3-2018 Downtown Master Plan - not adopted.pdf

Moab Downtown Plan

Prepared By:

Moab Downtown Plan A community vision for downtown Moab

Draft: July 2018 Adopted: October 2018

Moab Downtown Plan

Introduction and Acknowledgment

This document was prepared for the City of Moab and the Moab Downtown Plan Steering Committee and for formal adoption by Moab City Council. Technical assistance for this community-guidance document was provided by the consultant team of Downtown Redevelopment Services and Avenue Consultants. The overall results of this plan are wholly driven by community residents, city staff, steering committee members and stakeholder recommendations.

City of Moab

Mayor

Emily Niehaus, Mayor

City Council

City Planning

City Manager

David Everitt

Steering Committee

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPENDIX

Executive Summary The City of Moab is a diverse and unique community nestled in Grand County, Utah, that is suffering from the ramifications of becoming a highly successful destination location known for outdoor recreation. As with many other regional destinations, the City of Moab has seen its downtown corridor continue to transform into a retail corridor offering services for visitors. Noticing this issue, the City of Moab was desirous to undergo a comprehensive downtown planning exercise to identify the various needs and desires its residents. Working to meet these goals, the City of Moab completed the desired planning work to create an implementable and action-oriented downtown plan.

To understand a downtown corridor, desired uses and necessary amenities is creation of a detailed set of background data. To better understand the current conditions within the downtown plan area, a detailed existence conditions analysis and community input plan was initiated. Outlined below are highlights from each section of the plan:

Existing Conditions Report

Community Input Plan

After he community snapshot was completed, a set of detailed recommendations was created to help City of Moab to attain the goal of a more walkable and resident friendly downtown. Recommendations provided were prepared to be measurable, specific and attainable, while providing an impactful change to the overall sustainability of the downtown. Highlighted recommendations include:

Recommendations

Details about all of these recommendations are provided in the following chapters. Cost estimates and milestones for the recommendations can be found at the end of each chapter and in the appendix.

Community input results and existing conditions data are provided in the appendix.

Project Area, Spring 2018

Project Area, Spring 2018

Project Area, Spring 2018

Objectives

Moab, Utah, is a Grand County community known for exceptional outdoor recreational amenities and an equitable work/life balance for residents. It is because of these benefits that the City of Moab has witnessed exponential growth. The influx of residents and tourists has served as a catalyst for transformations within the downtown core as attempts are made to serve the growing number of visitors. To ensure that the downtown core of the Moab has adequate services to meet the need of visitors and residents, the City sought assistance from a downtown planning firm to create and implement a downtown planning exercise.

It is through this planning exercise that the City of Moab sought to determine what exactly “downtown” is and the effect it has in the symbiotic relationship between residents and tourists. Critical to this understanding is ensuring that the downtown corridor offers necessary and desirable amenities for all potential corridor users. To ensuring that improvements within town are sustainable and provide a broad spectrum enjoyment for users, the City petitioned input from residents, visitors, elected officials and local business/property owners to make sure that all future work within the downtown corridor meets the diverse goals of everyone within the community. As an ultimate goal of this study, the City of Moab will be provided with a comprehensive framework for implementation of qualitative and quantitative enhancements within the downtown core area.

Moab Downtown Plan Area

At the beginning of the study, the project area was to encompass the Main Street corridor (traditional downtown) and several key nonresidential spaces along the periphery of Main Street. During initial project review and detailed review of existing conditions, specifically pedestrian and vehicular utilization, it was recognized that the true core of Moab encompassed a significantly larger geographical area. As a result of this the project area was expanded to incorporate all areas as outlined in Figure 1. All areas within the amended project area each play a critical role in fostering the sustainability of downtown Moab and ensuring that the area remains a safe place for residents, businesses and visitors.

While most of the recommendations outlined within this document pertain to the downtown core area, several key recommendations require integration of zand coordination between the nearby residential zones for successful implementation. It is through successful integration of these transitional areas that Moab will be able to provide necessary services to all individuals.

Process

The Moab Downtown Plan is based on input from residents, visitors, elected officials and property/business owners. The plan had to meet the community’s goals while balancing the fragile visitor-based economy.

