full access with left and u-turns), including center partially landscaped ﬂush or mountable median.

–

Improve signal timing at Cherokee Park and Arcadia Park to reduce congestion. Proposed *Source: Kirk, A., Pigman, and House. “Quantiﬁcation of the Beneﬁts of Access Management for Kentucky”, Kentucky Transportation Center, July 2006

Report & Recommendations

SEGMENT 4 - SOUTHLAND DRIVE TO NEW CIRCLE ROAD Segment 4 extends from Southland Drive to New Circle Road. Transportation improvements center around restricting left turning movements at signalized intersections and providing new signalized locations for U-turns, as well as removal of the reversible lanes. The right-most lane in each direction will be converted to a BAT lane, which is designated for buses along with any motorists needing to make a right turn. BAT lanes are further discussed on Page 37. BRT stations would be located just south of Southland Drive and at Pasadena Drive. In addition to shared use paths on both sides of the road, improved bicycle connections to the neighborhoods and commercial areas are recommended on Moore Drive, Larkin Road, Malabu Drive, and Lowry Lane. (The Lexington Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan has additional recommendations for bike and pedestrian connections along Segment 4 and other sections. This study highlights additional connections that were not previously developed as part of other recent transportation plans.)

Report & Recommendations

Segment 4 (Southland Drive to New Circle Road): Enhanced Transit –

BRT in curb-side BAT lane (allows for buses and right turning vehicles only) between Southland Drive and Moore Drive.

–

BRT in right lane of mixed trafﬁc from Moore Drive through New Circle Road.

–

BRT stations at Southland Drive and Pasadena Drive.

Restricted Left Turns, U-Turns and Innovative Intersections Restricting left turning movements at intersections allows for additional green time to be allocated to the through movements along Nicholasville Road, resulting in better traffic flow and fewer delays at signalized intersections. Often these left turns will instead become U-turns at adjacent intersections or mid-block locations. Numerous innovative intersection treatments are based on the concept of restricting or re-aligning left turns at intersections. Additional traffic and engineering analysis will be required to determine the exact improvements and configurations at each intersection. However, this strategy will help provide access management throughout the segment and result in better traffic progression and improved safety.

Bicycle/Pedestrian & Neighborhood Connections

Short Term – Add bicycle lanes along Lowry Lane, Malabu Road, Larkin Road, Moore Drive, and the connection from the Trader Joe’s entrance to Lowry Lane. –

Examples of innovative intersection treatments: Superstreet or Restricted Crossing U-Turns (RCUTS)

Quadrant Intersection

New sidewalk connection between US 27 and Norman Lane.

Long Term – Add 10’ shared use path along each side of Nicholasville Road.

Vehicular Improvements –

Conduct a detailed traffic analysis on removal of reversible lanes and analyze innovative intersection improvements that would restrict turning movements to improve safety and traffic flow and reduce congestion between Moore Drive and Southland Drive (see figure for details on where to restrict and allow turning movements).

–

Access management in conjunction with innovative intersection improvements throughout the segment.

–

Connect Norman Lane all the way to Pasadena.

Median U-Turn Crossover

Source: Rodegerdts, Nevers, Robinson, Ringert, Koonce, Bansen, Nguyen, McGill, Steward, Suggett, Neuman, Antonucci, Hardy, Courage. “Signalized Intersections: Informational Guide”, FHWA, August 2004

Report & Recommendations

SEGMENT 5 - NEW CIRCLE ROAD TO MAN O’ WAR BOULEVARD Segment 5 begins at New Circle Road with a recommendation to upgrade the Nicholasville Road-New Circle Road interchange with a more innovative design. Additional traffic and engineering analysis will be required to finalize an improvement option. Preliminary analysis performed as part of this study indicates that a diverging diamond interchange may work well in combination with innovative intersection improvements that reduce turning movements, which are recommended at signalized intersections throughout this segment. This strategy improves traffic flow through this segment by allotting more green time to through movements along Nicholasville Road. Similar to the segment north of New Circle Road, BAT lanes are recommended between Reynolds Road and Marketplace Drive, utilizing the right-most lane for right turning vehicles and buses. Extending right turn lanes to the full length of the block between signals is recommended in locations where it is needed to keep three through-lanes in each direction.

Two catalyst sites for redevelopment are located in this segment: at the South Park shopping center and at the Fayette Mall. A local transit or shuttle route is recommended to run off Nicholasville Road, to serve Lexington Green, the back side of the mall and through Lowe’s and Walmart across to the third catalyst site, Emmert Farm. This would allow for more transit and pedestrian oriented redevelopment through this area to alleviate vehicular congestion. Additional roadway connections are recommended at the South Park site and to connect Rojay Drive to the Fayette Crossing shopping area, as well as realignment of the jog from Mall Road to Nichols Park Road to allow for a straight through movement. A 10’ shared use path is recommended along both sides of the road, as well as improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Tiverton Way, and a bicycle and pedestrian connection between South Park and the residential areas behind it. BRT stations would be located at the Canary Road/Lexington Green intersection, the mall, where the BRT line will make a quick jog into the property, and at Walmart and the Summit at Fritz Farm.

TRANSIT STATION

Report & Recommendations

Segment 5 (New Circle Road to Man o’ War Boulevard): Enhanced Transit –

BRT in mixed trafﬁc from New Circle Road to Lexington Green/Canary Road.

–

Right BAT lane from Lexington Green/Canary Road to Marketplace Drive/Summit Entrance.

–

BRT in mixed trafﬁc from Marketplace Drive/Summit Entrance to Man o’ War Boulevard.

–

BRT stations at Lexington Green/Canary Road, Fayette Mall, and The Summit/Walmart.

–

Local transit shuttle circulator connecting South Park, Fayette Mall and Emmert Farm.

Bus Access Transit (BAT) Lane A Bus Access Transit lane, or BAT lane, designates one lane for buses along with any motorists needing to make a turning movement into and out of traffic. A BAT lane is recommended in the right lane, in each direction, to improve travel times and reduce delay for buses, while still providing capacity and right turning access to motorists. BAT lanes are effective in minimizing auto traffic conflicts with buses. BAT lanes are flexible, as they don’t require any infrastructure improvements - just signs and paint - and can be designated only during Existing certain hours of the day or at all times.

Bicycle/Pedestrian & Neighborhood Connections Short Term – Improve bicycle/pedestrian facilities along Tiverton Way.

Long Term – Add 10’ shared use path along each side of Nicholasville Road. –

Add a new bicycle/pedestrian connection between the South Park Development and the neighborhood via Medlock Road.

Vehicular Improvements –

Detailed trafﬁc analysis to evaluate innovative interchange improvements for the Nicholasville Road-New Circle Road interchange.

–

Detailed traffic analysis to evaluate innovative intersection improvements that would restrict turning movements to improve safety and traffic flow and reduce congestion between Lexington Green/Canary Road and Man o’ War Boulevard.

–

Access management in conjunction with innovative intersection improvements throughout.

–

Extend right turn only lanes to full block lanes between The Summit and Canary Road in the northbound direction, and between Rojay Drive and Marketplace Drive in the southbound direction, to allow for three through vehicular lanes in each direction in addition to the BAT lanes.

–

Add new roadway connections between the South Park development and Reynolds Road and Loch Ness Drive, including a new roundabout at Reynolds Road and Loch Ness Drive.

–

Improve the intersection of Reynolds Road and Mall Road.

–

Add a roadway connection between Rojay Drive and the Fayette Crossing Shopping Center.

–

Realign the Mall Road/Tivertwon Way/Nichols Park Drive intersection. Proposed

Report & Recommendations

SEGMENT 6 - MAN O’ WAR BOULEVARD TO BRANNON CROSSING Segment 6 begins at Man O’ War Boulevard, where an innovative intersection upgrade is recommended to reduce turning movements and improve traffic flow through the intersection. A separate access management plan is currently being developed along the corridor south of Man O’ War Boulevard by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which will direct vehicular improvements for this section. The BRT line would run in mixed traffic along this segment. BRT stations would be located just north of Waveland Museum Lane to serve the Emmert Farm catalyst site, as well as Brannon Crossing. For the purposes of this study, the BRT line will turn around at Brannon Crossing, where a park and ride lot will serve commuters from nearby neighborhoods and communities to the south. It is anticipated that the line will extend further south all the way to Nicholasville in the future. Enhanced bicycle and pedestrian connections are recommended at Brannon Crossing, and ten-foot shared use paths are recommended along both sides of Nicholasville Road. The cross-section shown here shows the bus running in mixed traffic with the shared use path on each side of the road. This location is the northern section of segment 6 where there is curb and gutter. However, further south is a shoulder that buses could use during times of heavy traffic to bypass that traffic.

Report & Recommendations

Segment 6 (Man o’ War Boulevard to Brannon Crossing): Enhanced Transit –

BRT in right lane of mixed trafﬁc throughout the section, allowing for shoulder-running BRT in the northbound direction where possible.

–

BRT stations at Waveland Museum Lane and Brannon Crossing.

Park and Ride Facilities Park & ride lots, located at or near the end of the transit line, have the potential to expand the reach of BRT lines. Park & ride lots located at stations should require a minimal walk from car to bus and must be accessible, safe, well lit, and well maintained. They offer commuters who live a considerable distance from a station to access the line. When strategically located and combined with frequent service, park & ride facilities can help attract commuters who seek to have a reliable and convenient commute while avoiding the hassles of trafﬁc and parking. They also help further remove cars from congested thoroughfares such as Nicholasville Road. Park & ride facilities are most likely to be utilized when coupled with parking demand management strategies along the transit line. For instance, University of Kentucky students and employees may choose to park and ride over purchasing costly campus parking passes.

Bicycle/Pedestrian & Neighborhood Connections

Short Term – Improve bike/ped connections within the Brannon Crossing shopping center. Long Term – Add 10’ shared use path along each side of Nicholasville Road.

Vehicular Improvements –

Improve shoulder in northbound direction to allow for shoulder-running BRT.

–

Improve intersections throughout this section per the US 27 Access Management Plan being undertaken by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 7.

Report & Recommendations

WHAT IS A CATALYST SITE? A catalyst site is a parcel or a collection of parcels with opportunity for future development. Located along all sections of the corridor, these sites were identiﬁed by the community and project stakeholders. Although this study only focuses on concepts for three catalyst sites, the planning team initially identiﬁed a total of 26 sites along the entire Nicholasville Road corridor, from Brannon Crossing to downtown Lexington. The process to select three preferred sites included an internal analysis that helped determine which of these were the most feasible for a TOD. The planning team used four objective criteria to score the sites and compare these scores with what we heard from the community. This criteria is discussed in greater detail later in this chapter. The preferred concepts for the three catalyst sites are illustrative of best practices across the midwest and south, many of which have helped transform their communities into more walkable destinations. These concepts are not intended as development proposals — they illustrate how TOD principles can be applied to properties on Nicholasville Road, and show the types of development supported by the community. As seen in the concepts, the scale and makeup of a potential redevelopment varies with each site’s context and characteristics. This plan’s engagement process revealed a community desire for future redevelopment that increases open space, improves access to transit, and creates a more walkable environment.

Report & Recommendations

2004

2009

2011

2015

2020

Grandview Yard, | Grandview Heights, Ohio Creating a Long Term Vision Across the country, redevelopment within a similar size and scale to the three catalyst site concepts usually occurs in a phased approach over 10 or 20 years. Market conditions, as well as local and national development trends, largely dictate how redevelopment takes shape. Nonetheless, the community engagement conducted as part of this planning process has allowed for members of the community to help create a vision for how TOD can occur on Nicholasville Road — a vision that will help shape future market-driven redevelopments. The images above illustrate an example of development that was incrementally built-out over 11 years. Located near Columbus, Ohio, Grandview Yard is a large-scale redevelopment of a former industrial facility, transforming it into a walkable mixed-use district. The district’s phased build-out followed a long term master plan that was adjusted and re-examined over time to reﬂect market conditions and respond to new and unexpected tenants.

Achieving Citywide Goals The development’s earlier phases proved there was market demand for a walkable environment, in what used to be a car-dependent suburban area. This lead to a gradual northward expansion of the district, following a framework established by the site’s master plan. Over time, what was originally expected as a largely residential development incorporated ofﬁce, mixed-use and hotels, as market conditions shifted. Though a master planned approach is beneﬁcial to long-term redevelopment, this approach is often hindered by a lack of site consolidation and fragmented ownership. The three catalyst sites reimagined in this study were selected due to their ownership makeup and larger site sizes. Although not the focus of this chapter, smaller sites along the corridor can continue to redevelop using the lessons learned from the concepts from the three catalyst site scenarios.

Report & Recommendations

The Imagine Nicholasville Road study attempts to increase density along Nicholasville Road, focusing on properties directly along the corridor with walkable access to future transit improvements. This strategy is derived from the policies established in the Imagine Lexington study completed in 2018. The Imagine Lexington process included citywide public involvement which resulted in strategies to densify major roadway corridors, enhance transit, and encourage new housing types throughout Lexington, fulﬁlling an identiﬁed demand for new housing.

From 26 Sites to Three Catalyst Sites

26 TOTAL SITES CONSIDERED (442 ACRES TOTAL)

The following criteria were used by the project team to determine the feasibility and desirability of potential TOD sites. The 26 sites were selected by the project team, following a baseline analysis that included examining current zoning, land use, and major users. The criteria below were applied to each site in order to support the selection of three catalyst sites. The results from this exercise, shown in the rankings in the graphic, were correlated with results from the public engagement process. As seen in the rankings, the highest-scoring sites tended to be larger commercial properties south of New Circle Road.

EMMERT FARM

FAYETTE MALL & THE PLAZA

LEXINGTON GREEN BAPTIST HOSPITAL AREA

SOUTHLAND DRIVE

SOUTH PARK & CROSSROADS PLAZA

Criteria 1: Site is sized for TOD and meets the basic requirements for a Mixed Use District. Sites that meet this criteria are generally over 3 acres, have signiﬁcant frontage along the corridor, and are currently zoned commercial or have a nonresidential land use. Criteria 2: Site can be feasibly acquired for redevelopment Sites that meet this criteria are either currently listed for sale, or are under the control of less than ﬁve owners.

Criteria 2

Site is sized for TOD and meets the basic requirements for a Mixed-Use District.

Site can be feasibly acquired for redevelopment

Criteria 3: Site is under-performing market conditions Sites that meet this criteria have retail or commercial vacancies that exceed market conditions. Criteria 4: Site was identified as a redevelopment opportunity Sites that meet this criteria have not experienced significant redevelopment within the last 5 years, have parking lots that exceed 40% of the site, or were identified by the community as a potential opportunity.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY CAMPUS

SITE NAME

Criteria 1

Criteria 4

Site is underutilized or underperforming market conditions

Site was identified as a redevelopment opportunity

Lexington Green

Fayette Place

Emmert Farm

4 (Tie)

Vacant Walgreens

4 (Tie)

Fayette Mall & The Plaza

6 (Tie)

Zandale Shopping Center

6 (Tie)

Good Samaritan Hospital Parking Lot

6 (Tie)

Upper & Winslow (Raising Cane’s)

CRITERIA APPLIED TO ALL SITES, NARROWING DOWN TO THREE CATALYST SITES

Report & Recommendations

RANK

South Park Shopping Center

Regency Center

Criteria 3

DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON

The Three Sites

The three sites, as exhibited by their respective results in the criteria, have advantageous traits that make TOD feasible. For instance, the sites are generally larger than 10 acres in size, have signiﬁcant frontage along Nicholasville Road, and are controlled by less than ﬁve owners.

FAYETTE MALL & THE PLAZA

Road Nicholasville

New Circle Road

EMMERT FARM

Reynolds Road

The three sites selected for this study, shown in the accompanying map, are the South Park and Crossroads Shopping Centers, the Fayette Mall and The Plaza at Fayette Mall properties, and University of Kentucky’s Emmert Farm property at the corner of Man o’ War and Nicholasville Road. These three sites, all of which are located on Nicholasville Road south of New Circle Road, received among the highest scores in the selection criteria rankings, and were identiﬁed by members of the community as sites with opportunity for development.

Man O War Boulevard

NORTH

Lexington Green

SOUTH PARK & CROSSROADS PLAZA

The Summit at Fritz Farm

The following pages will focus on sharing longterm visions for each of these sites, all of which are conceptual in nature and illustrate best practices for how TOD may integrate with a future transit station. The concepts presented represent best practice principles in TOD case studies, such as residential densities of 20 dwelling units per acre or higher. EMMERT FARM

Report & Recommendations

FAYETTE MALL & THE PLAZA

SOUTH PARK & CROSSROADS PLAZA

South Park & Crossroads Centers Existing Conditions Looking East

Fayette Crossing Apartments SOUTH PARK SHOPPING CENTER

White Castle

a Ro

Captain D’s

irc

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Both centers are surrounded by single-family and multi-family residential to the south and east, with limited site access to the surrounding street grid. Current connections to residential areas are limited by a superblock development pattern lacking both direct vehicular and pedestrian connections.

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Located south of Canary Road, Crossroads Plaza is a slightly older and smaller shopping center, also featuring a large parking lot and two outlots on Nicholasville Road. The 8-acre site includes a 110,000 square foot retail center and a parking lot fronting Reynolds Road.

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South Park Shopping Center’s current ownership also includes a 6-acre undeveloped parcel south of Loch Ness Drive, most of which is occupied by a retention basin. This undeveloped site, with the exception of a 150-foot depth from Loch Ness Drive, is within a retention basin easement.

The Element Apartment Homes

South Park Shopping Center is a mid-size retail center located immediately south of the New Circle Road interchange. The 23-acre site includes a 223,000 square-foot building with six stores, a large parking lot fronting Nicholasville Road, and large underutilized parking areas in the rear of the property. South Park’s Nicholasville Road frontage is complicated by a change in elevation between the street level and the parking lot, which sits approximately 12-20 feet below. The site is accessed by Canary Road, which aligns with Lexington Green Circle to the west.

Ca n

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SOUTH PARK SHOPPING CENTER & CROSSROADS PLAZA

CROSSROADS PLAZA Walgreens Pharmacy

LEXINGTON GREEN

Nic

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Roa d

NORTH

Report & Recommendations

The Long-Term Vision for South Park Shopping Center & Crossroads

Creating a New Center Ro ad rc le

Townhome Development

ary

Ro a

Residential or hotel with visibility from New Circle Road

Portion of Crossroads Plaza to remain

Ca n SOUTH PARK SHOPPING CENTER

This concept plan also recommends the integration of meaningful and ﬂexible open space into the overall development. These spaces range from tree-lined streets to highly amenitized plazas and courtyards. These spaces provide areas for people to gather. The stormwater basin on the east portion of the site is re-imagined as an accessible parkland featuring a boardwalk, trails, and trees.

CROSSROADS PLAZA

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Ro a

This concept concentrates high intensity uses along Nicholasville Road and creates a new plaza adjacent to the potential station location. Building heights and density are greatest directly on Nicholasville Road, and step down as they approach the surrounding residential areas. The “back” of the property is re-envisioned as a residential community featuring apartments, attached townhomes, and green spaces.

