1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW

At the request of the City of Harrisonburg Department of Public Works, a transportation study was conducted for the Chicago Avenue and Waterman Drive corridors. The study area extends to the Harrisonburg City limit to the west, Dogwood Drive to the east, Westover Park to the south, and Mt Clinton Pike to the north. The intent of the study was to establish existing conditions of vehicular and active transportation movements, perform operational and safety assessments, and ultimately provide recommendations for (1) the overall corridor, (2) the Chicago Avenue and Waterman Drive intersection, and (3) potential alignments for a bicycle and pedestrian connection between the Northend Greenway to the north and the Friendly City Trail to the south.

A list of the tasks associated with the corridor study are included below.

• Collection of 7-day directional traffic volume/class/speed counts at four (4) locations
• Collection of peak-hour turning movement counts at four (4) locations
• Collection of 7-day bicycle/pedestrian counts and observations at seven (7) locations
• Assessment of the existing roadway conditions
• Analysis of the crash history in the study area over five (5) years
• Operational analysis of existing conditions with existing geometry
• Operational analysis of 2034 background conditions with existing geometry and with a roundabout at the Chicago Avenue and Waterman Drive intersection
• Community engagement with City residents to better understand bicycle and pedestrian experiences in the area and to gather feedback on possible improvements to bicycle and pedestrian facilities and the Chicago Avenue/Waterman Drive intersection
• Identification of proposed improvements for the study area, the Chicago Avenue/Waterman Drive intersection, and potential trail alignments between the Northend Greenway and the Friendly City Trail

1.2 PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Alignment between the Northend Greenway and the Friendly City Trail

Three potential alignments between the Northend Greenway and the Friendly City Trail were developed as part of this study, along with variations of these alignments. Each alignment would provide a significant north-south connection for those biking and walking. Pursuing any of these three alignments would not only provide improved access to the Northend Greenway and the Friendly City Trail, but other primary destinations such as Eastern Mennonite University, City public schools, commercial and retail services, and many nearby residences.

With the approved rezoning and special-use permit applications of the Quarry Heights property, the City may consider tying the alignment through the development, as conditions of approval included the completion of a shared-use path by the developer, from Waterman Drive to the development's frontage on W Market Street.

1-1