Ensuring that the required balance is attained, the below process was carefully crafted to create a set of attainable, specific and measurable goals that could be implemented within the near future. The City of Moab then hired a consultant team to prepare necessary documentation for the Moab Downtown Plan.

described below is the process a framework that can be implementedfor the Moab downtown core.

Figure 1. Map of Moab Downtown Plan Study Area (map not to scale)

1. Creation of Steering Committee

A local steering committee was created to ensure that the community had a unified voice and a well-rounded group to review recommendations and concerns. The Moab Downtown Plan steering committee therefore included concerned residents, business owners and city officials all working together to gather vital community input and work with the consultant to ensure that the vision for downtown Moab is achieved. The steering committee worked with the consultant team to evaluate current conditions and trends, explore alternatives and guide the direction of the initial findings. Members of this committee, listed in the acknowledgments, served as volunteers cfocused on the similar goal of creating a more livable and economically diverse downtown corridor in Moab.

2. Community Input and Information Gathering Exercises

With the understanding that members of the community must have adequate opportunities to provide feedback about their needs, desires and goals for downtown, comprehensive input was garnered from residents and tourists to create a local perspective. Several methods of input were used to ensure that all concerns and comments from interested parties were heard and equally weighted in the overall planning process. Outlined below are the variety of community input processes utilized:

Figure 2. Public Input Meeting Participation

Figure 3. Public Input Meeting Attendance

3. Initial lindings

After the information gathering step was completed, the consultant team prepared a summary report of the initial findings, outlining enhancements for the project area. This streamlined report was focused solely on what would create a safer and more inviting downtown core and increase resident usage while providing appropriate amenities for the visitor utilization. Findings were broken down into the following categories:

· Transportation

· Streetscape

· Parking

· Placemaking/branding

· Land use

· Housing

A copy of the summary report is provided in appendix, outlining proposed enhancements and specific comments from the community.

4. Community review and input meeting

In order to collect feedback about the initial findings, the consultant team and the City of Moab facilitated a community input meeting. During the meeting, details about the initial findings were presented, and stations for public comment were provided. Comments collected from meeting participants were integrated into the overall downtown plan document.

Specific written comments, comment forms and lists of attendees are provided as in the appendix. In addition to the input meeting, the community was given an opportunity to review the findings on the project website and provide targeted feedback to the consultant team until the draft downtown plan was completed.

5. Creation of final report

As a final step, a draft report of the Moab Downtown Plan was prepared. The Moab Downtown Plan, this document, was structured to provide community guidance to City of Moab officials and serve as an amendment to the recently adopted General Plan.

A 30-day public comment period allowed for additional comments and feedback on the plan. The draft report was given to the City of Moab for review and posted for public viewing on the project website. The comments were reviewed and a final copy of the downtown plan was prepared for adoption in October 2018.

Figure 4. Initial Findings - Parking Availability Image

Chapter 1: Community Snapshot This chapter provides the information needed for a detailed understanding of current conditions in the City of Moab and, more specifically, the downtown corridor. A variety of public sources were used, including ARC GIS data, ESRI Living Atlas layer information, US Census Bureau American Community Survey results and community survey/polling results.

1.1 Moab Past

The location of Moab, with access to the abundant water supply of the Colorado River and fertile lands, has made it a desirable location for thousands of years. The area currently encompassed by the City of Moab is believed to originally have been settled in 1200 BC by local Anasazi Indian tribes whom used the fertile valley land for agricultural uses.

It was not until April of 1855 that recorded history makes reference to Mormon settlers entering the valley as part of an expedition into the southern reaches of the then known areas as Utah. During this expedition, the settlers explored the valley and built their first built structure, a stone fort that created a permanent residence within the valley. While the Mormon settlers and native Indians started with an amiable relationship, their relationship was soon strained, and hostility broke out. As a result of this hostility, the fort was abandoned after less than one year, and the remaining settlers moved northward back toward the Salt Lake Valley. While several expeditions ventured into the valley over the next 20-plus years, it was not until 1876 that permanent habitation of the Moab Valley was realized. In the late 1890s, the city began to expand in terms of the number of residents and services offered, creating a regional hub and the foundation for the current City of Moab.