Stormwater Park

Multi-Family infill development

The concept for South Park and Crossroads inﬁlls large parking lots fronting Nicholasville Road with mixed-use development and town center spaces. New plazas and open spaces create a walkable connection between existing shopping areas and new inﬁll development and transit.

Approx. 17 - 20 Dwelling Units per Acre

Gateway Mixed Use development at corner

Multi-Family Retail/Restaurant Townhome Parking Structure Mixed Use Buildings Plaza/Open Space

Town center plaza with apartments

Transit Line and Stations

Specialty Street

Nic

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Roa d

Local Transit Route NORTH

Report & Recommendations

Development Character The types of development that could occur on this site will depend on further study of the market conditions. The images shown here are samples of other case studies that promote a look and feel for the potential building type and character of these developments. This plan supports creating lively gathering areas, active ground uses, and diverse building styles and uses. Equally as important as the building placement and architectural character and style of the development, the network of open spaces, plazas, and parks should be a high priority in the planning and design of TOD. These spaces, as illustrated in the images on this page, provide opportunity for community events and gatherings, while promoting a healthier and sustainable development.

Report & Recommendations

Creating a Connected & Walkable Grid This plan view better illustrates a sample of the potential connectivity improvements that would occur with new development, such as new street connections to nearby residential areas, and a multi-use trail along Canary Road. The concept also shows a potential development at the intersection with New Circle Road, such as apartments or a hotel, beneﬁting from the high visibility and trafﬁc counts along this section of Nicholasville Road.

Local Transit Route

Transit Line and Stations

oad sville R

la Nicho

Stormwater, landscaping and placemaking Highest density on Nicholasville Road

Residential or hotel with visibility from New Circle Road

Canary R Road d

Reynolds Road

To promote a more walkable and pedestrian friendly development, the concept recommends wide sidewalks on both sides of the street, and places priority on the pedestrian and bicycle circulation throughout. The compact grid allows for improved and walkable connectivity between buildings and opens spaces, and reduces the emphasis on the vehicle as the primary mode of transportation within the development.

Potential Local Route

CROSSROADS PLAZA

SOUTH PARK SHOPPING CENTER

Existing loading docks

Single-story deck

Apartments with tuckunder parking

New connections to nearby residential

Townhome Development Multi-Family Retail/Restaurant Townhome Parking Structure

Stormwater Park

Mixed Use Buildings Plaza/Open Space Specialty Street

Report & Recommendations

FAYETTE MALL & THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL Fayette Mall is a regional shopping center and one of the corridor’s most visited daily destinations. With more than one million square feet of commercial space and various associated outlots, the mall and its surrounding area is a signiﬁcant anchor on Nicholasville Road south of New Circle Drive. Though built in the 1970s, the mall property has been periodically updated and renovated, with a recent renovation to the entrance in 2013. The mall follows a traditional suburban mall development pattern, with the main building surrounded by parking lots connected by a winding loop road.

FAYETTE MALL & OUTLOTS

olas

CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH

Report & Recommendations

ville

Road

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Nich

old

During the engagement process, this site received a large number of comments and interest from the community. This was due in to the large surface parking lots along Nicholasville Road, and their potential for future inﬁll development, in addition to a community desire for more green spaces.

THE PLAZA AT FAYETTE MALL

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For the purposes of this analysis, this site includes the areas between Reynolds Road on the north to Rojay Drive to the south, between Nicholasville Road and the train tracks on the east and west. The CSX tracks divide the site from Shillito Park, which contains a parcel owned by the mall’s main ownership group.

SHILLITO PARK

TARGET

Approx. 20 - 25 Dwelling Units per Acre

Fayette Mall & The Plaza Creating a Destination District

Long term redevelopment of Fayette Plaza Park Connection via bridge

The concept leverages the mall and its success as a regional draw to create a walkable and compact district. Existing surface parking lots both in the front and back of the property are re-imagined as mixed-use districts that create a new front door to the mall. The site’s concept places a future transit station within the interior of the site, near a new town center with restaurants, stores and apartments connecting to the mall’s main entrance. Properties along Rojay Drive are also shown with future redevelopment, though smaller in scale and more retail-oriented approaching the site of the new hotel near The Plaza currently under construction.

SHILLITO PARK New Plaza and retail at new hotel

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Local Transit Route Mall Drive shifted south

Dillard’s FAYETTE MALL

J.C. Penney

Multi-Family Retail/Restaurant Townhome

Transit Line and Stations

Nich

olas

ville

Re yno ld

Phased-In apartment development on Rojay Drive

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Macy’s

Road

Nicholasville Road Apartments over podium parking with site topography

Parking Structure Mixed Use Buildings

New Town Center Plaza with Retail & Mixed Use

Plaza/Open Space

Shared Parking Garages

Specialty Street NORTH

Report & Recommendations

The Long-Term Vision for Fayette Mall To understand how future inﬁll development can occur around Fayette Mall, the planning team took inspiration from other successful town centers across the country. Many of these include a generous amount of open space and plazas with trees, lawns, and spaces for outdoor events. Gathering areas are recommended to be designed to feel like public spaces, and face both Nicholasville Road and new mixed-use or residential development. This concept uses the existing mall circulation system to create a more connected and walkable street grid. This new walkable grid replaces the traditional mall loop road, adding pedestrian amenities such as marked crossings, street trees, benches, and sidewalks. Internal streets are encouraged to be designed to feel like public roads, discouraging the use or large parking areas with drive aisles. While the focus of this concept is ensuring future development that prioritizes the pedestrian experience, parking continues to be addressed and considered as part of the design. Future development will likely include multiple shared parking garages that accommodate vehicles for both residents and mall users. These garages are recommended to be located internally within the site, and wrapped with development or treated with architectural elements that screen vehicles.

Report & Recommendations

Park Connection via bridge Long term redevelopment of Fayette Plaza Potential Future local route

Fayette plaza

Dick’s Sporting Goods J.C. Penney

New Plaza and retail at new hotel

FAYETTE MALL

Macy’s

Reynolds Road

Dillard’s

Shared Parking Garages Multi-Family Retail/Restaurant Townhome

e Road lle sviill Nicholasv Transit Line and Stations

Parking Structure Mixed Use Buildings Plaza/Open Space Specialty Street

New Town Center Plaza with Retail & Mixed Use

Phased-In apartment development on Rojay Drive

NORTH

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EMMERT FARM Emmert Farm is located in the southwest corner of the intersection between Man o’ War Boulevard and Nicholasville Road. Along its southernmost portion, Emmert Farm borders the historic Waveland Estate, whereas its other neighbors include privately-owned agricultural land to the south and residential communities along the east and west of the train tracks. As a research and teaching facility providing valuable community outreach, this property is one that would only redevelop if the University of Kentucky were to sell the property and relocate its organic farm facility. This process is one that will likely take three to four years before any sale of the land.

UK Horticulture Research Farm (South Farm)

Waveland Estate

The study of Emmert Farm explored a wide range of densities and strategies and considered various types of conservation or phased approaches. While we show a single option moving forward, some of the lessons from our process may inform how a property of this scale and use could redevelop over time using multiple phases of development. Though this site’s preferred concept illustrates one of many potential redevelopment scenarios, this plan supports redevelopment that emphasizes a walkable and well connected public realm.

’W ar B

Overhead electric utility corridor

Nic

M an

Responding to comments from the community, future development on Emmert Farm must move beyond traditional greenﬁeld suburban single family development. Future development must include a mix of uses, a well designed system of internal streets and paths, and high quality open spaces.

hol

asv

ille

Roa d

WALMART

NORTH

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Emmert Farm Creating a Walkable Community

Trail connecting under rail line using existing tunnel

The design concept imagines a 20+ year scenario for this site built around establishing large and welcoming open spaces that build on the site’s history as a working farm. The concept concentrates mixed use developments along the corridor itself, at both Man O’ War boulevard and Waveland Museum Lane. A future transit stop is located closer to Waveland Museum Lane, and the design leverages this transit amenity with an ofﬁce, retail, and apartment development within a convenient walking distance. A smaller neighborhood-scale town center is located in the interior of the site, providing recreation and open space amenities for future residents of the townhomes and ﬂats located within walking distance.

Townhomes with community green Potential future connection to Southpoint Drive

Greenway buffer along Waveland property (60’ Min)

Conservation buffer with trail along rail 2 to 3-story attached “flats”

Potential Local Route

5-story Office Building

M a Bo n O ul ’ W ev ar ar d

Transit Station Location with pedestrian crossing treatment

Multi-Family Townhomes or Flats

Right-In/Right-Out Intersections

Central Community green with playgrounds, fields, and gardens

Retail/Restaurant Townhome Parking Structure Plaza/Open Space Specialty Street

4-story Multifamily along corridor

Nic

Restaurant with corridor visibility, accessed from site

hol

asv

ille

Hotel & Event Center, OR office with single-story deck

Roa d NORTH Approx. 17 - 20 Dwelling Units per Acre

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The Long-Term Vision for Emmert Farm Given the size of this property, we are showing a development pattern built around smaller blocks in support of a more walkable development. These blocks, which can be developed incrementally, are connected by a network of new internal streets with sidewalks, street trees, and marked crossings. This new street network will connect residents with restaurants, shops and open spaces. The parks, plazas, courtyards, and greenways featured in the concept for Emmert Farm are designed to create gathering areas for future residents and visitors. These components are critical in transforming Emmert Farm into a dynamic residential community that features multiple building types and densities. Future vehicular access to the site from Nicholasville Road will need to be coordinated with the access management study conducted by KYTC Highway District 7. Access can be coordinated as development occurs, and is suggested to create welcoming and inviting gateways into the site, with landscaped areas and sidewalks on Nicholasville Road. The southern and western edges of the site feature a generous buffer that includes a greenway trail connecting this site with the larger regional system. This greenway buffer widens along the Waveland Estate edge, in order to create a forested edge with this historic property.

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Community Park Multi-Family

Conservation buffer with trail along rail

Townhomes or Flats

Townhome Parking Structure Plaza/Open Space

Man O’ W ar Boule vard

Trail connecting under rail line using existing tunnel

Retail/Restaurant

Greenway buffer along Waveland property (60’ Min)

Specialty Street

Pedestrian Crossing Treatment Potential future connection to Southpoint Drive

Waveland Museum Lane

Waveland Estate

Existing Farm: Potential Future Development Site

NORTH

Overhead electric utility corridor

Lowe’s

Potential Local Route

Trail connection to Waveland

Walmart

Hotel & Event Center, OR office with single-story deck

5-story Office Building Transit Station

Transit Station: Summit/Walmart

Nicholasville Road The Summit

Right-In/Right-Out Intersections

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THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK The regulatory framework establishes the ﬁrst steps in shaping how future development will occur along Nicholasville Road. As transit improvements are implemented with the addition of a premium transit or BRT line, the corridor’s potential for TOD increases. Areas within walking distance to future stations are likely to experience development pressure and can experience a future transformation into a walkable community. This section of the study establishes a framework for how new development near future transit stations can embody best practice TOD goals and principles. As seen in the catalyst site concepts, future developments can adopt and promote a walkable and pedestrianfocused approach in currently auto-dependent areas. To incentivize a walkable and connected environment, it is important to support concentrating densities, creating a mix of uses, and reducing the need for auto trips and parking.

THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK DOES... •

Establishes the mechanism for achieving the 20 year vision

•

Create station and development typologies that respond to the existing context

•

Provide a sample of how design guidelines can be implemented along the corridor, regulating elements like setbacks, building placement, and building heights

•

Provides detailed action items for adoption

•

Serves as a recommendation on future land uses decision and development standards

The framework is divided in three main sections: •

Station Area and Transition Area: Establishes a quarter- and halfmile buffer around each proposed station.

•

Development Typologies: Categorizes each of the station area buffers under four typologies responding to existing context and potential opportunity.

•

Dimensional Standards per Typology: Sets best practice ranges for future development standards to be adopted as part of a future zoning ordinance. These ranges include building setbacks, heights, and design elements.

The regulatory framework will inform future development standards that will be developed following the completion of this plan, and will be vetted and adopted as amendments to the zoning ordinance through the established public process. These standards will steer future growth on Nicholasville Road and its surrounding area toward a walkable and compact development pattern.

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THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK DOES NOT... •

Enact regulation

•

Re-zone parcels or create a new overlay

•

Appropriate funding for projects or approve development proposals

•

Impact existing buildings and uses (residential, commercial, or otherwise)

•

Mandate exactly how development will occur

Jessam J mine County Fay ye ette Cou oun nty

Catalyst Site: Fayette Mall

Catalyst Site: Emmert Farm 12

Station and Transition Areas

2A 2B

Un U niv iver ersi er sity si ty y of Kent Ke n uc nt ucky ky

Catalyst Site: South Park& Crossroads

Station Area: 0.25-Mile Buffer

Area within a 5-minute walk to the proposed station, generally along commercial or institutional properties e directly fronting Nicholasville Road.

Station Area

Proposed BRT Station

Around each station, re-development proposed within the Station or Transition Areas will be inﬂuenced by design guidelines that will be established through a public process following this plan. Although the speciﬁc guidelines will vary per typology, Station Area buffers offer higher densities along Nicholasville Road, compared to their respective Transition Areas, and encourage walkable mixeduse developments. Station Areas are encouraged to provide active groundlevel uses, and discourage or restrict street-facing parking lots. Transition Areas, the larger half-mile buffers, are intended to create a gradual stepping down in density and building heights if new developments are proposed near residential areas.

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0.25-M il e

Transit Center 2A: Urban Target, 2B: Good Samaritan Hospital UK Prall Street UK Hospital UK Kroger Field (Special Events) Baptist Health Southland Pasadena 0.5 -M South Park/Lexington Green il e Bu Fayette Mall ffe r Walmart/The Summit Emmert Farm Brannon Crossing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Bu f

r fe

This plan’s regulatory framework includes two areas around each proposed transit station that shape new developments through general design guidelines: a Station area and a Transition Area. The Station Area is established by a quarter-mile buffer around the approximate BRT station location, applying to parcels fully or partially contained within this circle. Similarly, the Transition Area is established by a half-mile buffer from the station location and applies to parcels falling fully or partially between the quarter-mile and half-mile buffers. Parcels that fall partly within both areas may use the guidelines established by Station Area. As seen on the map above, once applied, these buffers cover the entirety of the corridor between downtown Lexington and Brannon Crossing.

BRT Line Transition Area: 0.5-Mile Buffer

Area between the station area and the surrounding neighborhoods, generally along commercial or institutional properties accessed from Nicholasville Road or side streets.

Transition Area

FOUR DEVELOPMENT TYPOLOGIES Each station is categorized as one of four development typologies identiﬁed in the graphic below, responding to the station’s surrounding character, land uses, and overall context. Regional Town Center: Furthest from downtown, the Regional Town Center typology will apply to stations south of New Circle Road. As seen in our catalyst site concepts, these are larger sites that, if redeveloped, can accommodate a master-planned town center of various uses and densities.

Suburban Town Center: From New Circle Road to Southland Drive, Nicholasville Road transitions from agricultural/commercial to a more suburban context. Current users include small and midsized retail centers surrounded by residential communities. As these centers are redeveloped in the future, the Suburban Town Center typology has the opportunity to ensure that new development faces the corridor with active ground-level uses and inﬁll residential. Building heights and densities step down as they approach existing neighborhoods.

Neighborhood: Further north, the Nicholasville Road corridor transitions from an suburban commercial character to a campus and residential setting. The Neighborhood typology will ensure new development is appropriate in scale and density to its surroundings, while inﬁlling the corridor with new residential and active ground-level uses. This neighborhood scale of development will help Nicholasville Road become a walkable retail and residential street for its adjacent communities.

Urban Center: For the portions of the corridor closest to downtown, the Urban Center typology capitalizes on the distinct walkable environment already seen in this part of the corridor. These areas already have the building blocks for a pedestrian-friendly environment: streets with sidewalks, mixed-use clusters, a strong residential population, and access to employment and institutional uses.

REGIONAL TOWN CENTER

SUBURBAN TOWN CENTER

NEIGHBORHOOD

URBAN CENTER

New Circle to Brannon Crossing

Southland to New Circle

Residential Communities

Downtown & UK Campus

Report & Recommendations

Jessam J mine County Faye yette Cou oun nty

Catalyst Site: Fayette Mall

Catalyst Site: Emmert Farm

REGIONAL TOWN CENTER

SUBURBAN TOWN CENTER

Station and Transition Areas with Development Typolgies Each Station and Transition Area is assigned one of the four development typologies established in this plan, depending on the location’s context and character. The process to determine a development typology for each Station Area included a look at current zoning, land use, building heights, street frontages, and overall character zones, as detailed in the existing conditions section of this report. For instance, stations located near downtown include a compact street grid with a mix of land uses and are within a short walk of open spaces and destinations. These station buffers exhibit the traits most closely aligned with the Urban Center typology and were categorized as such. Likewise, the portions of Nicholasville Road south of New

Circle Road generally contain regional shopping centers with parking lots fronting Nicholasville Road, many of which are in parcels of more than 10 acres. Considering these traits, potential redevelopment closely aligned the traits of the Regional Center typology. The Southland Station is one instance along Nicholasville Road in which the station’s surrounding context, as well as input from the community, resulted in the assignment of two different typologies within a single buffer. North of Jesselin Drive and Goodrich Avenue, Nicholasville Road is a primarily residential street with single family homes fronting the corridor. Due to this change in context, the buffers south of Jesselin Drive and Goodrich Avenue, with the exception

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2A 2B

1 Un niv iver ersi er sity si ty y of Kent Ke n uc nt ucky ky

Catalyst Site: South Park& Crossroads

NEIGHBORHOOD

URBAN CENTER

Transit Center 2A: Urban Target, 2B: Good Samaritan Hospital UK Prall Street UK Hospital UK Kroger Field (Special Events) of existing single family, are categorized under Baptist Health the Suburban Town Center Typology. North of Southland Jesselin Drive and Goodrich Avenue, the character Pasadena changes as the corridor transitions to single family South Park/Lexington Green residential, and the Neighborhood Typology is Fayette Mall applied. Walmart/The Summit Emmert Farm Brannon Crossing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

URBAN CENTER TYPOLOGY

DESIGNED FOR URBAN SETTINGS WITH A STRONG URBAN FABRIC AND SENSE OF PLACE

The Urban Center Typology was developed for the proposed stations within and adjacent to Downtown Lexington. The context for these areas currently exhibits traits most associated with a walkable environment: a connected urban grid with walkable blocks, signalized crossings, a mix of uses with active ground ﬂoors, and a residential population. Station Areas are nonetheless within walking distance of surface parking lots and underutilized single-use buildings, both of which were noted in stakeholder conversations as likely to redevelop. Due to its urban context, the dimensional standards below encourage highdensity uses and a lack of restrictions on building height. Single-use parking is not encouraged, with no parking minimums required.

