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Abstract for presentation (Poster or Podium) with a Paper in the Conference Proceedings

Sustainable Transportation & Urban Development

Evaluating the Feasibility of Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities in Frederick County Government

Sunday, June 16, 2024

3:00 PM - 4:15 PM ET

Room: Galleria

Primary Author(s)

Mark Mishler

Transportation Engineering Supervisor
Frederick County Government
Frederick, MD, United States

Co-Author(s)

Mahmoud Arafat, PhD

Senior Traffic Engineer
Prince William County
Woodbridge, VA, United States

Presenter(s)

Mahmoud Arafat, PhD

Senior Traffic Engineer
Prince William County
Woodbridge, VA, United States

Submitter(s)

MA

Mahmoud Arafat, PhD

Frederick County Government
Frederick, Maryland, United States

Abstract: Transportation agencies nationwide have been shifting towards strategic planning goals to reduce automobile dependence and promote a diverse and sustainable multimodal system. With the increased government funding for pedestrian and bicycle transportation, a resulting increase in shared-use pathways, pedestrian infrastructure, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks has been recognized across the United States. It is indeed important for state agencies, local municipalities, and governments to develop research studies to address the overall feasibility, design, and operational issues of such facilities. Integrating diversity in the transportation modes such as transit, pedestrian, bicycling and ADA-accessible facilities has been one of the main focuses of Frederick County Government.

The primary objective of this study is to analyze and investigate the feasibility of potential routes in the County for improved shared-use path corridors. This paper evaluates a case study of multiple alternatives for shared-use facilities along a north-south alignment between the City of Frederick and Urbana District Park. The study considered a number of facility types, both on-road and off-road, and ultimately moved forward with an analysis of a separated shared-use path facility. Two final alignment alternatives for the proposed shared use path were compared including several preliminary options. Feasibility level construction cost estimates for both alternatives were developed based on a cost-per-mile estimate with major infrastructure including bridge structures, retaining walls, and environmental impacts within a conservative limit of disturbance. Additional consideration was given to potential design minimization alternatives that could be considered as part of future design efforts to reduce the cost of construction. Transportation researchers and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) community are believed to be benefitting from this study

Learning Objectives:

Attendees can expect to learn the following from this session:

Upon completion of the session, participants will be able to conduct a comparative analysis between two alternative alignments for shared-use path facilities.
Participants will be able to calculate the cost estimates for two scenarios of shared-use path facilities and identify the most feasible alternative.
Participants will be able to evaluate four elements that include facility design, structures, environmental resources, and transportation improvements for shared-use paths.
Local municipalities and state agencies will be able to conduct feasibility studies for sustainable transportation and urban development.