Fast forward to 1952 when the City of Moab would change forever after Charlie Steen discovered uranium within the lands surrounding the community. With the discovery of uranium, the community began to expand exponentially and attract prospectors, hospitality providers and families, peaking with an unverified community population of 6,345 permanent inhabitants in 1960. This growth was cut short when the U.S. government drastically reduced its uranium purchases in 1970. At that time, the City of Moab was left with a tough decision: either to reinvent the community or allow the level of service to decline into disrepair.

1.2 Moab Present

After the City of Moab witnessed a downturn in uranium sales, the community began a rebranding process to become a national destination known for incredible natural amenities and recreational value. While the community rebranding happened after the national monument and national park designations in 1929 and 1971, respectively, efforts were heavily focused on the natural resources and recreational opportunities the region provides. After the change in focus, the community began to thrive again, becoming the internationally known biking and outdoor recreation hub for which the City of Moab remains famous for today. As the population of the City continues to grow, and the tourism-based economy witnesses exponential growth, the community is faced with challenges to provide necessary infrastructure and amenities to meet this growing demand while still offering meaningful and valuable services to residents.

Figure 5. Historic Image from Explore Moab’s History

(p. 29) by Lola McElhaney, 2015, Moab: Times-

Independent Publishing Company.

Figure 6. Historic Image from Explore Moab’s History (p.

2) by Lola McElhaney, 2015, Moab: Times-Independent

Publishing Company.

1.3 Community Statistics

Shown below are community statistics and demographic information meant to provide a snapshot of recent and current conditions within the community.

The information is based on publicly available data from the ESRI database and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey results. Data in this section is reflective of a geographic area encompassing more than the downtown plan project area; however, the information for Utah census blocks 49019002004 (2004), 490190002002 (2002) & 49010002001 (2001) is the smallest dataset available for consideration. As the City of Moab has grown over the years, the community has seen a drastic change in numerous community statistics that reflect the need for a downtown plan for the future of the corridor.

UT BLOCK GROUP 490190002004

COMMUNITY DEMOGRAPHICS

Male/Female Breakdown

51.5%

48.5%

Educational Attainment - Age 25 or Older

Housing Tenure

UT BLOCK GROUP 490190002004

UT BLOCK GROUP

490190002001

UT BLOCK GROUP

490190002002

UT BLOCK GROUP 490190002001

UT BLOCK GROUP 490190002002

Population Age Breakdown

Figure 7.

Utah Block Group Map

Figure 8. Moab Gender Breakdown

Figure 9. Moab Educational Attainment, Age 25 and Older

Figure 10. Moab Housing: Rent Versus Own

Figure 11. Moab Age Distribution

Population

In the late 20th century, the population of Moab skyrocketed with the discovery of natural resources and recreational amenities, bolstering a burgeoning society to capitalize on these amenities. However, this growth has not been continual or predictable, with minimal annual growth since 2000 averaging 1.0225% (Figure 12). This marginal level of growth is uncharacteristic of many communities in the State of Utah, yet it is similar to other rural and regional populations in the southwestern part of the United States.

In addition to minimal population growth a negligible change has been noticed in the average age of residents, averaging 35.5 years old in 2000 to 37.7 years old in the 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates. Overall, the Moab community has similar cohort age distributions in the last three decennial census as well as the census projected for 2016/2017. A stable cohort distribution typically illustrates a self-sufficient community resilient to market swings and population booms.

Employment

Historical census data have shown that residents of the City of Moab have been employed in diverse occupational categories, varying from agriculture to public administration. Over the last 16 years, however, the percentages for most employment categories have varied little. One primary exception is the category of “Arts, entertainment and recreation; accommodation and food services” which has seen an increase from 2000-2010 ( see figure 14). On hte converse side, “Transportation and warehousing; utilities” category and the “Construction” category declined slightly, dropping 2.7% and 6.7%, respectively.