Potential Dimensional Standards*

Station Area

Transition Area

40’ - 50’

24’ - 36’

None

75’ if located 200’ from single-family zoning, none otherwise

Transition Area

Station Area

Station Location

Parcels with area less than 0.25 acres Min. Building Height

Parcels with area exactly or greater than 0.25 acres

Max. Nicholasville Road Required Building Setback (from Other Primary Streets future back of curb) Secondary Streets

Generalized Building Uses**

Scale (Floor-to-ﬂoor) Ground Floor Transparency Area*** (minimum) Minimum Parking Required

Min. 10’ - Max. 15’ Min. 10’ - Max. 15’ Min. 10’ - Max. 15’

Ground Floor

Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Services), Ofﬁce, Hotel, Institutional, Residential Uses

Upper Floors

Residential Uses, Ofﬁce, Institutional

Ground Floor Heights

Applies to: Downtown-area stations

16’ Min.

Primary Streets

Non-Residential

60%

40%

Residential

25%

20%

Secondary Streets

Non-Residential

50%

40%

Residential

25%

20%

Residential Uses

None

Non-Residential Uses

None

Station Area (0.25-Mile Buffer)

* Standards are based on best practices and initial analysis of the corridor’s context and character ** Additional to uses allowed in current zoning *** Measured 3’ to 10’ From Finished Grade

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Transition Area (0.5-Mile Buffer)

NEIGHBORHOOD TYPOLOGY

ADDS DENSITY ALONG THE CORRIDOR WHILE PRESERVING EXISTING RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER

The Neighborhood Typology was shaped by conversations between the planning team and members of residential communities near Nicholasville Road. This plan recommends small scale infill that responds to the existing built environment. Consequently, the standards below showcase guidelines for medium density on Nicholasville Road, while single-family communities retain their character. Infill on Nicholasville Road is suggested as small scale mixed-use with active ground levels, between 2 to 4 stories in height. Parking requirements are suggested to be reduced, in order to incentivize walkable development types in smaller sites. New neighborhood-level infill will support the transformation of this portion of the corridor into a livable destination for nearby residents. Potential Dimensional Standards* Building Height

Station Area

Transition Area

Min.

40’ - 50’

N/A

Max.

40’ - 60’

40’

Nicholasville Road Required Building Setback (from Other Primary Streets future back of curb) Secondary Streets Nicholasville Road, Ground Floor

Scale (Floor-to-ﬂoor)

Ground Floor Transparency Area*** (minimum)

Minimum Parking Required****

Primary Streets Secondary Streets

Min. 20’ - Max. 35’ Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Services), Ofﬁce, Institutional, Residential Uses

Residential Uses, Ofﬁce, Institutional

Residential Uses

16’ Min.

N/A

NonResidential

50%

N/A

Residential

25%

20%

NonResidential

N/A

Residential

20%

Ground Floor Heights

Residential Uses Non-Residential Uses

Station Location

Min. 15’ - Max. 25’

Commercial (Retail, Restaurant), Residential Uses

Upper Floors

Station Area

Min. 10’ - Max. 20’

Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Services), Ofﬁce, Institutional, Residential Uses

Generalized Building Other Streets, Ground Uses** Floor

Transition Area

Applies to: Residential areas, hospitals

Station Area (0.25-Mile Buffer)

0.5 space per dwelling unit (1) space per 400 square feet

* Standards are based on best practices and initial analysis of the corridor’s context and character ** Additional to uses allowed in current zoning *** Measured 3’ to 10’ From Finished Grade **** Parking provided shall not exceed the minimum required number of spaces, plus 50% of the min.

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Transition Area (0.5-Mile Buffer)

SUPPORTS THE GRADUAL INFILL OF RETAIL CENTERS, STEPPING DOWN TO NEARBY RESIDENTIAL AREAS

SUBURBAN TOWN CENTER TYPOLOGY The Suburban Center Typology generally applied to areas on Nicholasville Road between Southland Drive and New Circle Road. This portion of the corridor includes mid-sized shopping centers, most of which are set back from the street and front the corridor with surface parking lots. Redevelopment of this area is suggested to capitalize on larger parcel sizes and proximity to a large residential community, potentially within walking distance with the addition of pedestrian connections. As seen in the standards below, building heights are increased on Nicholasville Road and step down closer to singlefamily residential communities. Parking minimums are reduced or eliminated within the Station Area, and reduced in the Transition Area. Potential Dimensional Standards* Building Height

Station Area

Transition Area

Min.

40’ - 50’

N/A

Max.

90’ - 110’

36’ - 50’

Nicholasville Road Required Building Setback (from Other Primary Streets future back of curb) Secondary Streets Nicholasville Road Ground Floor Other Primary Streets, Ground Floor

Generalized Building Uses** Secondary Streets, Ground Floor

Scale (Floor-to-ﬂoor)

Ground Floor Transparency Area*** (minimum)

Minimum Parking Required

Primary Streets Secondary Streets

Min. 10’ - Max. 25’

Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Services), Ofﬁce, Hotel, Institutional, Residential Commercial (Retail, Restaurant), Residential Uses

Residential Uses (Townhomes, Single Family) Non-Residential: 16’ Min.

NonResidential

60%

40%

Residential

25%

20%

NonResidential

40%

N/A

Residential

20%

None

1 space per dwelling unit (may count 50% of nonresidential parking)

Residential Uses Non-Residential Uses

Station Location

Min. 10’ - Max. 35’

16’ Min.

Ground Floor Heights

Station Area

Min. 10’ - Max. 20’

Residential Uses, Ofﬁce, Institutional

Upper Floors

Transition Area

Applies to: Areas with small to medium retail centers Station Area (0.25-Mile Buffer)

(1) space per 400 square feet

* Standards are based on best practices and initial analysis of the corridor’s context and character ** Additional to uses allowed in current zoning *** Measured 3’ to 10’ From Finished Grade

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Transition Area (0.5-Mile Buffer)

REGIONAL TOWN CENTER TYPOLOGY

ENCOURAGES HIGH-DENSITY MIXED-USE NODES NEAR REGIONAL DESTINATIONS AND AMENITIES.

Applied to stations south of New Circle Road to Brannon Crossing, the Regional Town Center typology responds to an urban context suitable for large-scale master planned developments. This portion of the corridor features large properties with sizes often surpassing 10 acres. Future development in this segment of the corridor should feature new walkable street grids, activated and programmed green spaces, and walkable town center nodes of activity. New residential products can include mixed-use with ground-level retail, multi family apartments, mid-density ﬂats or attached townhomes. Examples of how this typology can be applied is found in all three catalyst site concepts. Parking areas are recommended to be screened or wrapped with development, while parking minimums are reduced or eliminated within the Station Area, and reduced in the Transition Area. Potential Dimensional Standards* Building Height

Station Area

Transition Area

Min.

40’ - 50’

N/A

Max.

130’ - 150’

40’ - 60’

Nicholasville Road Required Building Other Primary Streets Setback (from future back of curb) Secondary Streets or New Internal Streets Nicholasville Road & Other Primary Streets,Ground Floor

Generalized Building Secondary Streets, Uses** Ground Floor

Ground Floor Transparency Area*** (minimum)

Minimum Parking Required

Secondary Streets

Station Location

Min. 15’ - Max. 35’ Min. 10’ - Max. 20’ Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Services), Ofﬁce, Hotel, Institutional, Residential Commercial (Retail, Restaurant), Institutional, Residential Residential 16’ Min.

Non-Residential: 16’ Min.

NonResidential

60%

40%

Residential

25%

20%

NonResidential

40%

N/A

Residential

20%

None

1 space per dwelling unit (may count 50% of nonresidential parking)

Ground Floor Heights Primary Streets

Station Area

Min. 15’ - Max. 30’

Upper Floors Scale (Floor-to-ﬂoor)

Transition Area

Residential Uses Non-Residential Uses

Applies to: Areas with retail destinations and greenfield sites Station Area (0.25-Mile Buffer)

(1) space per 400 square feet

* Standards are based on best practices and initial analysis of the corridor’s context and character ** Additional to uses allowed in current zoning *** Measured 3’ to 10’ From Finished Grade

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Transition Area (0.5-Mile Buffer)

PLACEMAKING OPPORTUNITIES

Benches & Outdoor Seating Areas

A key issue for development is the relationship between transportation and land use. The link between land use, or place, and transportation has been studied for decades. It is more recently referred to as “placemaking.” When considering integrated land use and transportation planning, “placemaking” promotes a simple principle: if you plan cities for cars and trafﬁc, you get cars and trafﬁc. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places. Placemaking along Nicholasville Road will help create a destination in Lexington for people to visit. It will create places for the greater community to come and enjoy. It will enhance the quality of life for residents by creating areas reimagined and reinvented by the community. Strengthening this connection between people and the places they share, placemaking refers to the collaborative engagement effort taken to ask participants to tell us what they wanted to see along the study area and in any public realm spaces.

Public seating creates a comfortable, usable and active public environment where people socialize, wait for a bus, or simply relax and people-watch. It also helps create a sense of place where people are able to see others, be seen, and feel safe, and therefore entice people to linger and relax. Seating should be made of durable, high quality materials. It should complement and visually reinforce design of other streetscape elements. It should also be located under shade, where possible, adjacent to transit stops, in the planting zone, high pedestrian activity locations, and adjacent to businesses.

Intersection & Crosswalk Improvements

Parklets & Reclaimed Sidewalk Space

Intersections and crosswalks should be designed to offer as much comfort and protection to pedestrians as possible and raise awareness for safety. Intersection crossings should be kept as compact as possible, facilitating eye contact by moving pedestrians directly into the driver’s ﬁeld of vision. Crosswalks can be striped as wide or wider than the walkway it connects. Use high-visibility ladder, zebra, and continental crosswalk markings.

A great way to reclaim public space is by using parklets. Parklets are small expansions to the sidewalk that reclaim parking or other unused space as public space for people. They can be temporary or permanent and may consist of a variety of different functions that support sidewalk dining, expanded seating areas, gathering spaces, and other passive public and private activities.

Intersections can be used as an opportunity to create gateways for the corridor. They can be branded using different materials, specifically in the pedestrian realm. These could be used as traffic calming measures in addition to creating character along the roadway. Identifying intersections at key locations to provide gateways and traffic calming will help brand the corridor.

Report & Recommendations

Branding & Wayfinding Signage

Transit Amenities & Upgrades

Wayfinding compliments and enriches the pedestrian experience and creates interesting streets and spaces. Wayfinding information should be conveyed clearly and efficiently with high quality signage and graphic design. It orients and directs pedestrians, locals, and visitors alike to key destinations and parking, and it also contributes to the distinct identity of the corridor. Wayfinding should be located on sidewalks, near to intersection corners, near transit stops, and places with high pedestrian activity.

It is important that transit stops are safe, easily identiﬁable, accessible, and comfortable places to wait for the bus. A basic bus stop should consist of an accessible paved area and easily identiﬁable signage. They should also be near crosswalks, well lit, and placed at locations safe for passengers and vehicles. Amenities provided at transit stops include shelters, benches, es, and trash cans. Waiting and boarding must be safe and there re should be access to a safe street crossing, and transit shelters rss should complement other pedestrian amenities.

Streetcape Lighting Uniform street and pedestrian lighting will help improve safety and security for all users, while also providing a platform for branding, identity, and character throughout the area. It is important to ensure that streetscape lighting relates directly to the evening functions of the street and the character. Proposed lighting should be evaluated for the size of the roadway, the need for pedestrian lighting, and positioning to ensure that illumination serves potential users. Pedestrian lighting should be included where transit stops are located, adjacent to crossings with vehicular movements, at intersections, and near pocket parks and other public spaces.

Report & Recommendations

Next Steps NICHOLASVILLE Road

PROJECT TIMELINE Short Term Short Term

Long Term Term Long

SHORTER TERM

A. Present this plan to the Urban County Council, Lextran Board, and Transportation Policy Committee.

Nicholasville Road and adjacent streets. Ensure pedestrian linkages to transit are provided, right of way reservations as needed, infrastructure improvements are made (non-BRT).

B. Present this plan to the Planning Commission for formal adoption.

J. Partner with KYTC to conduct a detailed corridor trafﬁc study that includes:

C. Conduct a follow up process to develop Design Development Standards for Station Areas and Transition Areas introduced in the Regulatory Framework. Adopt the standards through a Zoning Ordinance in order to implement the land use recommendations within this study.

Detailed analysis of the removal the reversible lanes

ii. Redesign of the interchange at New Circle Road

D. Formalize complete street policies and adopt best practice design standards

iii. Microsimulation analysis with options for a BAT lane in some areas for BRT and further explore feasibility of innovative and alternative intersection designs at all signalized intersections between Southland Drive and Man O’ War Boulevard

E. Partner with the Corridors Committee to develop and implement landscaping plans with a focus on sustainable and resilient plants and placemaking along the corridor F. Identify where bike/pedestrian projects overlap with other roadway maintenance or improvement projects to improve the bike/pedestrian facility. Explore partnerships with adjacent landowners to make multimodal improvements.

K. Partner and secure funding for major transportation improvement recommendations. Including through the MPO’s MTP and TIP and State Highway Plan.

G. Perform preliminary design based on the BRT recommendations from this corridor study and verify recommendations to prepare for ﬁnal design and funding. Complete BRT design and ﬁnalize parameters.

L. Work with the development community to establish public-private funding strategies for public realm improvements near potential or proposed TOD redevelopments on Nicholasville Road. These may include federal BUILD grants or local TIF districts.

iv. Microsimulation analysis with options for a center running bi-direction bus only lane.

Include project in regional long-range transportation plan.

M. Identify funding and begin design of remaining stand-alone bicycle and pedestrian top priority improvements.

ii. Prepare ridership estimates, reﬁned operating plan, and estimated operating cost. iii. Reﬁne capital plan and prepare estimated capital cost.

LONGER TERM

iv. Determine level of local support to advance project.

A. Implement BRT and station improvements with amenities. Reevaluate needs at stops with changes in land use over time.

v. Obtain assessment of level of environmental analysis from FTA. vi. Conduct environmental assessment.

B. Evaluate other transit connections to the BRT service and explore extension possibilities to north and south.

vii. Conﬁrm non-Section 5309 funding commitments. viii. Prepare implementation plan and schedule

C. Continue to build out bicycle and pedestrian priorities and connections. Reevaluate if other connections are needed based on changes in land use over time.

H. Work with developers interested or actively pursuing redevelopment of properties along Nicholasville Road to achieve as close to full compliance with TOD principles and best practices showcased in this study. I.

D. Design and construction of major transportation improvement recommendations.

As redevelopment occurs, adhere to best practice access management standards, taking site constraints into account, to eliminate unnecessary curb cuts and provide adequate site access from

Report & Recommendations

E. Identify and conduct partner studies of other regional arterial streets suitable for high quality transit improvements and TOD, using the lessons learned and recommendations from Imagine Nicholasville Road.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

establishing a boundary. Local communities retain land use and zoning control within the TDD, whereas the revenue collected from the district is spent within the district.

FTA Small Starts

A BRT line is eligible for funding under the Federal Transit Administration’s competitive Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program, also known as Section 5309. It would be considered a “Small Starts” project in the Corridor-Based BRT category.

While TDDs provide a useful tool in funding improvements around a BRT station area, the use is currently limited in Kentucky due to a lack of enabling legislation.

The next technical steps in the process are the project’s adoption into the regional comprehensive transportation plan and to complete an Environmental Review. Some of this work has already been accomplished as part of Imagine Nicholasville Road as well as the Alternative Analysis completed in 2014 that identified a BRT line along Nicholasville Road as the locally preferred alternative for the corridor. It is likely that FTA will determine that the project would be eligible for a “categorical exclusion” (CE) which requires a limited level of environmental analysis. The environmental review can also be used to determine the project’s benefits in terms of mobility, congestion relief, economic development, land use, and cost effectiveness. In terms of land use, the creation of an overlay zone or district that encourages more dense development along the corridor and/or at station locations will help the competitiveness of the project as projects are evaluated by FTA for funding. FTA approval is also contingent on securing commitments for non-Section 5309 funding. Federal funding cannot constitute more than 80 percent of the total capital cost, but federal share is typically closer to 50 percent. Acceptable degree of local financial commitment including evidence of stable and dependable financing sources for both construction and operations.

Transit Development Districts (TDD) Transit development Districts (TDD) are a special economic development district deﬁned by a contiguous boundary drawn around a planned or existing transit station area. The purpose of a TDD is to provide economic tools and strategies that support local communities in implementing high-quality transit-oriented development. They do so by capturing incremental growth in local property tax and income tax revenue. This revenue is then used to fund public investments around a transit station, in order to enable or incentivize TOD. TDDs are commonly enabled by state-level legislation that specify parameters for their implementation, such as boundary size and its required approval process. The boundaries are generally established through a thorough process outlined in its enabling legislation. This process, currently being used by the State of Indiana in enabling TDDs in Northwest Indiana, includes development analysis, community-wide input through two public hearings, best practice research and market analysis. Previous plans and community goals established in adopted documents weigh heavily in

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Appendix A Existing Conditions NICHOLASVILLE Road

CORRIDOR WALKTHROUGH

Reynolds Road

Brannon Crossing at Brannon Road

Reynolds Road has some of the highest trafﬁc volumes and is one of the most congested intersections in Lexington. Big box and strip retail line the corridor between Reynolds Road and New Circle Road, with Lexington Green on the west side just south of New Circle Road. Nicholasville Road carries four lanes of trafﬁc southbound and three lanes northbound. Between Reynolds Road and New Circle Road there are no sidewalks on the west side of the road, and the sidewalk on the east side ends at the Lextran stop just north of Canary Road.

The southern end of the study area begins at the Brannon Crossing intersection in Jessamine County. A large retail shopping center with restaurants and a combination of big box and strip retail are on the east side of the intersection. Nicholasville Road carries two lanes of trafﬁc in both directions; however there are no bicycle or pedestrian facilities. The land use is agricultural north of Brannon Crossing to the Southpoint intersection, at which point there is light retail and residential along the east side of the road through Man O’ War Boulevard. Sidewalks begin on the east side of the road at Toronto and continues to the senior living facility and through the Man O’ War intersection.

Man o’ War Boulevard The north side of the Man O’ War intersection consists of two large retail centers. The Summit is a new mixed use development on the east side. Big box retailers Walmart and Lowe’s are on the west side. Lextran Route 5 bus route terminates at the Walmart parking lot before returning north along Nicholasville Road back to the downtown transit center. Heading north towards Reynolds Road, the west side of the road is made up of restaurants, retail and the Fayette Mall. The east side is mostly residential, with multi-family housing at Rojay Drive and single family housing further north towards Reynolds Road. Nicholasville Road carries three lanes of trafﬁc in each direction and sidewalks line both sides of the roads, with pedestrian signals and crosswalks at all signalized intersections.

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New Circle Road The New Circle Road interchange is a grade separated interchange with no bicycle or pedestrian facilities through the interchange. Sidewalks along the east side begin at Moore Drive and continue north. While there are no sidewalks along the west side of the road, there is a frontage road between Surfside Drive and New Circle, as well as from Lowry Lane to just north of Zandale Drive. There are seven total lanes of trafﬁc between New Circle Road and Southland Drive, with a center reversible lane beginning just north of New Circle Road that allows for an extra lane in the northbound direction during the morning peak, and the southbound direction during the evening peak. This section of Nicholasville Road consists almost entirely of commercial development.