While the majority of employment-category percentages have remained similar over the past 16 years, the percentage of the population employed dropped considerably--from 80.20% employed in 2010 compared with 77.77% employed in 2017 (see Figure 13). From 2010 to 2016, there was a drop in the employed population figures summing 2.43%. This drop in population, calculated with slight increases among older and younger individuals in the population, signifies a demographic change that has the potential to impact the retail and service industries in terms of not having enough people to fill lower-wage and entry-level jobs in the City of Moab.

Figure 12. City of Moab Population, 1940-Present

Figure 14. City of Moab Employment Percentages, by Occupation Category, 2010 (source: ACS, 2010)

Figure 13. City of Moab Total Employment Percentages, 2000, 2010 and 2017

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My Map 2018 USA Per Capita Income

Block Group $ 57,000 191,100 per person $ 39,800 57,000 per person $ 22,700 39,800 per person $ 5,500 22,700 per person $ 0 5,500 per person

600ft

Note: Demographic information provided in this section is based on the ESRI database and Living Atlas information. Above outlined results are inclusive of downtown prject area and surrounding area.

Per Capita Income

According to publicly available ESRI Living Atlas data, the three geographic tract blocks that make up the Downtown Plan area have an average per capita income of $28,150 (figure 15). The abve average income represents a 9.9% increase over the State of Utah average per capita income of $25,600. The three income figures have maintained a consistent percent variation over the past three decennial census which indicates that the City of Moab has a higher concentration of individuals and/or families with above average earnings. While the increased level of income has remained constant within the City of Moab, it has not kept up with recent real estate trends. With an average housing rental rate of $767 per month for a 1.73-bedroom unit, this above average cost represents roughly 32.69% of a resident’s gross income being expended on housing versus the state average of 24.41% of gross income.

Figure 15. Per Capita Income Distribution for Downtown Moab and Surrounding Area, 2018

Figure 16. Per Capita Income for Utah Blocks 2001, 2002 and 2004

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My Map 2018 USA Average Household Size

Block Group More than 8 people per household 8 people per household 7 people per household 6 people per household 5 people per household 4 people per household 3 people per household 2 people per household 1 person or less per household

600ft

Note: Demographic information provided in this section is based on the ESRI database and Living Atlas information. Above outlined results are inclusive of downtown prject area and surrounding area.

Average Household Size

The City of Moab currently has an average household size of 2.23 individuals per dwelling unit (figure 18). This is in stark contrast to the state average household size, documented as four or more individuals per dwelling unit statewide. In addition to a slight increase in the average age of its residents, the City of Moab has a higher than average amount of homes or households without children (figure 19). The State of Utah has an average of 41.70% of homes with children, compared to the City of Moab averaging 26.80%.

Figure 17. Average Household Size for Downtown Moab and Surrounding Area, 2018

Figure 18. Average Household Size in the City of Moab for Utah Blocks 2001, 2002 and 2004

Figure 19. Households with Children, City of Moab and State of Utah

Household Tenure

An understanding of the breakdown of owner- versus renter-occupied units in the City of Moab is important to the sustainability and longevity of the local economy. In the City of Moab, the rental versus owner percentages have remained remarkably similar over almost the past three decades (figure 20 & 21). On average, the percentage of rental properties and structures is between 35% and 40% and was recorded at 36%, and most recently was recorded at 36% according to the 2017 ACS survey results.

The figures referenced above depict a municipality with a slightly higher than average percentage of long-term rentals rate. These figures do not account for any nightly or short-term rentals, two types of housing that are becoming more popular in the City of Moab.

A cursory search on booking websites shows that an average 330 rental options are being marketed for nightly or short-term rentals within the City of Moab. These 330-plus options include whole-house rentals, nightly room rentals and ancillary structures being rented on a short-term basis.

Figure 21. Renting Versus Owning in the City of Moab, by Age Group

Figure 20. Renting Versus Owning in the City of Moab, by Year

Figure 22. Sample of Housing Stock in the Downtown Moab Area

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My Map 2018 USA Average Household Income

Block Group

$ 145,300 396,500

$ 101,700 145,300

$ 58,200 101,700

$ 14,600 58,200

$ 0 14,600

600ft

Note: Demographic information provided in this section is based on the ESRI database and Living Atlas information.

Above outlined results are inclusive of downtown prject area and surrounding area.

Average Household Income

As reported in the ESRI database, the City of Moab has a total of 2,370 households, with an average household income of $64,331 annually (figure 23 & 24), roughly 2.5% below the State of Utah average annual household income of $65,977. The City of Moab’s average household income is not enough to allow for the purchase of a house selling at current transaction prices. Nor is this income enough to compensate for the City of Moab’s cost of living, which is 6.3% higher than the state average (due to higher costs for health care, utilities, homes and consumables).

Figure 24. Average Household Income in the City of Moab, by Income Bracket

Figure 23. Average Household Income for Downtown Moab and Surrounding Area, 2018

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My Map

2018 USA

Clothing/Accessory Store Market Opportunity

Block Group Demand Greatly Exceeds Supply Demand Exceeds Supply Relatively Balanced Market Supply Exceeds Demand Supply Greatly Exceeds Demand

600ft

Note: Demographic information provided in this section is based on the ESRI database and Living Atlas information. Above outlined results are inclusive of downtown prject area and surrounding area.

Average Clothing and Accessory Spending

The downtown project area includes numerous locations that fit into the clothing and accessories spending category. These businesses occupy a large percentage of the retail spaces within the downtown corridor. ESRI mapping shows a market surplus in UT Block Group 2004, which encompasses the core blocks of Main Street and a lack of retail opportunity for clothing and accessories in UT Block Groups 2001 & 2002 (figure 25). The concentration of all clothing and retail expenditures within a core area limits market expansion into surrounding corridors and the equitable distribution of services along the entire Main Street corridor.

It should be noted that the block groups vary greatly in their market opportunity (leakage/surplus) score. The leakage/surplus information outlines two distinct areas within the community. The first area is UT Block Group 2004, which is primarily dedicated to the tourism and visitor industry. The second area is UT Block Groups 2001 & 2002, both of which are dedicated primarily to residential services. The varied opportunities presented in these groups shows a segregated business distribution with minimal to no crossover events.

Figure 25. Average Spending on Clothing and Accessories for Downtown Moab and Surrounding Area, 2018

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My Map 2018 USA Food Spending (Away from Home)

Block Group $5,810 $14,840 per year, per household $4,150 $5,810 per year, per household $2,480 $4,150 per year, per household $820 $2,480 per year, per household $0 $820 per year, per household

600ft

Note: Demographic information provided in this section is based on the ESRI database and Living Atlas information. Above outlined results are inclusive of downtown prject area and surrounding area.

Average Spengind on Food Away From Home

The availability of dining options for various occasions and tastes is critical to ensuring that a downtown corridor is economically thriving. An above-average amount of spending on meals away from home occurs in the City of Moab census blocks. Figure 27 shows the average dollar figures attributed to four food away from home purchase categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack (figure 27).

Compared to the national average, residents within the three UT Block Groups spend, on average 11% more annually on the four meal categories. While specific meal restaurant types and dollars per meal are not available, the average spending on meals away from home reflects a culture that will support and encourage additional restaurant or dining options within the downtown.

Figure 26. Average Spending on Food Away from Home for Downtown Moab and Surrounding Area, 2018

Figure 27. Spending on Food Away from Home, by Meal Category, for Utah Blocks 2001, 2002 and 2004

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My Map 2018 USA Retail Goods Spending

Block Group $36,350 $94,980 per year, per household $26,000 $36,350 per year, per household $15,650 $26,000 per year, per household $5,300 $15,650 per year, per household $0 $5,300 per year, per household

600ft

Note: Demographic information provided in this section is based on the ESRI database and Living Atlas information. Above outlined results are inclusive of downtown prject area and surrounding area.

Average Spending - Retail

Figure 28 and Figure 29 show average household spending on retail goods in UT Block Groups 2001, 2002 and 2004. While tourists and visitors may be responsible for much of the spending in UT Block Group 2004, average retail spending for the downtown project area is $16,913.33, or 26.23% of the average household income in the City of Moab. This percentage is lower than the national average of $21,852.