Corridor Walkthrough

Southland Drive

South Limestone and South Upper

A northbound lane drop occurs north of Southland Drive; this causes significant congestion during the afternoon peak when the reversible lanes limit the northbound configuration to one travel lane north of the lane drop. Lextran Route 16 runs between Southland Drive and Alumni Drive. Sidewalks are located on both sides of the road. Aside from commercial businesses at the intersection of Southland, the land use is primarily residential until north of Rosemont Garden where Baptist Health Hospital is located on the east side. A mix of medical/professional offices, light retail and residential are across the street from the hospital. North of the hospital towards Alumni Drive returns to primarily residential use.

The next section of US 27 is split into a one-way pair with southbound travel on S Upper Street and northbound travel on S Limestone Street, with Lextran service in both directions via Route 5. Both streets are two lanes. S Limestone Street runs alongside the University of Kentucky. This section of S Limestone is a considered a complete street with bicycle lanes, wide sidewalks, bus stops and on-street parking. Dormitories, local restaurants, nightlife and townhome apartments connect campus to Downtown Lexington. There is a large parking garage and pedestrian overpass at the Avenue of Champions intersection. Sidewalk connectivity is high along S Upper Street. Local restaurants and shops make the area feel like a small town within the city limits. Townhomes, apartments and singlefamily homes make up the rest of the area.

Alumni Drive Alumni Drive marks the southern end of the University of Kentucky’s campus. University buildings line the east side of the road with housing on the west side. The University of Kentucky Hospital and Health Clinic lies between Cooper Drive and Virginia Avenue. The main university campus continues north of the hospital. Nicholasvile Road becomes S Limestone Street. The reversible lanes end at Conn Terrace next to UK hospital. Sidewalks line the streets and two pedestrian bridges connect parking facilities to the hospital. The UK Blue and White routes run along this section. Lextran Route 15 runs from Virginia Avenue north up to S Winslow Street. Riding Lextran is free for any student or employee with a valid student ID and bus stops are prevalent on both sides of the road to accommodate the high Lextran ridership to campus.

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Downtown Lexington The study area terminates in Downtown Lexington at Main Street. Historic residential homes transition into Lexington’s Central Business District with tall ofﬁce towers and other professional ofﬁce buildings. S Limestone Street and S Upper Street continue as a one-way pair with two lanes in each direction. The area has good sidewalk connectivity and pedestrian facilities, with bicycle lanes continuing along S Limestone Street and a bike box located at the Vine Street intersection. Lextran’s Route 5 terminates at the transit center on Vine Street.

TRANSIT

resulting in an average travel speed – including stops – of 15 miles per hour, approximately the same as trafﬁc along any given segment. About 10 minutes of layover/recovery time is scheduled at the Transit Center.

The Transit Authority of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, known as Lextran, provides public transportation service throughout the City of Lexington and much of Fayette County, including the US 27 Nicholasville Road corridor. Lextran ﬁxed route service operates in mixed trafﬁc on local streets and roadways. Of Lextran’s 26 routes, six serve or cross Nicholasville Road. The most used line is Route 5–Nicholasville Road, which runs the length of Nicholasville Road between the downtown/University of Kentucky area and Man O’ War Boulevard to the south. At its northern end, Route 5 operates along the one-way pair of Limestone Street and Upper Street and the one- way pair of Vine Street and High Street. It connects with most other Lextran routes at the Downtown Transit Center. Route 5 operates seven days a week. On weekdays, it is in service from 5:30 am to 12:15 am, running every 15-20 minutes throughout the day and every 60 minutes at night. Five buses are operated during peak periods. Route 5 also operates every 50-70 minutes on Saturdays and every 70 minutes on

Sundays. The other Lextran routes that intersect Nicholasville Road at various points are Routes 3– Tates Creek Road, 14–UK Blue and White Routes, 15-Red Mile and 27 UK Yellow Route.

Lextran operates a fleet of 40-foot buses. Most are diesel-powered; in recent years, Lextran has been introducing battery electric buses into the fleet. A charging station is currently located at the transit center. Lextran also operates a service called Wheels, which provide door-to-door paratransit for persons with disabilities who are unable to ride fixed route service.

Total round trip mileage on Route 5 is 11.8 (6.2 miles outbound, 5.6 miles inbound). The alignment of Route 5 brieﬂy diverges off Nicholasville Road to provide direct service to the Target store on Reynolds Road, Fayette Mall and the Walmart at Nicholasville Road. The southernmost stop serves The Summit at Fritz Farm. Scheduled travel time from downtown to Walmart is 25 minutes when trafﬁc is light and 37 minutes during peak periods,

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Transit

Transit Ridership

Transit Stops

Lextran carries 4.5 million passenger trips annually (2019). Average monthly ridership is 375,000. Route 5-Nicholasville Road is Lextran’s highest ridership route of the core radial routes, with an average of 39,251 monthly passenger boardingsrepresenting over ten percent of the system’s total ridership.

Of the 925 stops across the Lextan system, 50 are located along Route 5. Shelters are provided at 10 of these stops (two shelters are located at the Fayette Mall stop). The Transit Center also has covered and enclosed waiting areas. Of the remaining 40 stops, some require the riders to walk across parking lots to enter stores, which is not ideal for safety or during inclement weather. Bus stops are generally located about 2-3 blocks apart. Buses typically stop in trafﬁc. Along portions of the southern segment of the routes, pullouts have been provided.

The Downtown Lextran Transit Center is Route 5’s busiest stop, with an average of 3,051 daily boardings. Other popular bus stops include the Walmart at Nicholas Park (191 boardings) and South Limestone at the UK Steps (180 boardings). The standard adult fare to ride Lextran is $1.00, with discounts offered for students, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and Medicare cardholders. Day passes and multiple ride passes are also offered. Wheels fares range from $1.60 to $2.00.

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PEDESTRIAN CONDITIONS

Sidewalk Score

Pedestrian Infrastructure

Sidewalks are placed into four categories. An “upto-code” sidewalk (green on the map) is at least 6 feet wide, follows Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and does not have anything impeding the walk path. A good sidewalk (yellow) is at least 6 feet wide, but has utilities impeding the pedestrian path. An okay sidewalk (orange) has a sidewalk present, but the width is less than 6 feet, the concrete is deteriorating or the curb ramps do not follow ADA standards. The ﬁnal category (red) is for an absence of facility, dirt paths or shoulders.

Pedestrian infrastructure varies along the corridor. Downtown, sidewalks are plentiful and pedestrian friendly, with crosswalks at signalized intersections. Near UK, a signalized mid-block crosswalk and a pedestrian bridge cross over S Limestone. The signal at Prall Street and S Limestone has a long “All Red” phase, allowing students and faculty to cross in any direction safely. Two pedestrian bridges cross over Nicholasville Road near the UK hospital from parking garages and facilities.

6’ Wide

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<6’ Wide

Pedestrian Conditions

Walk Score

Walkability and Gaps

Walk scores, by www.walkscore.com, show the walkability for residents, deﬁned below. Downtown Lexington and S Upper St/ S Limestone have high walkability scores above 90. The University of Kentucky area is also considered very walkable (80). The area near Kroger Field drops to a 35, requiring a car for most trips. Near Southland Drive, scores rise back up to 80, but then drop back to 60 around New Circle Road and the Fayette Mall. The Summit at Fritz Farm has a score of 70, but then every area south of Man o’ War Blvd has a score below 25.

The Nicholasville Road corridor is very walkable near Downtown Lexington and the University of Kentucky. Moving south, walkability drops drastically, with large gaps beginning just south of Southland Drive where sidewalks are not present or deteriorating. Lack of pedestrian infrastructure at New Circle Road is a signiﬁcant gap in the pedestrian network and a barrier to pedestrian travel along the corridor with no sidewalk or pedestrian bridge to navigate the high speed, high trafﬁc volume interchange. The Fayette Mall and The Summit at Fritz Farm have up-to-code facilities, but the other sidewalks along Nicholasville Road in the southern section of the corridor are deteriorating and not up to code.

Walk Score and Description: 90–100

Walker’s Paradise, daily errands do not require a car

70–89

Very Walkable, most errands can be done on foot

50–69

Partially Walkable, some errands can be done on foot

25–49

Car-Dependent, most errands require a car

0–24

Car-Dependent, almost all errands require a car

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Bike Facility

BICYCLING CONDITIONS

Connectivity

Lexington has an excellent bicycling community with some great trails and parks. The University of Kentucky has one of the highest rated bicycling scores for a campus across the country. Bicycle infrastructure is located in certain spots along the corridor and many bike trails/lanes connect to Nicholasville Road. Trails are also planned to connect Downtown Lexington to Jessamine County, but they run parallel to Nicholasville Road, avoiding the corridor entirely. Despite the existing bicycle infrastructure, most of the corridor is not bicycle friendly.

Bike lanes and bicycle friendly roads surround Nicholasville Road despite the corridor itself lacking bicycle infrastructure. To connect the bicycle routes, cyclists either have to use sidewalks, pedestrian crossings at signalized intersections or use Lextran. Lextran has bike racks on the front of buses, shown below. New Circle Road creates a signiﬁcant barrier for cyclists, as there are not sidewalks nor is there a wide enough shoulder to safely cross the bridge. If a cyclist wants to ride from the south to the north, they have to take a circuitous side route.

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Bicycle Infrastructure Bicycle infrastructure is plentiful in Lexington, but not on most of Nicholasville Road. Where S Limestone becomes a one-way street, bicycle lanes line the right side of the street into Downtown Lexington. A bike box is located at the intersection of S Limestone and Vine Street. Right turn on red is also prohibited near the University of Kentucky, enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety. A bike lane is also located on S Upper Street starting at Winslow and ending at Colfax Street, with a short break near Bolivar Street. There are numerous bike racks in this area and around the University of Kentucky. The northern portion of the corridor has some bike infrastructure, but the rest of the corridor has none.

Bicycling Conditions

Bike Level of Stress Bike level of stress is a rating for roadways indicating the stress it imposes on cyclists. Most riders will not ride on a busy roadway without a bicycle facility, making stress on those roadway types high. The table to the right shows the scoring criteria with respect to the type of roadway and bicycle infrastructure provided. The higher the score, the higher the stress is for cyclists. Most of Nicholasville Road has an extremely high level of stress for cyclists, while the northern portion has a high level.

Street Characteristics Typical # of Prevailing Typical Street Designation Lanes Speed Residential Access

Traffic Volume <500

Residential Local

500-1,500

Residential Collector

2-lanes 25

Commercial/Industrial Collector

1,500-3,000 3,000-10,000

Minor Arterial

3-4 lanes

10,000-20,000

Major Arterial

4+ lanes

>20,000

Residential Local Residential Collector

<1,500 2-lanes

Commercial/Industrial Collector

1,500-3,000 30

3,000-10,000

Minor Arterial

3-4 lanes

10,000-20,000

Major Arterial

4+ lanes

>20,000

2-lanes

1,500-3,000

Residential Local Residential Collector

<1,500

Commercial/Industrial Collector

3,000-10,000

Minor Arterial

3-4 lanes

10,000-20,000

Major Arterial

4+ lanes

>20,000

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Shared Street

Bicycle Boulevard

1 2 2 3 4 4 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 4 4 4

1 1 2 3 4 4 2 2 3 4 4 2 3 4 4 4

Bike Facility Type Buffered Protected Bike Lane Bike Lane Bike Lane

1 1 1 2 3 4 2 2 2 3 4 2 3 3 4 4

1 1 1 1 2 3 1 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3 4

1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 3

Two-Way Separated Cycle Track Bike Facility

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Bicycle Safety The density of bicycle and pedestrian crashes is shown in the map below. Data was from the Kentucky State Police from 2016-2018. Most people do not walk or ride on the southern portion of Nicholasville Road near Brannon Crossing. Most crashes are in the northern portion near Downtown Lexington and the University of Kentucky. 56 total crashes occurred involving bicycles and pedestrians. Two people were killed, both between New Circle Road and Southland Drive, where bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is scarce and vehicular travel speeds are higher.

TRAFFIC Nicholasville Road is one of the most heavily traveled corridors in Lexington. In addition to being a commuter route connecting residential communities in Jessamine County and further south to major employers in downtown Lexington, it also is home to the University of Kentucky, the large medical complex and major hospital of Baptist Health, and numerous large retail destinations such as the Fayette Mall, the Summit at Fritz Farm, Walmart, Target, Lowe’s and other strip retail centers as well

as numerous restaurants. While only a small section of the corridor is residential, large neighborhoods sit directly behind the numerous commercial sites along the corridor. This combination of land uses results in a corridor with high trafﬁc volumes utilizing the road as both a commuter route and a local road. High trafﬁc volumes, low speeds, and congestion throughout the day, make this a corridor that drivers try to avoid.

Average Daily Traffic (ADT) The southern section of the corridor carries around 48,000 vehicles per day (in both directions) between Man O’ War Boulevard and Brannon Road. This highlights the significant amount of traffic coming from and going to Jessamine County. Traffic volumes are highest in the section between Man O’ War Boulevard and New Circle Road, serving an average of over 74,000 vehicles per day. Traffic volumes are lower as the corridor progresses towards downtown, however the number of lanes decreases as well. The Lexington Area MPO Travel Demand Model was used to forecast traffic volumes to future years 2030 and 2045.

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A combination of socio-economic, proposed development/land use and population data, along with anticipated future infrastructure capacity, make up the inputs of the model, allowing it to project future traffic demand based on this data. While most of the corridor in the study area is built up, the future traffic volumes continue to show growth, up to nearly 55,000 vehicles per day south of Man O’ War Boulevard, and nearly 84,000 vehicles per day between Man O’ War Boulevard and New Circle Road. These volumes show that if nothing is done to the corridor, traffic volumes will increase, resulting in worsening congestion as well as safety.

Trafﬁc Conditions

Reversible Lanes A unique feature of Nicholasville Road is a center reversible lane, running from just north of New Circle Road, to Conn Terrace, which is in the middle of the University of Kentucky Medical complex. The reversible lane gives the ﬂexibility to provide an additional inbound northern lane during the morning commute and outbound southern lane during the evening commute. Reversible lanes are not universally well received. For the thousands of commuters that follow the typical inbound/ northbound in the morning and outbound/ southbound in the afternoon travel pattern, the reversible lanes keep trafﬁc moving. However, for those traveling in the opposite direction, the reversible lanes only cause more congestion and delay. They also cause confusion to drivers that are unfamiliar with the operations, causing more safety issues where the reversible lanes begin and end.

LOS

Intersection Level of Service Vehicular level of service (LOS) was calculated for the signalized intersections of the study area that the LFUCG Division of Traffic had data for. LOS is a qualitative measure used to describe traffic operations, and is based on control delay which is the delay associated with time spent waiting at traffic signals. In an urban setting, LOS D or better is desirable. The afternoon peak was used as the time period to evaluate vehicular LOS, as that is generally considered the most congested time of day. Eleven of the twenty-six intersections for which traffic data is available along the corridor, operate at LOS D or better, while nine operate at LOS F.

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Signalized g Intersection Level of Service Table DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE INTERSECTIONS

No Congestion, No Delay

Maxwellton Court, Trifecta Way

Slight Congestion, Slight Delay

Prall Street, Conn Terrace, Zandale Drive

Moderate Congestion, Moderate Delay

Transcript Avenue, Rojay Drive, Southpoint Drive

Unstable Congestion without Excessive Backups

New Circle Road (EB), Canary Road, Wilson Downing Road

Unstable, Very Congested

Cherokee Park, Rosemont Garden, Lowry Lane, Pasadena Drive, Reynolds Road, New Circle Road (WB)

Stop and Go Traffic

Virginia Avenue, Leader Avenue, Waller Avenue, Alumni Drive, Arcadia Park, Southland Drive, Moore Drive, Dundee Drive, Tiverton Way

E F

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY

Percent of Crashes by Light Condition

Crashes

ht, 74

Daylig

w n, 2 % Da

% 21

26.5%

ANGLE

t ti

CRASHES BY MANNER OF COLLISION

of crashes occur at intersections

BACKING

crashes

HEAD ON OPPOSING LEFT TURN

crashes from 2016-2018 *Data from Kentucky State Police

of crashes occur during evening rush hour

sk, 3%

4,513

7 fatal

Nig h

23.7%

Nicholasville Road averages over 1,500 crashes per year, the Vision Zero concept states that crashes are preventable and targets elimination of fatal and serious injury crashes. With this understanding and in accordance with implementation of mitigating measures, a signiﬁcant reduction in crashes along the corridor is achievable.

Data was collected from the Kentucky State Police crash database. From 2016 to 2018, 4,513 crashes occurred with seven fatal crashes. The chart below shows the manner of collision based on the crash data. Rear end crashes and angle crashes have the highest frequency, showing trafﬁc stops and merging as signiﬁcant contributors to crashes. Although

Crash Hot Spots

REAR END REAR TO REAR

14.8%

of crashes occur during inclement weather

SIDESWIPE-OPPOSITE DIRECTION SIDESWIPE-SAME DIRECTION SINGLE VEHICLE

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= 200 Crashes

Crash hot spots along the corridor are shown in darker shades of red on the map above. The worst intersections include Reynolds Road, New Circle Road and Man o’ War Boulevard. Other areas with high crash rates include S Limestone at Virginia Ave and where S Limestone and S Upper St split into one-way streets. Trafﬁc congestion seems to

be the largest contributor to crashes, since all of the hot spots are at intersections with high trafﬁc volumes. The chart above shows crashes by time of day. A large spike occurs during the evening peak between 3pm and 6pm. All fatal crashes occurred at night when travel speeds are higher and lighting conditions can contribute to dangerous conditions.

Safety

VISION ZERO Vision Zero is a concept that embraces a transformative mindset and approach to making all roads safe.

The Problem More than 1.35 million people die on the world’s roads each year. More than half of road traffic deaths involve vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists).

Uncompromising Objective

Another 20 million to 50 million people are seriously injured each year on the world’s roads.

Vision Zero refuses to accept that fatalities and serious injuries are inevitable consequences of mobility on the world’s roads. Vision Zero aims to create a worldwide road trafﬁc system where no human being is killed or seriously injured.

The Vision & The Commitment Vision Zero builds on past and present successes to expand the framework of best road safety practices according to the Safe System model, where crash impact energy remains under the threshold to cause death or serious injury. Traditional approaches to road safety put the onus on individual road users to ensure their own safety. The Vision Zero paradigm is based on shared responsibility among road system stakeholders. Road users and system designers are responsible for the existence of a Safe System. While road users should always follow trafﬁc laws and regulations, such as wearing seatbelts and obeying speed limits, system designers should take further measures, as needed, to prevent deaths and serious injuries from occurring. Vision Zero assigns the greatest responsibility to the system designers, to continuously ensure that roads—urban and rural— are safe for travel

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged between 5 and 29 years old.