Figure 28 - Average Retail Spending for Downtown Moab and Surrounding Area, 2018

Figure 29. Retail Spending per Household for Utah Blocks 2001, 2002 and 2004 Compared with National Average

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My Map 2018 USA Retail Opportunity

Block Group Demand Greatly Exceeds Supply Demand Exceeds Supply Relatively Balanced Market Supply Exceeds Demand Supply Greatly Exceeds Demand

600ft

Note: Demographic information provided in this section is based on the ESRI database and Living Atlas information. Above outlined results are inclusive of downtown prject area and surrounding area.

Retail Opportunity

Similar to the clothing/accessory’s opportunity information is the overall retail information for UT block 2001, 2002 & 2004. Retail purchases that are considered for this map include all non-food or service industry purchases. The information outlined in figure 30-31 outline two distinct areas within the downtown corridors of Moab. These areas are as follows:

(1) a main street core with strong retail establishments, primarily serving visitors, demonstrated by a retail supply that outpaces demand (surplus) and (2) surrounding corridors that are ready for potential development as evident by their leakage. These distinct areas provide a snapshot of town and the unique characteristics that make up the current downtown corridor within Moab.

Figure 30 - Retail Opportunity for Downtown Moab and Surrounding Area, 2018

Figure 31. Graphical Explanation of Market Leakage and Saturation

Chapter 2: Existing Conditions

Introduction

The downtown core of Moab has a diverse and eclectic mixture of amenities to serve visitors and residents.

It is this mixture that places a priority on visitor related businesses that prompted city officials to create a downtown plan with a more appropriately balanced downtown corridor. Throughout the process of creating a unified vision, it is important to clearly outline all of the constraints and attributes of the downtown area that must be addressed to meet the desired vision. While the downtown business core has many attributes that support the overall community vision for the area, several characteristics make it difficult to create the multiple-use downtown that Moab residents want. Below are the findings from a detailed review of the existing conditions in Moab’s downtown core.

2.1 Transportation

Vehicle Traffic

Traffic Volume

The downtown Moab commercial area is bisected by Main Street (US-191), which is a five-lane road designed to move traffic through town. The highest traffic volumes on Main Street occur in downtown between 100 South and 300 South. The City of Moab has more than 1 million visitors a year who come for recreation, and the traffic volumes on Main Street have a high seasonal variability. The average daily volume in May, for example, is more than twice that of January (figure 30).

The average daily traffic volume, however, is still below the peak seasonal days. On memorial Day weekend, for example, traffic volumes grow to over 26,000 in a single day. Volumes that high show that Main Street is congested and that vehicles are forced to drive slowly through downtown Moab. The average speed of traffic flow through the Main Street corridor is only 19 Mph with a posted speed limit of 30 Mph.

Truck Traffic

Main Street also has a high volume of truck traffic. Between 30% and 45% of all traffic consist of large trucks, which translates into 7,000 to 8,000 trucks on peak days. This is a disproportionally high percentage compared to other state corridors, and all these trucks are driving US-191 through the heart of downtown Moab.

Compared to Main Street, side streets carried far fewer vehicles. All other streets in the study area carry fewer than 8,000 vehicle a day during the peak travel period. The east/west roads 100 North and Center Street have fewer than 4,000 vehicle a day during peak travel periods. The maps (figure 34 and 35) show the January off-peak and May peak daily traffic in downtown Moab.

Figure 32. Average Daily Traffic Volume on Main Street, by Number of Vehicles, 2018

Figure 33. Truck Traffic Along Main Street

Figure 34. Off-Peak Traffic in Downtown Moab, by Number of Vehicles Figure 35. Peak Traffic in Downtown Moab, by Number of Vehicles

Safety

Five years of crash data--from January 1, 2013, through February 28, 201--were analyzed to determine whether any overall safety concerns or specific areas in the study area needed to be addressed. The data also were used to calculate a safety index value for Main Street north of Center Street. The results of the analysis showed that 167 crashes occurred on that stretch of roadway during the five-year period, resulting in a safety index value of 4.5 out of 10. That is fewer than 1 crash every 11 days for the reviewed time period. No fatalities occurred in any of the crashes, though injuries were sustained in the four crashes involving pedestrians. Figure 36 shows the reported crash locations for the reporting period.

Speed Limits

The posted speed limit on Main Street/US-89/SR 191 is 30 mph. The 30 mph speed limit zone starts just north of the study area, where the speed is 45 mph to 30 mph. This 33% change in speed results in an abrupt drop in speed limit for southbound traffic, resulting in a large number of vehicles that do not slow down appropriately. Main Street is a controlled by the Utah Department of Transportation and all proposed speed limit changes are subject to formal review from these agencies. The speed limit on all other downtown streets is posted as 25 mph. These streets are controlled and reviewed by the City of Moab.

Signals

Traffic signals are located on Main Street at the intersections of 100 North, Center Street, 100 South, 200 South, and 300 South. These signals were installed and are controlled by UDOT. The traffic signals are on a coordinated system designed to reduce overall traffic delays as much as possible. All traffic signals within the project area do not have a left turn arrow and do not allow for turn phasing. Left turn signals are not used at these intersections because of the heavy traffic volume on Main Street and the need to keep traffic moving north/south, versus the few numbers of vehicles that desire to turn left onto the cross-streets.

Signals along Main Street also pedestrians to cross the street safely. When pedestrians push the crosswalk button, a white walk signal is displayed, and the crossing cycle is adjusted to give the pedestrian enough time to cross the street safely.

Pedestrian Traffic

An effective transportation network includes more than just streets and vehicle traffic. Needed also are sidewalks, trails and crosswalks that accommodate pedestrians and alternative modes of transportation.

In downtown Moab, a pedestrian network is especially important given the volume of pedestrian traffic.

Downtown hotels, restaurants, and shops attract hundreds of people every day that walk on the sidewalks and crosswalks within the Main S treet corridor.

Figure 36. Crashes in Downtown Moab, by Type, 2013-2018

As part of the existing conditions review, the consulting team conducted intersection counts at multiple locations throughout the corridor. These counts included pedestrian movements across Main Street and side streets. Pedestrians can only cross Main Street and the side streets when the crosswalk button has been pushed and pedestrian actuation has been triggered at the signal. The consulting team used pedestrian actuation data downloaded from UDOT’s ATSPM website to calculate the average number of peak daily pedestrian crossings at traffic signals in Downtowm Moab (http://udottraffic.utah.gov/atspm/). A map of these crossing numbers is outlined in figure 38.

As shown in Figure 38, a significant number of pedestrian crossings occurred at all Main Street intersections along the road’s north/south axis and on Center Street along that road’s east/west axis. For example, 1,270 crossings occurred at the intersection of Main Street and East [or should it be West] 200 South Street and 1,160 crossings at the intersection of Main Street and Center Street. These pedestrian crossing numbers are important because pedestrians who are in the crosswalk or street right-of-way are the ones most exposed to pedestrian/vehicular conflicts. Pedestrians on sidewalks and the Millcreek Trail are separated from vehicles.

Bicycles

Biking, specifically mountain biking, is one of the main recreational activities in the City of Moab and a primary reason why people come to visit the area. The world-class trails in Grand County attract residents and visitors, many of whom can be seen biking on the roadways and sidewalks of downtown Moab. The consulting team observed cyclists on the Millcreek Trail and using the bike lanes on 100 West (figure 37), which are designed for the safety of cyclists. Our team also observed many cyclists on sidewalks and in crosswalks, which are areas that cyclists are not allowed to use.

While our team has documented these movement it does not have good counts of bicycle traffic in downtown. The only publicly available data comes from Strava, a mobile app that tracks cycling, running and other activities using GPS data. Because the data come only from people who use the app, only a small sample of bicycle trips is captured; however, the data do show the general areas where people like to ride.

The latest Strava data is from 2017. More information about Strava data can be found at https://www.

strava.com/heatmap#7.00/-120.90000/38.36000/hot/all.

Figure 38. Approximate Number of Pedestrian Crossings at Main Street Intersections in a Sample 24-Hour Period

Figure 37. A Cyclist Uses the Bike Lane on 100 West in Downtown Moab.