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Designers are responsible for the level of safety of the roadways.

Road users are responsible for the rules of the road.

If road users fail to obey the rules, then designers must take further steps to enhance roadway safety.

Nicholasville Road can achieve Vision Zero. The corridor has the ability to: Enhance intersection safety Decrease the total number of vehicles on the road Decrease unsafe vehicular speeds at night Educate drivers of the corridor through signage Create safer facilities for vulnerable users

CURRENT ZONING Agricultural Urban Neighborhood Business Highway Service Business Wholesale & Warehouse Business Commercial Center

Shillito Park

Light Industrial Professional Ofﬁce Mixed Use 2: Neighborhood Corridor

Mixed Use 3: Mixed Use Community Single Family Residential Townhouse Residential

Fayette Mall

Two-Family Residential Planned Neighborhood Residential

SVILLE RD

NICHOLA

Lexington Green

Zandale Center

Walmart

High Density Apartment

Regency Center

High Rise Apartment

LE RD

Best Buy

NICHOLASVIL

JESSAMINE CN

FAYETTE CNTY

The Summit at Fritz Farm

CORRIDOR ZONING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-1C through R-1E) Zoning district exclusively for single family residential, with some conditional uses such as schools and family care. TOWNHOUSE RESIDENTIAL (R-1T) Intended for attached single family residences in groups of no more than 12 units.

TWO-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-2) Intended for duplex homes, though single family detached is allowed. PLANNED NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL (R-3) Intended for multi-family housing, restricted to 24 feet in height, or attached townhomes in groups of no more than 12 units. HIGH DENSITY APARTMENT (R-4) Intended for multifamily housing at a higher density than R-3, with maximum building heights based on a 2:1 height to yard ratio.

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HIGH RISE APARTMENT (R-5) Intended for multifamily housing at a higher density than R-4, with maximum building heights based on a 4:1 height to yard ratio. Ofﬁces are allowed in the ﬁrst two stories of multifamily structures of 6 or more stories, and restaurants are allowed as a conditional use if under 5,000 square feet. AGRICULTURAL URBAN (A-U) Zoning district designed to control growth and development, land zoned AU should remain in this zone until public facilities and services are or will be adequate to serve urban uses.

NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS (B-1) Intended for neighborhood shopping facilities, such as banks, community centers, supermarkets, liquor stores, and restaurants. Allows for residential provided units are not on the first floor, with no mixing of uses per floor. Building size is restricted to under 60,000 Square Foot and under 35 feet in height, unless applying for a form-based neighborhood business project.

Corridor Zoning

LIMESTON VILLE RD ICHOLAS

LIM

RS T

EST ON

Baptist Hospital

COMMERCIAL CENTER (B-6P) Intended to create walkable and activated centers of activity with a sense of place, creating employment, retail and housing diversity around multi-modal corridors. Sites must be larger than 10 acres, though existing smaller sites can use this designation. Uses allowed include multi family dwellings, restaurants and hotels. “Big Box” stores over 80,000 square feet are allowed with design guidelines to minimize their impact on a sense of place. Building heights are not limited, and parking requirements are expressed as maximums unless in a parking structure. Sites along transit routes are required to provide seating and a transit shelter, and pedestrian infrastructure to accommodate transit users.

Good Samaritan Hospital

University of Kentucky

LIGHT INDUSTRIAL (I-1) Intended for manufacturing uses that do not result in a nuisance, such as loud noise or smells. Encourages adaptive-reuse and industrial mixed-use projects with the approval of a development plan, in which residential dwellings can be considered a principal use, with retail allowed if it occupies less than 40% of the total ﬂoor area.

Kroger Field The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of KY

HIGHWAY SERVICE BUSINESS (B-3) Intended to provide retail that is generally unsuited for other areas, such as auto-oriented businesses and repair shops. Dwelling units are restricted to 1 unit associated with the main use, and buildings are restricted to 75 feet in height and under 80,000 square feet, with exceptions.

WHOLESALE AND WAREHOUSE BUSINESS (B-4) Intended for warehouse and wholesale operations, and ofﬁce uses associated with such, promoting adaptive-reuse of older structures, though restricts heavy manufacturing. Site placement is mandated by a 100 foot buffer from residential uses, and mixeduse may occur in an ofﬁce/warehouse combination or in the case of an adaptive re-use project. The latter does allow residential as a principal use.

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PROFESSIONAL OFFICE (P-1) Intended for office uses, with retail uses not permitted unless related to office uses. Dwelling units are allowed as a principal use if not on the first floor. Hotels are allowed as a principal use as part of a development plan for land over 10 acres. Building heights are restricted to a 3:1 height to yard ratio.

MIXED USE ZONING CATEGORIES These three districts promote the mixing of residential and non-residential uses, with reduced parking rates. If currently zoned differently, the district is determined by site criteria as noted below. All districts include regulations similar to design guidelines for building form, location pf parking, and site lighting. MIXED-USE 1: “NEIGHBORHOOD NODE” (MU1): For sites between 5,000 square feet and 0.5 acres, with at least 100 feet of frontage on a street and currently zoned commercial. Allows all uses in P-1 and B-1, except for drive-throughs and autooriented businesses. Building heights are restricted to 35 feet, with only one principal structure allowed. MIXED-USE 2: “NEIGHBORHOOD CORRIDOR” (MU-2): For sites between 0.5 acres and 4 acres, located in the Urban Service Boundary with at least 160 feet of frontage on certain corridors (includes Nicholasville Road) and currently zoned commercial. Allowed uses are similar to MU-1, though FAR is higher and building heights are restricted to 55 feet. MIXED-USE 3: “MIXED-USE COMMUNITY” (MU3): For sites larger than 3 acres, located in the Urban Service Boundary with at least 160 feet of frontage on certain corridors (includes Nicholasville Road) and currently zoned commercial. Allowed uses are similar to MU-1 and MU-2, though building heights are restricted to 70 feet. Building heights are lifted to 80 feet if located on an intersection of an arterial with another arterial or collector ENTERTAINMENT MIXED-USE PROJECT: For sites over 10 acres zoned MU-3, a development plan may be sought with this designation. This tool allows for more design ﬂexibility and more allowable principal uses, such as restaurants and hotels.

EXISTING LAND USES Downtown (DT) Green Space (GS) Highway Oriented Commercial (HC) Heavy Industry (HI)

Shillito Park

Light Industry (LI)

Low Density Residential (LD) Medium Density Residential (MD) Mixed Use (MU)

railway

Public University (OPU) Ofﬁce, Industry & Research Parks (ORP, ED) Parks & Recreation (PR)

Fayette Mall

JESSAMINE CN

Retail Trade (RT, RO, RT/HD, CC) Semi-Public (SP) Utilities (U) High-Density Residential (EAR-3, HD, VHD, TA) Warehousing and Wholesaling (WW, OW)

FAYETTE CNTY

Professional Services (PS)

Walmart 27

LE RD

NICHOLASVIL

Best Buy The Summit at Fritz Farm

RURAL COMMERCIAL

Lexington Green

SUBURBAN RURAL

MAJOR COMMERCIAL

CORRIDOR CHARACTER Through its span, Nicholasville Road changes main land uses as it moves from the agricultural fringes of the city into the downtown area. Properties along the corridor and their frontages are sometimes controlled by single large owners, affecting the corridor’s overall character and functionality.

BRANNON GATEWAY is characterized by lowstory, auto-oriented retail built around Brannon Road, including restaurants, apparel stores, and a grocery. This retail node is a signiﬁcant gateway into Lexington for Jessamine County residents.

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SUBURBAN consists of auto-oriented uses and/ or large-space businesses, like warehouses, nearby agricultural lands. Uses include low-density residential properties with some commercial along the main thoroughfare.

MAJOR COMMERCIAL areas are predominately made up by shopping centers that include a mall and/or big box businesses. These may be ﬂanked by smaller retailers. Low-density residential surrounds the commercial plazas, sometimes including amenities like a regional park. Employment hubs may also be in close proximity.

Land Use

railway

LIMESTON LE RD

SVIL NICHOLA

Regency Center Baptist Hospital

SVILLE RD

LIM

RS T

EST ON

NICHOLA

University of Kentucky

Good Samaritan Hospital

Zandale Center

Kroger Field

The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of KY

SUBURBAN RETAIL

RESIDENTIAL

SUBURBAN RETAIL is made up of a mix of commercial and ofﬁce uses that tend to be more dispersed along the corridor rather than grouped together. Mid- and high-density residential uses may be part of the mix of uses adjacent to retailers. Low-density residential surrounds these uses.

UNIVERSITY

As the corridor moves to RESIDENTIAL fronting uses, it narrows in width. The residential properties are low-to-medium-density. Access roads branch off of Nicholasville Road, establishing the fabric of the residential community.

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The UNIVERSITY area encompasses the many buildings and various uses part of the University of Kentucky. This includes medical and other professional services, academic, small-scale commercial / retail, and low-, medium-, and highdensity residential. Structures vary from one-story to high-rise.

DOWNTOWN

The DOWNTOWN area is the urban center of Lexington. Nearly all types of uses can be found dispersed across the gridded network of streets. The land uses have been described by the Downtown Master Plan which provides recommendations for future uses. The scale of Downtown buildings vary from one-story to high-rise.

CURRENT PARKING LOT AREAS Surface Parking Large Users

Shillito Park 4

Lexington Green

railway

JESSAMINE CN

FAYETTE CNTY

Fayette Mall

Brannon Crossing The Summit at Fritz Farm

South Park Shopping Center

LARGE USERS & PARKING AREAS Large users concentrated along the corridor, from regional shopping destinations to the University of Kentucky, include large swaths of parking lots, most of which front the street. These parking areas tend to become the corridor’s deﬁning feature outside of the right of way. This is especially the case between The Summit at Fritz Farm and Zandale Shopping Center, where a sea of parking areas often outnumber buildings in acreage. The destinations using these parking lots, shown in the map, are scattered along the span of Nicholasville Road.

The Summit at Fritz Farm With over 60 shops and 20 restaurants, this mixed use lifestyle center also includes a food hall, hotel, grocery store, multifamily residential and ofﬁce. Built in 2017, The Summit is a regional shopping and entertainment destination. The development includes buildings facing internal streets, with parking lots on Nicholasville Road.

Report & Recommendations

Fayette Mall With almost a half mile of Nicholasville Road frontage, Fayette Mall is one of the corridor’s largest single users. With more than one million square feet of retail and restaurant space, the property includes almost two million square feet of parking lots, half of which fronts the corridor on a 500 foot setback.

Lexington Green & South Park Shopping Center These two shopping centers, are directly across from each other and are separated by 10 lanes of trafﬁc. Although they each have more than 700 feet of frontage on Nicholasville Road, the combined effects of topography, the large interchange and extensive parking areas result in a lack of visibility of the shopping centers from the roadway.

Large Users & Parking

Rupp Arena & Downtown Attractions

railway

LIMESTON

Regency Center

LE RD

SVIL NICHOLA

LIM

EST ON

University of Kentucky Campus

SVILLE RD

NICHOLA

The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of KY

Regency Center The suburban-style retail shopping center is anchored by Kroger, Michael’s and T.J. Maxx; it also includes two retail outlets along Nicholasville Road that are divided by a large detention area. Most of the site is leased, with the exception of three retail spaces totaling 10,000 Square Feet.

University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital

Baptist Hospital

Zandale Center

UK Good Samaritan Hospital

UK Kroger Field

Zandale Center Similar to Regency Center, Zandale is a 7.5-acre retail center with 78,000 square feet of leasable space, of which 4,000 is currently available. Current tenants include a mixture of national chains and local businesses.

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RS T

Baptist Hospital Established in 1954, the 391-bed hospital includes a sprawling campus of multiple interconnected buildings, most of which are six stories in height. The hopital sits across from single family homes fronting Nicholasville Road, and features large landscaped areas directly on the corridor.

University of Kentucky Properties North of Alumni Drive, the University of Kentucky is the single largest user on the corridor. Buildings include hospitals, academic buildings, and acres of parking areas serving Kroger Field. The heart of the UK academic campus connects to the corridor at the triangle intersection where Nicholasville Road splits into Limestone and Upper Streets.

EXISTING DEVELOPMENT MARKET

PREVIOUS STUDIES

Nicholasville Road is a major corridor connecting downtown Lexington with Jessamine County. Along its span, the corridor includes some of the region’s top employers and destinations, such as:

HOUSING STUDY FINDINGS

University of Kentucky (12,800 Employees)

•

Baptist Health (1,852 Employees)

•

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (2,945 Employees)

Regionally, according to NAI Isaac Real Estate, toward the latter end of 2019 the Lexington market was performing favorably with regard to industrial, ofﬁce and retail markets, summarized below: •

Industrial: Vacancy rates trended downward to 2.77% with a total of 18 Million Square feet

•

Office: Vacancies remained low across the region, with suburban Class A and Class B office at 14.73% - higher than CBD rates of 13.13%

•

Retail: The Lexington area includes over 14 Million square feet of retail at a 6.49% vacancy rate. Regional Malls are over-performing this metric at 4.3% vacancies.

For the purposes of this study, the corridor is being looked at from two perspectives - a 150-foot buffer to understand conditions along the corridor, and a half-mile buffer to understand the corridor’s larger area of influence. The figures to the right summarize the major demographic composition of these two geographies, including residents, housing units, businesses, and employees. The population data conveys the significance of the corridor within the community as 10 percent of Lexington’s overall population of 325,520 residents live within the corridor’s area of influence.

The 2017 Housing Study looked at the current housing market in Lexington/Fayette County to provide a forecast of housing demand for the next ﬁve years. Though the resulting demand numbers are for the entire city/county, these show a strong housing market that will continue to grow. The study identiﬁed multiple sub-markets along the Nicholasville Road corridor (submarkets 5, 6, 11 and 12) as having opportunity for future housing growth, some of which are the fastest growing in the region. This same study found a county-wide demand for 7,355 multifamily housing units. With the addition of premium transit, the potential for TOD along the corridor can accommodate some of this growth.

IMAGINE LEXINGTON FINDINGS Completed in 2018, Imagine Lexington sets a county-wide strategy for how growth should occur, based on ﬁndings from an exhaustive public engagement process. The plan recommended densifying and concentrating growth along major corridors, including Nicholasville Road, in addition to supporting compact and walkable developments. Imagine Lexington’s six themes also support diversifying housing options VICINITY MAP

FA Y JES ETTE SA CO MI UN NE CO TY UN TY

North

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20.4% HOUSING UNIT GROWTH BETWEEN 2000 AND 2015

22,780 HOUSING UNITS NEEDED BY 2025 TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND

7,355 MULTIFAMILY HOUSING UNITS NEEDED BY 2025 TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND

6,000 UNMET GAP OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS

Note: Numbers reﬂect housing demand for Lexington/Fayette County

NICHOLASVILLE ROAD CORRIDOR (HALF-MILE BUFFER) HAL FM ILE B NICH UFF ER OLA SVIL LE R D

•

2017 HOUSING STUDY

NICHOLASVILLE ROAD CORRIDOR (150 FOOT BUFFER)

30,707

12,529

155

RESIDENTS

HOUSING UNITS

RESIDENTS

HOUSING UNITS

$200,066

57%

$287,500

71%

MEDIAN HOME VALUE

RENTER-OCCUPIED

MEDIAN HOME VALUE

RENTER-OCCUPIED

3,634

100,052

222

2,529

BUSINESSES

EMPLOYEES

BUSINESSES

EMPLOYEES

Appendix B Public Input Summary NICHOLASVILLE Road

RESPONDENTS PUBLIC SURVEY 1

HOW PEOPLE ARE USING NICHOLASVILLE ROAD

14%

Work within 1 mile

26%

Commute

Report & Recommendations

TRANSPORTATION MODES How People How People Want to Use the Corridor

Use the Corridor Today

43% SHOP

L I V E

17%

68% 4% 8%

Car C Transit

ik Bike

19%

46% 16% 16% 22%

Walk

Wheelchair or Other

LOCATIONS LOCATIONS All Survey Responses

Opportunities

Concerns

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ISSUES ISSUES SSUES

TOP 15 ISSUES USERS WOULD DESCRIBE NICHOLASVILLE ROAD AS... CONGESTED BUSY TRAFFIC DANGEROUS SLOW CONFUSING CROWDED UNSAFE AVOID UGLY MESS FRUSTRATING NIGHTMARE STRESSFUL INEFFICIENT

- DENOTES 100 VOTES

Report & Recommendations

CO C CONCERNS S CONCERNS

TOP 15 CONCERNS OF NICHOLASVILLE ROAD 1. No Room to Move

6. People Don't Follow the Law

2. Area is Unsafe

3. Improve Left Turn Issues

8. Confusing

13. Poorly Planned

4. Lack of Flow

9. UK Ingress/Egress

14. Crossing too Many Lanes

5. Bottlenecking

10. Peak Hour Traffic

15. This is a Nightmare

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Too Many Access Points

11. Signal Timing Issues 12. Not Enough Parking

VISION VISION TOP 15 “VISIONS” FOR NICHOLASVILLE ROAD

MAKING NICHOLASVILLE ROAD A SAFE, EFFICIENT PLACE PEOPLE WANT TO BE. FREE FLOWING SAFE SMOOTH EASY EFFICIENT BETTER UNCONGESTED FRIENDLY FAST QUICK BEAUTIFUL WALKABLE ACCESSIBLE GREENER BIKEABLE *

- DENOTES 100 VOTES

Report & Recommendations

OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITY

TRANSPORTATION OPPORTUNITIES

Report & Recommendations

TRANSIT OPPORTUNITIES

Demographics

PRIORITIES PRIORITIES

IMPROVE SAFETY

2.95

PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING

3.57

BIKE/PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

3.63

IMPROVE TRANSIT

3.72

WALKABLE DEVELOPMENT

3.82

Report & Recommendations

W DE AL VE K LO AB 11 PM L % E

2.08

How Corridor Users Ranked The Priorities

RANSIT ROVE T P M I SERVICE 10%

Higher Priority Lower Priority

REDUCE CONGESTION

T IE RIA S N

3.89

TR A 19 FFI %

W O FL

1.91

RO VE

9% S E ED IT E/P CIL BIK FA

IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW

CORRIDOR BEAUTIFICATION

AVG RANK

IMP

PRIORITY

OR RID ATION R CO TIFIC AU 11% BE

AF PRO FO VID HO RDA E BL US ING E

Y 17 % FET A S IMPROVE

RE DU 19% CE C ONGESTION

AVERAGE CORRIDOR PRIORITY RANKING:

Demographics

BIKES & PEDESTRIANS BICYCLES & PEDESTRIANS

GREENSPACE OR TREES 13%

OTHER 1%

What Nicholasville Road users selected to encourage more walking/biking.

IMPROVED SIDEWALKS 17%

SEPARATED BIKE TRAIL 17%

IN ES AN IC L E FF BIK TRA 4%

E PL O E E P KING R IMPROVED L MO WA % SLOWER LIGHTING 9 TRAFFIC 10% 6%

Report & Recommendations

E NON 7%

IMPROVED CROSSWALKS 16%

Demographics

TRANSIT TRANSIT

WHAT WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO RIDE TRANSIT? WHAT WOULD YOU IMPROVE?

LIVING DIRECTLY ON A ROUTE 8%

IMPROVED BUS SHELTERS 12%

IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES 8%

CONVENIENT STOPS/ROUTES 19%

E TH O

WHAT CORRIDOR USERS SELECTED TO ENCOURAGE TRANSIT RIDERSHIP

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NONE 13%

MORE NIGHT SERVICE 6%

BUSES ARE MORE FREQUENT 11%

FASTER BUS TRIPS 10%

MORE DIRECT TRANSIT ROUTES 11%

MORE WEEKEND SERVICE 6%

WALKING DEVELOPMENT WALKING DEVELOPMENT Are pedestrian bridges an option?

Non-vehicular connectivity between retail areas!

Better lighting would get me out! Clean up all the poles and wires with underground lines. More trees and greenery would help.

What kind of streetscaping can be done? Improve the ability to cross Nicholasville Road.

Can we get wider sidewalks from beginning to end?

Nicholasville Road is already too busy.

Report & Recommendations

Connect walking and biking trails to retail districts.

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AMENITIES AMENITIES

Types of Amenities Wanted for Nicholasville Road By Percent

31%

Parks & Open Space

Food & Beverage 2%

Other

Auto Retail

18% Local Retail

4% 12%

National Retail

Neighborhood Services

16% Entertainment Venues

Local Retail

14%

taurants & Restaurants fee Shops s Coffee

Neighborhood Services Entertainment

Report & Recommendations

Parks & Open Space 102

I am a Lexingtonian and would love to see a well developed plan for improvement along this section of town, because it has been forever an eye sore and trafﬁc nightmare.

Thank you for the opportunity to voice opinions. We need to get this area ﬁxed! It is a major issue that is going to need creative solutions to solve.

I really want fast transit down Nicholasville Rd., updated walk paths and bike lanes, better traffic flow, faster commute, beautification projects.

Make the road more beautiful like The Summit. It looks classy like Lexington should look.

We really need a separate bike path away from cars!

Awesome job for taking this initiative LFUCG!

Report & Recommendations

This city needs to be serious about its inﬁlling policy and provide reliable public transit.

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I believe that there are too many traffic lights that slow down traffic. Either that or not enough smart lights to sync and help with traffic flow. I like how the lanes change based on time, that is always a big help.

I appreciate that you are reaching out for public input. PLEASE add bike accessibility. Lexington culture is poised and ready to be a biking community.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Lexington PVA

Lexington MPO Policy Committee

May 13, 2020

June 24, 2020

Nicholasville Road Neighborhood Associations

LFUCG Traffic Engineering

May 13, 2020

September 16, 2020

University of Kentucky

KYTC District 7

May 14, 2020

Septeber 25, 2020

Webb Companies

KYTC District 7, LFUCG Engineering, LFUCG Traffic Engineering

May 19, 2020

October 9, 2020

Carter Development

University of Kentucky

May 20, 2020

October 20, 2020

Langley Properties

CBL Properties

May 20, 2020

October 20, 2020

CBL Properties

KYTC District 7

May 27, 2020

October 29, 2020

KYTC District 7, LFUCG Engineering, LFUCG Traffic Engineering, LFUCG Planning

CBL Properties

June 16, 2020

November 10, 2020

Lextran

Nicholasville Road Neighborhood Associations

June 17, 2020

November 12, 2020

LFUCG Planning Commission June 18, 2020

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TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC SURVEY 2 - TRANSPORTATION 263 Total Responses

These improvements will make it easier for me to travel on Nicholasville Road. These improvements will make me feel safer when traveling on Nicholasville Road. If these improvements are made, I’d be more inclined to use bus transit. If these improvements are made, I’d walk to more places along Nicholasville Road. If these improvements are made, I’d ride a bike more often for travel. Overall, these concepts address my concerns about traveling on Nicholasville Road.

Report & Recommendations

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CATALYST SITES CATALYST SITES

234 Total Responses

“The draft concepts for the three catalyst sites match my vision for future development on Nicholasville Road.”

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“This vision for development will strengthen the Nicholasville Road corridor.”

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

Positive Feedback

Negative Feedback

–

Like the idea of BRT and support transit improvements.

–

Do not think BRT and transit is feasible in Lexington, or along the corridor.

–

Are looking ahead to implementation and how we make this a reality.

–

Are concerned about taxpayer funding being used to develop private property.

–

Would like to see the development vision occur through private funding.

–

Are not supportive of mixed use and would like to see single family development.

–

Like and support the overall vision we are sharing for development, and would like us to address tree canopy, add more open space, and showcase underground parking.

–

Would like to see more focus on reducing automobile trafﬁc through additional lanes.

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APPENDIX C CASE STUDIES NICHOLASVILLE Road

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WHAT IS BRT?

CLEVELAND, OHIO THE HEALTH LINE

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a rapid mode of transportation with the high quality of rail transit and the flexibility of the bus.

Opened in 2008, the Health Line is the result of nearly two decades of study, design and construction. The Health Line is located along Euclid Avenue, Cleveland’s principal thoroughfare, linking downtown with the city’s second largest employment and activity center, University Circle. The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospital, Case Western Reserve University and several other major civic and cultural institutions are located in University Circle since its opening ridership along the corridor has increased by 68%.

Frequent and Convenient High frequency is the key to attracting riders. BRT systems typically operate every 10-15 minutes. Fares are paid in advance so there is no lining up at the front of the buspassengers can exit and enter via any door. Real-time information displays show the actual time the next bus is scheduled to arrive.

Fast and Reliable

Because BRT stations are spaced about every ¼ to ½ mile, buses can pick up speed between stops, shortening the time it takes to travel up and down a corridor. Many cities report that BRT speeds bus travel time by at least 25%. Some BRT systems use special bus-only lanes to enable buses to move through trafﬁc with minimal interference. But not every street and road can accommodate exclusive lanes. Instead, many systems use signal priority and queue jumps to help buses move more quickly through busy intersections, Business Access Transit (“BAT”) lanes along the curb enable cars to access homes, businesses, and other activities. By being able to stay on schedule, the result is greater reliability day in and day out.

Bus-Only Lanes

BRT Buses

For 4.5 miles, Health Line buses operate in median bus-only lanes. Two exclusive lanes are provided for buses (eastbound and westbound). One lane in each direction is maintained for general trafﬁc. The right-of-way includes a bike lane as well.

A ﬂeet of specially designed 60-foot articulated buses was purchased for the Health Line. Three doors are located on the right side of the bus; two doors are located on the left side. The buses accommodate bicycles inside with a specially designed bike rack.

The remaining 2.3 miles of the Health Line operate in bus-only or mixed trafﬁc right side lanes in the downtown and University Circle areas.

Stations

Most stations are located in the median of Euclid Avenue. They share a uniﬁed look. They are enclosed and heated. Stations also feature seating, real-time bus arrival information displays, ticket vending machines and blue light emergency call boxes.

Attractive and Permanent BRT stations are designed to provide an attractive, clean, safe and comfortable place to wait for the next bus. They are designed to be highly visible and relate to their surroundings. Shelters, canopies, seating, information and even artwork contribute to their high quality look and feel. The permanence and quality of BRT infrastructure can provide an opportunity to encourage new development around stations.

Accessible Accessibility for all is a key attribute of BRT. Buses and stations are designed to be fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The combination of low ﬂoor buses, “high platform” stations and precision docking allow all passengers to board and exit buses without the need for a lift, ramp or steps. Where high platforms are not possible, stations are designed so that buses can deploy ramps efﬁciently and safely. Many BRT buses have special areas for persons in wheelchairs that do not require tiedowns. BRT systems also accommodate bicycles, either inside buses or with a front bike rack.

Service Popular Cities that have replaced slow local bus routes with new BRT service have experienced signiﬁcant ridership increases. Cleveland, Ohio’s Health Line, for example, doubled transit ridership along the Euclid Avenue corridor. In Eugene, Oregon, the ﬁrst BRT line boosted ridership by 74%. Not every system has experienced such dramatic growth but all new systems in the U.S. have reported increased ridership. In addition, new BRT lines are being implemented every year, and cities such as Indianapolis and Kansas City, buoyed by the success of their initial lines, have embarked on expansions and new lines.

Report & Recommendations

Length

6.8 miles

Number of Stations

Average distance between stations

0.2 miles

Service Frequency: Daytime/evening: Late night: Saturday/Sunday:

10 minutes 25 minutes 15 minutes

Travel Speed Although the Health Line’s stations are only spaced about 2/10 of a mile apart on average, it replaced a former local route with over 100 stops and an average speed of 10 mph. The Health Line has top travel speeds between 25 and 35 mph. End-to-end travel time was improved by 26%. A signal priority system also helps buses cross busy streets and seamlessly switch from median to curbside operation at either end.

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Precision Docking The combination of low bus ﬂoors and high station platforms enable “level boarding.” This helps minimize time spent at stations and enables a faster and more reliable trip.

EUGENE, OREGON EMERALD EXPRESS

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN SILVER LINE

Eugene’s transit agency, the Lane Transit District, opened its ﬁrst BRT Line, called Emerald Express – or EmX for short, in 2007. The total cost was $96 million. The Federal Transit Administration awarded Eugene a grant that covered nearly 80% of the capital cost. The EmX carries about 10,000 riders per day.

Development of the Silver Line began in 2005 by conducting an Alternatives Analysis, with the selection of a locally preferred alternative in 2007. The line is operated by Interurban Transit Partnership, the transit authority serving the Grand Rapids region that goes by the name “The Rapid.”

Exclusive Guideway

Buses

EmX operates in downtown streets and wider suburban roadways. Some of these have medians, which provide sufﬁcient right-of-way to provide bus-only lanes in both directions. The medians are landscaped. Signals are used to help buses move quickly and safely through intersections.

Eugene partnered with Cleveland on the development and joint purchase of 60-foot, diesel-electric hybrid, articulated buses designed speciﬁcally for BRT operations. Three doors are located on the right side and two are located on the left side to maximize ﬂexibility of locating stations, either in the center of the roadway with center platform stations, or curbside.

Number of Stations

9 miles 26

Average distance between 0.3 miles stations Service Frequency: Daytime/evening: 10 minutes Late night: 30 minutes Saturday/Sunday: 15-30 minutes

Reversible Lanes Several miles of the EmX line operate in single reversible lanes. To maintain and control safe operations, a signal system is used along with passing lanes at stations. The use of single reversible lanes allows EmX to ﬁt within the roadway’s limited right-of-way.

Business Access-Transit (BAT) Lanes The Silver Line does not operate exclusive bus lanes. Instead, right-side curb lanes are designated as BAT Lanes. Buses are allowed to use them as through lanes, but other trafﬁc can use them to make right turns and to access driveways.

Service

Service Length

The Silver Line replaced a local bus with 27 stops along Grand Rapid’s north-south Division Avenue with BRT service with 17 stations. Average end-to-end travel time went from 53 minutes to 24 minutes. Total project cost was $35 million. The Federal Transit Administration awarded Grand Rapids a $28 million Small Starts grant; the State of Michigan paid for the remaining 20%.

Buses are fully accessible. Bridgeplates are deployed to allow persons with wheelchairs and other mobility devices to efﬁciently board and exit without the need for a wheelchair lift. Up to three bikes are accommodated inside buses. EmX has an off-board, pre-paid “Proof of Payment” fare system that enables passengers to enter and exit the bus by any door, reducing the amount of time the bus needs to spend at a station and helping the line maintain its speed and reliability.

Stations

The number of stops along the previous local routes serving the corridor was reduced by 45%. Most EmX stations are located in the median with inbound and outbound bus lanes on either side. Raised platforms allow for level boarding, enabling full accessibility for everyone including persons with disabilities. Stations include large canopies, ticket vending machines, and real-time next bus arrival displays. Artwork is incorporated into various station components.

Report & Recommendations

Length

9.6 miles

Number of Stations

Average distance between 0.6 miles stations Service Frequency: Daytime/evening: 10-30 minutes Late night: 30 minutes Saturday/Sunday: 30 minutes

Stations

Stations are large and prominent. Major factors in the design process included durability of materials and ease of maintenance. The stations feature glass-roofed canopies, seating, ticket vending machines, real-time bus arrival information displays, emergency call boxes, security cameras and lighting. Raised platforms allow for level boarding, reducing the amount of times buses are stopped at stations. A plastic guide rail on the side of the platforms facilitates precision docking to minimize the gap between platform and bus.

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Buses The Silver Line ﬂeet consists of specially-designed 40-foot buses that allow for fully accessible level boarding and exiting for all passengers. Buses are equipped with exterior bike racks. Pre-paid fares permit passengers to board the buses through both doors, minimizing the amount of time stopped at stations.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI MAX

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA RED LINE The north-south Red Line opened September 2019. The initial studies of the corridor began in 2012. It is operated by IndyGo, the regional transit agency. The project cost $96.3 million with $79 million obtained from the Federal Transit Administration and $19 million from local sources. The Red Line operates directly through downtown extending as far north as the Broad Ripple neighborhood, a major shopping, entertainment and residential district. Along the way it serves two colleges and the city’s largest medical center. South of downtown, the line serves the resurgent Fountain Square neighborhood and the University of Indianapolis.

Battery Electric Buses

Bus-Only Lanes

The Red Line is one of the nation’s ﬁrst all-electric BRT lines. Its ﬂeet of 14 60-foot “articulated” buses are electric battery powered. They are charged at the bus garage overnight but some stations have special inductive wireless charging devices embedded in the pavement. IndyGo has had several problematic issues with its buses, which are manufactured in China and is suspending new orders for the time being. Lextran’s battery electric buses are made by a different manufacturer and have not been subject to the problems in Indianapolis.

Red Line buses operate in their own exclusive lanes in two types:

• •

Bus only lanes, painted a solid red, general traffic is not allowed in them at any time. Combination lanes with red horizontal stripes where motorists can make left turns or U-turns at specific points.

The positioning of the bus only lanes varies by center of the street- using a single reversible lane or by curbside.

13.1 miles

Number of Stations

Average distance between 0.47 miles stations Service Frequency: Daytime/evening: 10 minutes Late night: 20 minutes Saturday/Sunday: 15-20 minutes

Expansion IndyGo is already embarking on expansion of its BRT network to include two additional lines:

•

The east-west Blue Line, connecting neighborhoods to the east and west of downtown as well as Indianapolis International Airport. The east-west Purple Line, providing crosstown service on one of the city’s busiest corridors, 38th Street.

Arterial BRT

Buses

MAX is an example of Arterial BRT, or “BRT Lite.” It has many of the features of full-scale BRT, but the main difference is that buses do not operate in exclusive, bus-only lanes. Instead, they run in Business Access-Transit Lanes (“BAT Lanes”) in the right-side lane. Cars and trucks can also use those lanes but are encouraged to use them only to make right turns onto other streets or access driveways to homes, businesses and other locations. The result of these treatments was a 20% improvement in travel time.

Kansas City chose standard, 40-foot buses for MAX. Buses are specially branded for exclusive use on MAX. Because stations are located on sidewalks and lack raised platforms, ramps are used to enable persons with disabilities to board and exit buses without the need for lifts.

Signal priority is also used at 31 key intersections during peak trafﬁc periods to help buses move quickly through and maintain their schedules.

Service

Service Length

Kansas City opened its ﬁrst BRT line in 2005 along its most prominent corridor, Main Street, connecting downtown with some of the city’s largest employment and activity centers, including the Union Station Science Center, the complex Crown Center (ofﬁces, hotel, and shopping mall), and Country Club Plaza, Kansas City’s “second downtown.” At the southern end of the north-south Main Street MAX Line is the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The Main Street Line carries 6,000 riders per day. MAX is part of the RideKC system under the auspices of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. Planning for the MAX Main Line began in 2000, culminating in the award of a Federal Transit Administration Small Starts grant that covered 80% of its $20.9 million capital cost.

Stations

A station design competition resulted in a “kit of parts” using steel, glass and wood components. All stations provide “level boarding” for easy, no step or lift access for everyone, including persons with disabilities, persons with strollers and bicyclists. Bike racks are provided on-board buses. Ticket vending machines are located at each station. A “proof of payment” system enables passengers to enter and exit buses through any door, reducing the amount of time the buses are stopped at the station and providing a faster overall trip.

Report & Recommendations

Length

6 miles

Number of Stations

Buses cannot accommodate bikes inside but are equipped with exterior bike racks. MAX does not currently use a prepaid, “proof-of-payment” system. Riders enter via from the front door and deposit cash or swipe fare cards at the fare box.

Average distance between 0.3 miles stations Service Frequency: Daytime/evening: 9-15 minutes Late night: 30 minutes Saturday/Sunday: 10-30 minutes

Stations Stations are spaced every 1/4-1/2 mile. They feature an attractive, uniform design, with a spacious shelter that maximizes visibility from within and without, a tall pylon that clearly delineates each station and provides a unique identity for the line and a real-time bus arrival information display.

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Expansion

Kansas City’s MAX system has expanded since the MAX Main Line opened in 2005. The MAX Troost Line, which serves the busy and transit-oriented Troost Avenue corridor, opened in 2011 and carries over 8,500 daily riders. In 2018, the MAX Prospect opened, serving 7,000 riders a day. The lessons learned from the MAX Main Line led to improvements in station design, the addition of solar lighting, hybrid-electric buses and the use of pervious concrete. Planning is currently underway for a fourth line that would provide east-west service.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY DIXIE HIGHWAY RAPID

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA RED LINE

The Rapid is part of the “The New Dixie Highway” project, a $35 million total overhaul of Louisville’s Dixie Highway corridor. Construction began in 2017 and is scheduled to be completed in 2020. The project features: Roadway design improvements, safety improvements, raised medians, new sidewalks and upgraded crosswalks, pullouts and upgraded shoulders for BRT.

Cost

Buses

The cost of the BRT portion of The New Dixie Highway project, called Rapid, was $11.5 million. Operated by the Transit Authority of River City (TARC), Rapid provides BRT service between downtown and the Gene Snyder Freeway. Buses do not have their own lanes and operate in mixed trafﬁc. The line includes:

A new ﬂeet of 40-foot buses was designed for Rapid service. Buses are low ﬂoor and equipped with exterior bike racks. Because Rapid stations are widely spaced to allow for faster running times, it is continuing to operate its local Route 18 which is slower than the Rapid but serves all 78 existing stops every 30 minutes.

•

Queue jump lanes to help buses move faster through busier intersections and stay on schedule. Pullout lanes at stations to avoid interference with traffic.

The Red Line is a collaborative effort among several regional entities including the regional planning agency and suburban transit systems. It operates along north-south Cedar Avenue, a heavily traveled residential and commercial thoroughfare between the Mall of America in Minneapolis and downtown Apple Valley in Dakota County. The ﬁrst stage of the Red Line, which opened in 2013, cost $112 million. Federal funding comprised 40% of the total cost while state funding covered 23%. The rest was funded locally.