Strava’s recorded bicycle rides in downtown Moab for 2017 are shown in Figure 39. Main Street (which has on-street parking) truck traffic congested travel lanes that do not accommodate bikes well, records the most rides (or the highest bicycle traffic). In second place is 100 West. The street has dedicated bike lanes yet only half the number of rides recorded on Main Street.

Inadequate bicycle parking along corridors within the Downtown Plan area can be an issue wbecause the available bike racks on downtown sidewalks are temporary, prompting some riders to chain their bikes to poles, trees, and other objects (figure 40)

Parking

Parking within the Downtown Plan area was the number one issue our consulting team heard during the comprehensive community input process; specifically the online surveys and open house meetings (figure 41). People were most concerned about preserving the parallel parking on Main Street, a UDOT road.

Main Street has 139 on-street parallel parking spaces and 874 total free public parking stalls in the Downtown Plan project area. Only 16% of the free public parking in downtown is on Main Street, even though these are the most sought-after spaces due to their proximity to amenities. Main Street is home to several restaurants and businesses that do not provide their own parking or have private lots; therefore. all their staff and patrons seek public parking where available, creating areas of high demand around popular destinations.

Figure 39. Strava-Recorded Bicycle Rides in Downtown Moab, 2017

Figure 40. Bicycle Chained to a Site Amenity in Downtown Moab

Figure 41. Results for Question 2 from Survey No. 1

Figure 42. Downtown Parking Map Locations Map

Downtown Moab has a total of 276 legally striped angled public parking , with some of those stalls available on every street except Main Street. All angled parking stalls are front-in loading stalls, a design that causes potential conflict points for pedestrians, vehicles and alternative modes of transportation (figure 42).

Understand the balance between available parking and demand is important to the long-term economic success of the downtown area. To understand this relationship, our consulting team completed a detailed analysis of which spaces are most commonly occupied and how often vehicules are parked. This information was used to formulate parking recommendations for the downtown project area. As part of another study that Avenue Consultants recently completed, we have collected data on parking duration during peak hour for on-street parking downtown.

Figure 44 below shows that parking demand is concentrated around the intersection of Main Street and Center Street. Parking occupancy rates decreases as distance from that intersection increases. In addition to parking demand, Avenue consultants studied the average duration of parking users within the corridor.

Duration for specific locations is outlined in fgure 43.

Figure 43. Downtown Parking Duration Graph, By location

Streetscape

Streetscapes are how visitors and residents interact with Main Street businesses and transportation systems.

Knowing the importance of this space and the feeling or perception that it provides users is vital to provide an attractive and inviting atmosphere while maintaining the efficient flow of traffic. Downtown Moab is currently utilizing multiple styles of streetscape amenities within the downtown core area, providing for a differential feel for site users that is negatively affecting the use of retail establishments within the corridor.

The applicable site infrastructure systems that will make up the downtown core are vital to providing a balanced pedestrian and vehicular transportation system within this civic space. Ensuring that both current and future transportation needs are met, our team completed a comprehensive review of the existing conditions of aboveground basic infrastructure systems within the downtown corridor. Infrastructure systems analyzed in the following sections include:

The current conditions of these items varies. Information below is broken down by categories and structured as an outline of the current conditions witnessed within the Downtown Plan project area during multiple site visits in 2018.

Sidewalks

Currently sidewalk surfaces within the project area vary in condition, color, surface texture and accessibility. Sidewalks are primarily constructed of concrete with a smooth broom finish for non-slip surfaces, but the following materials are also utilized; bituminous asphalt, concrete pavers and stamped concrete. Currently the majority of sidewalk surfaces are in acceptable condition (flat and slip resistant), yet in some areas, the surfaces are not compliant with ADA standards or city requirements for appropriate pedestrian use. During site visits to the downtown, many unsafe surface areas casued due to lack of required maintenance from wear and tear of ordinary use.

In addition to deteriorated sidewalk surfacee, some portions of sidewalks within the project area are currently cracked, shifting or have an artificially increased height to provide appropriate access for buildings (Figure 45 & 46). These conditions are causing potential trip hazards, detracting from the overall use of the sidewalks.