Buses

Cedar Avenue

The Red Line, operated by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority under contract with the Metropolitan Council, uses a ﬂeet of specially designed and branded 40-foot buses. An extra-wide rear door facilitates boarding and exiting for all riders, including those with disabilities.

The Red Line was developed to improve travel along congested Cedar Avenue, which is traveled by 70,000 vehicles a day, by providing an attractive alternative for commuters and others currently driving up and down the road. The Red Line is an example of “BRT Lite,” which includes many of the features associated with Bus Rapid Transit but without exclusive lanes for buses. Instead, the shoulders of Cedar Avenue were widened to accommodate buses, which are also used by general trafﬁc for right turns and access to businesses and homes. Signal priority is also used to help buses quickly move through busy intersections and maintain on-time service.

Stations

Service The Rapid opened in January 2020. The Dixie Highway corridor currently carries about 4,000 transit riders a day. Rapid stations, which are still under construction, are located about ½ mile apart. Each will consist of an attractive shelter designed to provide protection from the elements while maintaining visibility. Length

14.1 miles

Number of Stations

Average distance between 0.7 miles stations Service Frequency: Daytime/evening: 15 minutes Late night: 30 minutes Saturday/Sunday: 20-30 minutes

Shoulders, Pullouts and Pedestrian Connections

Stations are fully accessible for persons with disabilities. The Rapid does not employ level boarding. Stations are designed to allow buses to deploy ramps.

Length

11 miles

Number of Stations

Average distance between stations Service Frequency: Daytime/evening: Late night: Saturday/Sunday:

Side panels will provide nighttime lighting. Each station will have a prominent marker equipped with display panels that will convey real time bus arrival information. Stations and buses have been specially branded so that the new type of service offered by TARC stands out from the rest of the system.

The New Dixie Highway project includes a series of shoulders and pullouts that allows Rapid buses to stop safely outside the general trafﬁc lanes in this busy corridor. Concrete bus pads have also been added at several station stops. The project also includes new pedestrian connections between stations and nearby locations such as shopping centers, employment sites, apartment complexes, and schools.

Report & Recommendations

Stations

Service

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2.2 miles

15 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes

The station design was developed in consultation with adjacent neighborhoods, resulting in a curved-roof structure and use of stone, steel and glass. Given Minnesota’s climate, the stations are enclosed and heated. Large expanses of glass maintain visibility within and throughout. Platforms are raised to facilitate level boarding and exiting. A plastic guide rail on the side of the platform is used by drivers for precision docking at stations, minimizing the gaps between buses and platforms.

WHAT IS TOD? Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is a set of transportation and land use principles in which higher density, mixed use development is focused around a transit stop in a high frequency transit corridor.

• • • •

Orients mixed use developments and highest densities around a transit corridor. Promotes public plazas, shopping, and dining along pedestrian connections. Creates a dense network of pedestrian and bicycle friendly travel corridors. Promotes walkable types of development based on proximity to transit access.

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CLEVELAND, OHIO Opened in 2008, the Health Line serves Euclid Avenue, Cleveland’s principal thoroughfare. It links downtown with the city’s second largest activity center, University Circle, home of the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospital, Case Western Reserve University and several other major civic and cultural institutions. Cleveland State University is also located on Euclid Avenue. Operated by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), the Health Line was the ﬁrst BRT system in the U.S. funded under the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program. The total project cost was $197 million. The Health Line and the redesign and reconstruction of Euclid Avenue is considered a success in terms of stimulating economic development and the rebirth of the corridor. RTA estimates that it will have generated $5.5 billion in new investment since its opening, including:

• • • •

7.9 million sq. ft. of commercial development 5400+ new or renovated residential units $41.3 billion in capital improvements $62 million in annual local tax revenue

• •

$1.98 million in annual sales tax revenue for RTA 13,000 new jobs

rear of the building, and have at least 60% commercial or retail use on the ground ﬂoor. The $200 million, mixed use Uptown District, in the University Circle segment of the Health Line corridor, occupies 8.2 acres of formerly vacant land. It was conceived by the Cleveland Foundation’s Greater University Circle Initiative, a public-private partnership between University Circle’s major medical centers, Case Western Reserve University, community groups and the City of Cleveland. The Health Line connects the Uptown District

to the major medical and educational institutions in University Circle as well as downtown. The Midtown area, Euclid Avenue’s most economically stressed segment, now experienced signiﬁcant new investment near Health Line stations, including renovation of existing industrial and commercial buildings into new uses, and new construction focusing on housing and ground ﬂoor retail.

In 2007, the City of Cleveland developed a citywide comprehensive plan, Connecting Cleveland 2020. The plan emphasized development along Euclid Avenue. A portion of the Euclid Avenue Health Line corridor was proposed as a “Health-Tech Corridor” due to the presence of two major medical facilities: Cleveland Clinic and University Hospital.

employment centers and attractions is serves.

These uses were envisioned to attract additional health-related development. One of the direct results of the plan was a new zoning overlay to encourage TOD. The overlay requires that projects must be multi-story, front directly on Euclid Avenue, place parking in the

The campus of Cleveland State University (CSU) is located on Euclid Avenue just east of downtown. Its 1966 master plan created an inward-facing campus with little connection to Euclid Avenue. With the City of Cleveland’s new focus on Euclid Avenue, including a total re-landscaping and development of the Health Line, CSU conducted a Master Plan Update in 2010 that re-oriented the campus outward, re-engaging with the city, and taking advantage of adjacent Health Line stations. To date, CSU has invested over $300 million on new development facing Euclid Avenue, including new campus housing and ground-ﬂoor retail.

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The ﬁrm BD Euclid Ave LLC developed its One Midtown townhouse project purposely near a Health Line station, and markets its units with its access to the Health Line and the many

EUGENE, OREGON

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

Eugene’s transit agency, the Lane Transit District, opened its first BRT line, called Emerald Express – or EmX for short – in 2007. The EmX Franklin Line runs between downtown Eugene and downtown Springfield. The Gateway extension, serving areas north of downtown Springfield, opened in 2011. The City of Eugene is supporting TOD by establishing a vision in its comprehensive plan, implementing a TOD overlay zone, and designating downtown as an urban renewal district.

CTFastrak is the name of a 9.4-mile BRT line connecting the cities of Hartford and New Britain. The line opened in 2015. Ten stations serve the two downtowns and various neighborhoods in between. Ridership is about 10,000 on weekdays. Buses run every seven minutes during rush hour. End-to-end travel time is under 30 minutes. The City of Eugene, working with local community groups, developed a “Speciﬁc Area Plan” for the area that surrounds the EmX Walnut Station. The plan calls for a focus on transit, pedestrian and bicycle connections throughout the neighborhood, and identiﬁes the tools needed to create a more walkable, mixed use community.

The City also established a Vertical Housing Development Zone. It provides a 10-year property tax abatement for new construction that includes ground ﬂoor retail with residential above. To date, most TOD in Eugene has been largely concentrated along the segment near the University of Oregon campus. It includes hotels, housing and retail that caters primarily to the university community. A new medical facility is currently being constructed next to an EmX station.

One of the ﬁrst station areas subject to more intensive TOD analysis is Parkville, located 1.5 miles from downtown Hartford. Parkville is the site of former factory buildings that have sat empty for several years. TOD opportunities have focused on adaptive reuse of some of the old industrial buildings into mixed use developments, including housing. Conversion is also currently underway of a former industrial building into a food hall.

The state Department of Transportation conducted a study of the potential for TOD at each of the stations along the CTFastrak BRT line.

The Walnut Station Speciﬁc Area Plan includes visualizations that show how the Franklin corridor/EmX line can evolve to enhance the streetscape, provide multimodal options and add more density within context of neighborhood preferences. A market analysis was prepared that identiﬁes the type and extent of TOD for each station location.

The University’s Matthew Knight Arena (aka the Duck Pond) was also built directly across from an EmX station. The BRT line is heavily used during events at this facility.

The Lane Transit District has also engaged in its own TOD initiatives, including adding retail space at its downtown Springﬁeld Transit Center.

Recommendations varied from station to station but most include mixed use development including residential.

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Downtown New Britain is another TOD focal point. New Britain is an old industrial city that has lost much of its manufacturing but retains several factory sites available for redevelopment. Columbus Commons, currently under construction, is New Britain’s ﬁrst TOD. Two six-story buildings will contain 160 residential mixed-income units and 20,000 square feet of retail space. It is within walking distance of the BRT line.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA The north-south Red Line opened September 2019. The initial studies of the corridor began in 2012. It is operated by IndyGo, the regional transit agency. The Red Line operates directly through downtown. To the north, it extends as far as the Broad Ripple neighborhood, a major shopping, entertainment and residential district. Along the way it serves two colleges and the city’s largest medical center. South of downtown, the line serves the resurgent Fountain Square neighborhood and the University of Indianapolis. In established neighborhoods served by the Red Line, TOD opportunities are limited. Closer to downtown, however, the City of Indianapolis has been encouraging development of affordable housing near key stations where land is available within a half-mile walking distance of stations. The Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership and a local lending corporation have established a $15 million ETOD (Equitable Transit Oriented Development) revolving fund to purchase two parcels in South Indianapolis to develop affordable housing near the Red Line.

• • • • • • • •

Percentage of Baby Boomers Median household income Average rent Median home value Distance to downtown Housing and transportation Land assembly Major trip generators

and Millennials

affordability

A series of different TOD “typologies” was devised based on the existing character of each station area. Each station was then subject to a detailed analysis that identiﬁed existing conditions, TOD potential and potential development approaches.

Kansas City opened its first BRT line, called MAX, in 2005 along its most prominent corridor, Main Street, connecting downtown with some of the city’s largest employment and activity centers, including the Union Station Science Center, Crown Center (offices, hotel and shopping mall) and Country Club Plaza, Kansas City’s “second downtown.” The southern end of the north-south Main Street MAX Line is the University of MissouriKansas City (UMKC). Since the opening of the first BRT line (Main Street), Kansas City has seen some success in leveraging its MAX lines to attract transit oriented development at some of its stations, especially along the MAX Troost line. While some commercial development has resulted, most has involved institutions and community facilities,

The plan recognizes that transit alone will not generate TOD, and that development policies and land use near station stops is as important as the transit itself. It also determined that current market conditions do not fully support TOD. As a result, the plan’s recommendations include:

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, the region’s planning agency, developed a Strategic Plan to identify TOD opportunities and the tools and actions needed to implement plans and projects along the Red Line, as well as the Blue and Purple BRT lines currently in development, working with local neighborhoods and stakeholders. The Strategic Plan included “heat maps” showing areas with the greatest potential for TOD based on a composite of several factors including:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Employment density Employment density with Population per square mile Gross residential density Residential vacancy rate Sidewalk to street ratio Intersections per square mile Average block length Physical barriers Walk score (walkability) Retail sales

As its BRT system has grown, the City of Kansas City has embarked on a more comprehensive plan to generate TOD along the MAX lines. To that end, it identiﬁed a series of goals that “provide a touchstone that grounds and guides this policy’s diverse recommendations, in the context of Kansas City’s long term sustainability.”

transit preference

Report & Recommendations

Kansas City’s TOD Policy is detailed and comprehensive. It tackles several sensitive issues such as boundaries and transition between higher density TOD stations and lower density, established neighborhoods.

Economic:

Social & Cultural: • • • • • •

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Accessibility & mobility Diversity & integration Neighborhood identity Affordable housing Safety and security Public Health

• • •

Environmental:

Local prosperity Creativity & innovation Commercial clustering/

•

business niches Productivity Housing diversity Fiscal sustainability

• •

•

Resource conservation Open space preservation Mitigate climate change Improve air quality Improve water quality Biodiversity

• • • • •

Use public funds to catalyze early investments. Make 2-3 station areas the priority for development. Concentrate commercial development and zoning. Move forward on TOD zoning. Make sure infrastructure supports TOD.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Minneapolis’s BRT system is relatively new. Its first line, the Red Line, connects the Mall of America with the suburban community of Apple Valley. Its second line, the Orange Line, is currently under construction. TOD has not yet occurred along either line, but steps are being taken to encourage new development at stations. The Metropolitan Council developed a working definition of TOD: A moderate to higher density district/corridor located within easy walking distance of a major transit stop that typically contains a mix of uses such as housing, jobs, restaurants, shops, services and entertainment. These districts/corridors enable people of all ages, backgrounds and incomes abundant transportation choices and the opportunity to live convenient, affordable and active lives. To that end, the Council identified four TOD goals.

To prepare for the development of its BRT network, the Metropolitan Council – which oversees transportation planning and funding for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area – initiated as TOD Strategic Action Plan. It is designed to create a robust TOD program.

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ARMOUR ROAD NORTH KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI Complete Streets Elements

WHAT ARE COMPLETE STREETS?

• • • • • • •

COMPLETE STREETS...

enable safe, convenient, comfortable and accessible travel for all users of all ages and abilities. Complete streets are planned, designed and operated to provide safety for everyone regardless of mode of travel including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders and drivers.

Road diet Bike lanes Narrow lanes Sidewalks On-street parking Raised medians Curb extensions

• • • • • •

Access control Landscaping ITS/Smart technologies Freight routes Wayfinding Placemaking

WHY COMPLETE STREETS? • Create a vision • Balance all needs • Connect places with efﬁcient transportation • Enhance quality of life

• Trigger economic and social beneﬁts • Encourage comprehensive decision making • Improve the aesthetics of the street • Integrate technology

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BEFORE

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AFTER

ROUTE 115 NORMANDY, MISSOURI

NW NAITO PARKWAY PORTLAND, OREGON Complete Streets Elements

Complete Streets Elements • • • • • •

Road diet Bike lanes Narrow lanes ITS/Smart technologies Pedestrian scale lighting Reduced speed limit

• • • • • •

• • • • •

On-street parking Raised medians Curb extensions Access control Landscaping Sidewalks

BEFORE

AFTER

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Road diet Bike lanes Green paint Narrow lanes Sidewalks

• • • •

On-street parking Raised medians Curb extensions Access control

BEFORE

AFTER

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AFTER

BROADWAY TEMPE, ARIZONA

COMPLETE STREETS (CS): TOOLS & ELEMENTS RELEVANT FOR NICHOLASVILLE ROAD

Complete Streets Elements • • • • • • • • • •

Bike lanes Narrow lanes Sidewalks Raised medians Intersection treatments Access control Landscaping ITS/Smart technologies Wayfinding Placemaking

A variety of tools and elements were employed in the complete streets projects that have been showcased. The following treatments may be applicable to the Nicholasville Road corridor. The beneﬁts of each, along with some lessons learned (LL) are highlighted.

Roadway Improvement

Floating Transit Island Floating transit islands allow for bus stop bump-outs without a costly reconstruction of utilities, facilitating easy bus boarding and alighting to minimize trafﬁc impacts and maximize bus operating speed.

Intersection Treatments & Curb Extensions

BEFORE

Separated bicycle paths create a less stressful area for cyclists with a higher level of safety. Green paint and high visibility paint should be used at conﬂict areas for safety. LL: Ensure that the maintenance entity has vehicles that can access the bike paths for sweeping and other operational maintenance needs.

Rain gardens and native landscaping add aesthetics to roads and reduce heat island effects, minimize upkeep and also helping provide a buffer between vehicular trafﬁc and pedestrians.

Sidewalks & Crosswalks

Pedestrian Scale Lighting Pedestrian scale lighting increases visibility of pedestrains, while reducing collisions with vehicles and enhancing safety. LL: Ensure pedestrian lighting is incorporated at conﬂict points between cars and walkers. Consider CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principals with lighting.

Raised medians help to prevent vehicles from entering oncoming trafﬁc. This can prevent serious crashes and also keep trafﬁc moving. Raised medians also act as a safe refuge for pedestrians crossing busy streets.

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Sidewalks throughout the corridor give the option for users to safely walk instead of driving. Using sidewalks can help increase health and decrease congestion. Looking for gaps in the network and connectivity opportunities to transit and development is key for walkability.

Smart Technology Technology advances everyday and helps to provide smoother commutes and safer facilities with enhanced lighting and trafﬁc signal synchronization. LL: Look for partnerships with start up companies or business agencies to create /develop apps using city real time data.

Wayfinding & Placemaking

Raised Medians

Report & Recommendations

Separated Bike Paths

Intersection treatments and curb extensions increase visibility of vulnerable road users while also slowing trafﬁc down, providing and creating a safer environment for all users.

Landscaping

AFTER

Narrow lanes, reduce speed limits, synchronized signals and access control are among the modifications to the roadway. These modifications can help slow cars by reducing speed limits, improve efficiency of travel with synchronized signals, and enhance safety by controlling access. LL: these elements should be coordinated with emergency services, planning and zoning and the public.

Wayfinding and placemaking help people navigate the public realm and transit systems. Signage helps residents and tourists orient themselves and find destinations. Placemaking enhances the experience of travel through different elements worked into design or programming. LL: Think about wayfinding and placemaking for different user modes. Biking signage and wayfinding should be placed at different intervals and experiences than for cars or pedestrians.

APPENDIX D: SAMPLE LAND DEVELOPEMENT CODE NICHOLASVILLE Road

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SAMPLE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE

This sample land development code is intended to provide the City of Lexington with a structure and template for coding the vision for development contained within in draft concepts. The South Park Shopping Center and Crossroads Plaza station area were selected for this sample because it is one of the three catalyst sites and it is one of the most representative sites for redevelopment along the Nicholasville Road corridor. It was also selected because it contains the four primary lot types identified within this plan. Land development codes typically contain several core elements that are defined here: Shown to the right, the Regulating Plan is essentially the zoning plan for the sample land development code. It differs from a zoning plan in that it specifies the lot types within the code boundary, the types of streets, open spaces, and existing and future parcels of land while speaking specifically to intended character rather than use.

s CA

As this sample land development code evolves, the City of Lexington may desire to consider additional standards for sites along Nicholasville Road. This can include development standards for open space, building frontage, architectural fenestration, landscaping details, signage, equipment, and sustainability. Other considerations for adoption may include the addition of definitions for land development terminology, modifications and streamlining the administration and design review process, and engagement with the development community to build support for code adoption. Furthermore, all dimensions and standards contained within this sample land development code should be refined and approved by the City of Lexington for adoption into the zoning code.

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EYN

Draft Concept for South Park Shopping Center & Crossroads Plaza

IDGE D

N 500’

FLINTR

NIC

HOL

ASV

Station Area 1/4-Mile

Open Space

CK RD

MEDLO

SS D

EYN

PKW

Urban Residential Lots

All existing and proposed streets have also been classiﬁed as primary and secondary streets. Primary streets are generally active and vibrant commercial retail streets and the streets immediately adjacent to the station, which include Nicholasville Road. Secondary streets may have corner retail and other neighborhood amenities; but, generally are quieter and more contributive to the neighborhood feel. The lot standards are applied based on the associated street frontage. Although not speciﬁcally detailed in this sample code, street design standards should apply to all public rights-ofway within the land development code area.

Neighborhood Center Lots

IGA

ILLE

/ US

ON-RA

Inﬁll Commercial Lots

Mixed-use Lots

/ US

FLINTRID

GE DR

EYN

HW AY 6

Primary Street (Existing) Primary Street (New) Secondary Street (Existing) Secondary Street (New)

RD MEDLOC K CA WR

HIG

P AM F-R OF

Land Development Code Boundary Existing Parcel Lines Proposed Parcel Lines

EYN

PKW

ILLE

ON-RAM

Transition Area 1/2-Mile

Legend

Station Area 1/4-Mile

ASV

There are four main lot types identiﬁed on the regulating plan including mixed-use lots, inﬁll commercial lots, neighborhood center lots, and urban residential lots. Each lot type builds a distinct type of experience within the station area while still falling within the general constraints of the regulatory framework. The lot type sheets include an associated regulating plan, intended character related to streets and open space, and development standards that apply to new construction.

HOL

AM F-R OF

HW AY 6

NIC

Transition Area 1/2-Mile

HIG

N 500’

Sample Regulating Plan for South Park Shopping Center & Crossroads Plaza

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Transition Area 1/2-Mile

MEDLO CK RD

s OL

BUILDING FOOTPRINT

PROPERTY LINE

BUILDING SECTION

PROPERTY LINE

BUILD-TO-LINE

FACADE WALL

BUILD-TO-LINE

UPPER FLOOR USE

BUILD-TO-LINE

PARKING AREA

SETBACK LINE

ADDITIONAL BELOW GRADE PARKING AREA

Main Setbacks

SS NE CH LO

27 / US

EYN

PKW

ILLE

ASV

SETBACK LINE

TRANSPARENT DEPTH

Primary Street (1)

Minimum = 30’ Maximum = 35’

Secondary Street (2)

Minimum = 15’ Maximum = 20’

Alley Lot Line (3)

Minimum = 0’ Maximum = 10’

Side Lot Line (4)

3 Stories or Less = 5’ More than 3 Stories = 10’

Other Setbacks

Station Area 1/4-Mile

NIC

HOL

17 PRIMARY STREET

Building Placement & Form Standards*

IGA

PROPERTY LINE

FLINTR

GROUND FLOOR USE

ENCROACHMENT

EYN

IDGE D

PRIMARY STREET

SETBACK LINE

SECONDARY STREET

Mixed-use Lots

ALLEY RIGHT-OF-WAY

SETBACK LINE

4 MP

ON-RA

PROPERTY LINE

22 BACK OF CURB

Primary Street (Existing) Primary Street (New) Secondary Street (Existing) Secondary Street (New)

ALLEY

MP -RA

F OF

HW AY 6

PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY

HIG

Land Development Code Boundary Existing Parcel Lines Proposed Parcel Lines

ALLEY

SECONDARY STREET

Legend

% Build Out

500’

Sample Regulating Plan for Mixed-Use Lots

MIXED-USE LOTS The intention of the Mixed-Use Lots is to provide station areas with a more high-density, mixed-use experience immediately adjacent to the transit station or mixed into a district to create a town center. Mixed-Use Lots are allowed within the station area and the transition area. The development standards shown on this page for the Mixed-Use Lots include building placement and form standards, height and use standards, and encroachment and parking standards.

% Ground Floor Transparency

Primary Street (5) Secondary Street (6)

50% of Setback Built-Out with Frontage

Primary Streets (5)

Non-Residential = 60% Residential = 25%

Secondary Streets (6)

Non-Residential = 40% Residential = 25%

Width (7) Lot Size** Depth (8) Others*

80% of Setback Built-Out with Frontage

Minimum = 375’ Maximum = 500’ Minimum = 300’ Maximum = 325’

TBD

NOTES: Building Standards

TBD

Placement

Form

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Building Height & Use Standards Building Height

Roof Height

Ground Floor Level

Ground Floor Uses

Minimum Height (9)

3 Stories and 36’

Maximum Height (10)

12 Stories and 150’

B.O. of Eave to T.O. Parapet or Roof Peak (11)

Upper Floor Uses

Maximum 6” Above Sidewalk Grade

Primary Streets*** (13)

Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Service), Ofﬁce, Institutional, Community Use, Residential (Dormitory, Multi-Family, Residential Care Facility)

Floor-to-Floor Heights Others*

All Streets (14)

Residential (Dormitory, Multi-Family, Residential Care Facility)

Ground Floors (15)

Minimum 16’

Upper Floors (16)

Minimum 12’

TBD

Encroachments (beyond the setback line)

Maximum 15’

All Streets (12)

Secondary Streets (13)

Encroachments & Parking Standards

Required Parking Location (from back of Property Line)

Required Parking Spaces by Use Type**

Primary Street (17)

Maximum 10’; Not to exceed back of curb

Secondary Street (18)

Maximum 10’; Not to exceed back of curb

Alley (19)

Maximum 5’

Primary Street (20)

Minimum 30’

Secondary Street (21)

Minimum 30’

Alley Lot Line (22)

Minimum 10’

Side Lot Line (23)

0’

Commercial

1 Space per 300 SF

Ofﬁce

1 Space per 600 SF

Institutional

Case-by-Case Basis

Community

Case-by-Case Basis

Residential

1 Space per Dwelling Unit

Other

TBD

NOTES: Building Height & Use Standards *Additional standards for Building Height and Use Standards may be developed during code creation and adoption. **Flexibility on dimensions due to existing grades will be considered on a case-by-case basis. ***Commercial, Ofﬁce, Institutional, and Community Use only allowed on Nicholasville Road.

Others*

TBD

Case-by-Case Basis TBD

NOTES: Encroachments & Parking Standards *Additional standards for Encroachments and Parking Standards may be developed during code creation and adoption. **Final required parking spaces by use type to be ﬁnalized and developed in future phases of work.

Transition Area 1/2-Mile

ALLEY

Inﬁll Commercial Lots

14 12

CK RD

EYN

FLINTR

BUILDING FOOTPRINT

PROPERTY LINE

BUILDING SECTION

PROPERTY LINE

FACADE WALL

BUILD-TO-LINE

UPPER FLOOR USE

BUILD-TO-LINE

PARKING AREA

SETBACK LINE

ADDITIONAL BELOW GRADE PARKING AREA

SS NE CH LO

27 / US

IGA

EYN

PKW

Other Setbacks

ILLE

NIC

HOL

ASV

Station Area 1/4-Mile N

% Build Out**

500’

Sample Regulating Plan for Inﬁll Commercial Lots

INFILL COMMERCIAL LOTS The intention of the Infill Commercial Lots is to provide station areas with appropriately scaled commercial uses that will blend with existing commercial buildings and provide for infill opportunities that augment existing retail. Infill Commercial Lots are allowed with the station area and the transition area. The development standards shown on this page for the Infill Commercial Lots include building placement and form standards, height and use standards, and encroachment and parking standards.

Report & Recommendations

BUILD-TO-LINE

Main Setbacks***

15 PRIMARY STREET

SETBACK LINE

TRANSPARENT DEPTH

Building Placement & Form Standards*

IDGE D

PROPERTY LINE SETBACK LINE

PRIMARY STREET

MEDLO

ALLEY RIGHT-OF-WAY

SETBACK LINE

4 MP

ON-RA

PROPERTY LINE

Primary Street (Existing) Primary Street (New) Secondary Street (Existing) Secondary Street (New)

BACK OF CURB

SECONDARY STREET

PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY

HW AY 6

ALLEY

MP -RA

F OF

Land Development Code Boundary Existing Parcel Lines Proposed Parcel Lines

HIG

SECONDARY STREET

Legend

% Ground Floor Transparency

Primary Street (1)

Minimum = 10’ Maximum = 20’

Secondary Street (2)

Minimum = 10’ Maximum = 20’

Alley Lot Line (3)

Not Applicable

Side Lot Line (4)

2 to 3 Stories = 5’ More than 4 Stories = 10’

Primary Street (5)

TBD Based on Caseby-Case Basis

Secondary Street (6)

TBD Based on Caseby-Case Basis

Primary Streets (5)

Non-Residential = 80%

Secondary Streets (6)

Non-Residential = 40%

Width (7)

TBD Based on Caseby-Case Basis

Depth (8)

TBD Based on Caseby-Case Basis

Lot Size**

Others*

TBD

NOTES: Building Standards

GROUND FLOOR USE

Building Height & Use Standards Building Height

Minimum Height (9)

2 Stories and 24’

Maximum Height (10)

4 Stories and 50’

Roof Height

B.O. Eave to T.O. Parapet or Roof Peak (11)

Ground Floor Level

All Streets (12)

Ground Floor Uses Upper Floor Uses Floor-to-Floor Heights Others*

Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Service), Ofﬁce, Institutional, Community Use

Ground Floors (15)

Minimum 16’

Upper Floors (16)

Minimum 12’

TBD

Required Parking Spaces by Use Type**

TBD

Form

Maximum 10’; Not to exceed back of curb

Secondary Street (18)

Maximum 10’; Not to exceed back of curb

Alley (19)

Not Applicable

Secondary Street (21) Alley Lot Line (22)

Not Located in Front of Building Facade Line

Not Applicable

Side Lot Line (23)

0’

Commercial

1 Space per 300 SF

Ofﬁce

1 Space per 600 SF

Institutional

Case-by-Case Basis

Community

Case-by-Case Basis

Residential

Not Applicable

Other Others*

*Additional standards for Building Placement and Form Standards may be developed during code creation and adoption. **Flexibility on dimensions due to existing street network, inﬁll potential on particular site, and parcellation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. ***Setbacks on public spaces along Primary Streets will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

123

Required Parking Location (from back of Property Line)

All Streets (14)

TBD

Placement

Encroachments (beyond the setback line)

Primary Street (17)

Primary Street (20)

Primary Streets (13) Secondary Streets (13)

Encroachments & Parking Standards

Maximum 15’

Maximum 6” Above Sidewalk Grade

ENCROACHMENT

TBD

Case-by-Case Basis TBD

Transition Area 1/2-Mile

Neighborhood Center Lots

11 16

14 12

MEDLO CK RD

s EYN

FLINTR

PROPERTY LINE

BUILD-TO-LINE

FACADE WALL

BUILD-TO-LINE

UPPER FLOOR USE

BUILD-TO-LINE

PARKING AREA

SETBACK LINE

TRANSPARENT DEPTH

SETBACK LINE

GROUND FLOOR USE

SETBACK LINE

ADDITIONAL BELOW GRADE PARKING AREA

SS NE

Primary Street (1)

Minimum = 30’ Maximum = 35’

Secondary Street (2)

Minimum = 15’ Maximum = 20’

Alley Lot Line (3)

Minimum = 0’ Maximum = 10’

Side Lot Line (4)

3 Stories or Less = 5’ More than 3 Stories = 10’

CH ER

EYN

PKW

Other Setbacks

ASV

Station Area 1/4-Mile

% Build Out**

NIC

HOL

PRIMARY STREET BUILDING SECTION

Main Setbacks

27 / US

IGA

ILLE

N 500’

Sample Regulating Plan for Neighborhood Center Lots

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER LOTS The intention of the Neighborhood Center Lots is to provide station areas with increased residential uses with access to transit, neighborhood services, and community-supportive commercial retail. Neighborhood Center Lots are allowed within the station area and the transition area. The development standards shown on this page for the Neighborhood Center Lots include building placement and form standards, height and use standards, and encroachment and parking standards.

% Ground Floor Transparency

Primary Street (5)

80% of Setback Built-Out with Frontage

Secondary Street (6)

50% of Setback Built-Out with Frontage

Primary Streets (5)

Non-Residential = 60% Residential = 25%

Secondary Streets (6)

Non-Residential = 60% (for ﬁrst 50’ near the intersection with a Primary Street; Residential = 25%

Width (7)

Minimum = 275’ Maximum = 475’

Depth (8)

Minimum = 200’ Maximum = 275’

Lot Size**

Others*

TBD

NOTES: Building Standards

TBD

Placement

Form

Report & Recommendations

PROPERTY LINE

BUILDING FOOTPRINT

PROPERTY LINE

IDGE D

PRIMARY STREET

Building Placement & Form Standards* CA

ALLEY RIGHT-OF-WAY

4 MP ON-RA

SETBACK LINE

Primary Street (Existing) Primary Street (New) Secondary Street (Existing) Secondary Street (New)

BACK OF CURB

SECONDARY STREET

PROPERTY LINE

HW AY 6

PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY

HIG

ALLEY

MP -RA

F OF

Land Development Code Boundary Existing Parcel Lines Proposed Parcel Lines

ALLEY

SECONDARY STREET

Legend

124

Building Height & Use Standards Building Height

Minimum Height (9)

3 Stories and 36’

Maximum Height (10)

6 Stories and 75’

Roof Height

B.O. Eave to T.O. Parapet or Roof Peak (11)

Ground Floor Level**

All Streets (12)

Primary Streets (13) Ground Floor Uses Secondary Streets (13)

Upper Floor Uses Floor-to-Floor Heights Others*

Encroachments (beyond the setback line)

Primary Street (17)

Maximum 10’; Not to exceed back of curb

Secondary Street (18)

Maximum 10’; Not to exceed back of curb

Alley (19)

Maximum 5’

Primary Street (20)

Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Service), Ofﬁce, Institutional, Community Use, Residential (Dormitory, Multi-Family, Residential Care Facility) Commercial (Retail, Restaurant, Gallery, Service) for the ﬁrst 50’ near the intersection with a Primary Street; Residential (Dormitory, Multi-Family, Residential Care Facility)

All Streets (14)

Residential (Dormitory, Multi-Family, Residential Care Facility)

Ground Floors (15)

Minimum 16’

Upper Floors (16)

Minimum 10’

TBD

Encroachments & Parking Standards

Maximum 15’

Maximum 3’ Above Sidewalk Grade for Residential; 6” for Non-Commercial Uses

Required Parking Location (from back of Property Line)

Required Parking Spaces by Use Type**

Secondary Street (21)

Never to exceed rear line of the building.

Alley Lot Line (22)

0’

Side Lot Line (23)

10’

Commercial

1 Space per 300 SF

Ofﬁce

1 Space per 600 SF

Institutional

Case-by-Case Basis

Community

Case-by-Case Basis

Residential

1 Space per Dwelling Unit

Other Others*

TBD

ENCROACHMENT

TBD

Case-by-Case Basis TBD

Transition Area 1/2-Mile

11 16

9 10

CK RD

BUILDING FOOTPRINT

PROPERTY LINE

BUILDING SECTION

PROPERTY LINE

BUILD-TO-LINE

FACADE WALL

BUILD-TO-LINE

UPPER FLOOR USE

BUILD-TO-LINE

PARKING AREA

SETBACK LINE

TRANSPARENT DEPTH

SETBACK LINE

GROUND FLOOR USE

SETBACK LINE

ADDITIONAL BELOW GRADE PARKING AREA

Primary Street (1) Main Setbacks

SS NE CH LO

27 / US

EYN

PKW

ILLE

Other Setbacks

ASV

Station Area 1/4-Mile

NIC

HOL

17 PRIMARY STREET

Building Placement & Form Standards*

IGA

PROPERTY LINE

FLINTR

ENCROACHMENT

EYN

IDGE D

CA WR

PRIMARY STREET

MEDLO

ALLEY RIGHT-OF-WAY

4 MP

ON-RA

SETBACK LINE

Urban Residential Lots

PROPERTY LINE

SECONDARY STREET

BACK OF CURB

HW AY 6

PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY

HIG

ALLEY

MP -RA

F OF

Primary Street (Existing) Primary Street (New) Secondary Street (Existing) Secondary Street (New)

ALLEY

SECONDARY STREET

Legend

% Build Out

500’

Sample Regulating Plan for Urban Residential Lots

URBAN RESIDENTIAL LOTS The intention of the Urban Residential Lots is to provide station areas with increased residential uses and densities with access to transit and to help transition TOD into the scale of the existing neighborhoods. Urban Residential Lots are allowed within the transition area and along secondary streets within the station area. The development standards shown on this page for the Urban Residential Lots include building placement and form standards, height and use standards, and encroachment and parking standards.

Report & Recommendations

% Ground Floor Transparency

Secondary Street (2) Alley Lot Line (3)

Minimum = 5’ Maximum = 10’

Side Lot Line (4)

Maximum = 5’

Primary Street (5)

Not Applicable

Secondary Street (6)

80% of Setback Built-Out with Frontage

Primary Streets (5)

Not Applicable

Secondary Streets (6)

Minimum = 25%

Width (7) Lot Size** Depth (8) Others*

Minimum = 15’ Maximum = 20’

Minimum = 250’ Maximum = 200’ Minimum = 100’ Maximum = 125’

TBD

NOTES: Building Standards

TBD

Placement

Building Height

Roof Height

Ground Floor Level** Ground Floor Uses Upper Floor Uses Floor-to-Floor Heights Others*

Form

125

Building Height & Use Standards Minimum Height (9)

2 Stories and 24’

Maximum Height (10)

3 Stories and 36’

Bottom of Eave to Top of Parapet or Roof Peak (11) All Streets (12)

3’ Above Sidewalk Grade

Upper Floors (16) TBD

Required Parking Location (from back of Property Line)

Residential (Multi-Family)

All Streets (14) Ground Floors (15)

Encroachments (beyond the setback line)

Maximum 15’

Primary Streets (13) Secondary Streets (13)

Encroachments & Parking Standards

Minimum 12’

Required Parking Spaces by Use Type**

Minimum 10’ TBD

Primary Street (17)

Not Applicable.

Secondary Street (18)

Maximum 5’

Alley (19)

Maximum 5’

Primary Street (20)

Not Applicable.

Secondary Street (21)

Not Allowed

Alley Lot Line (22) Side Lot Line (23)

Minimum 5’

Commercial

Not Applicable.

Ofﬁce

Not Applicable.

Institutional

Not Applicable.

Community

Not Applicable.

Residential

1 Space per Dwelling Unit

Other Others*

Must be within 30’ of Alley Lot Line

TBD

Case-by-Case Basis TBD

APPENDIX E: BRT STATION FOOTPRINTS NICHOLASVILLE Road

126

BRT TRANSIT STATION DIMENSIONS Center Running

Curbside (Basic Stop)

End of Line (Major Stop) 70’ 75’

70’

15’

10’

Width - 12’ Preference, 10’ Minimum

Width - 12’

Width - 15’

Length - 70’

Length - 75’

Source: Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, North South Corridor Alternative Analysis.

Source: [Top] Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, North South Corridor Alternative Analysis.

Source: [Bottom] Alameda-Contra Costa Transit Authority.

Report & Recommendations

127

Source: Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, North South Corridor Alternative Analysis.

BRT Station Components

Source: Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization, North South Corridor Alternative Analysis.

Report & Recommendations

128

For further information, please contact: Division of Planning / Lexington Area MPO 101 E Vine St (Phoenix Building) Lexington, KY 40507 www.ImagineLexington.com www.lexareampo.org 859.258.3160

Imagine Nicholasville Road

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1 PROJECT BACKGROUND