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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA031 - Staff Report on Pedestrian Crossing along Lincoln Way at South RussellITEM #:33 DEPT:PW June 23, 2026 Staff Report PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ALONG LINCOLN WAY AT SOUTH RUSSELL BACKGROUND: At the April 28, 2026, City Council meeting, the Council received a memo from Damion Pregitzer, Traffic Engineering Manager, in the non-agenda packet regarding pedestrian crossing along Lincoln Way at South Russell. A copy of this memo is attached to this staff report. This memo was a response to the Council's request for potential crossing improvements following a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on February 18, 2026. At the April 28 City Council meeting, staff was directed to place this item on a future agenda and to include additional information regarding CyRide bus stops along the corridor. CyRide Bus Stops CyRide operates transit service in both directions on the Lincoln Way corridor with multiple stops between University Boulevard and Grand Avenue (see attached map). There are four stops for westbound transit and three stops for eastbound transit. The table below indicates annual ridership activity for the last full fiscal year (FY 2025) at each stop: Stop Boardings Alightings Total Activity** N Russell (Westbound)2,115 341 2,456 N Hazel (Westbound)*1,505 513 2,018 N Maple (Westbound)5,252 252 5,504 N Oak (Westbound)*3,491 1,309 4,800 S Oak (Eastbound)*1,727 7,422 9,149 S Hazel (Eastbound)*531 3,425 3,956 S Russell (Eastbound)531 3,171 3,702 *CyRide stop adjacent to Enhanced Pedestrian Crossing Infrastructure (traffic signal) ** Total Activity reflects the combined number of boardings and alightings. Boardings and alightings should both be considered when evaluating stop activity, as riders often board in one direction and alight in the opposite direction, depending on trip purpose and destination. CyRide transit stop locations along Lincoln Way are intended to balance rider accessibility, operational efficiency, and stop spacing throughout the corridor. The ridership data indicates substantial activity at all stop locations throughout the corridor, including locations both adjacent to and separate from signalized crossings. 1 OPTIONS: The April 28, 2026 memo to Council highlighted several options, which are repeated below, along with an additional option related to CyRide bus stop locations. Option 1 – Continue Implementation of the Walk Bike Roll Plan Under this option, the City would continue to implement pedestrian crossing improvements based on the existing prioritization framework established in the Walk Bike Roll Plan. This includes advancing projects identified in the High and Med-High priority tiers as funding allows, while addressing other locations through the Plan’s established phasing approach. Under this option, South Russell is not identified as a high priority crossing and as such any improvements made would follow the prioritization that was identified in the Walk Bike Roll Plan. Those improvements would include, higher visibility markings, advanced signage, pedestrian refuge, and evaluation of pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB's). The timing of these improvement would depend upon first completing higher ranking priorities within the Walk Bike Roll Plan. The Plan also contemplates periodic updates, which provide an opportunity to incorporate new information, including changes in traffic conditions, pedestrian activity, and safety data, and to adjust priorities through a comprehensive and consistent process. This approach maintains consistency with the City’s adopted policy framework and supports the equitable allocation of limited resources across the community by focusing investment on locations identified as the highest priority through the planning process. However, this approach would not result in near-term changes at this specific location. Option 2 – Evaluate Increased Lighting Standards Under this option, the City would evaluate whether enhanced roadway lighting or pedestrian- scale lighting standards should be developed for arterial street crossings. This would include defining what an enhanced lighting treatment would consist of, evaluating associated costs, and identifying how such a standard could be applied across similar crossing locations citywide. This approach could improve visibility for both drivers and pedestrians, particularly during nighttime conditions like those present at the time of the accident. Compared to more substantial crossing improvements, lighting enhancements may represent a lower-cost, faster implementation strategy and could be repeated more broadly across corridors with similar characteristics. The estimated cost per location is in the magnitude of $10,000 - $20,000. Establishing and applying enhanced lighting standards would require additional analysis and funding to implement the necessary improvements. While improved lighting may increase visibility, it may not fully address other factors influencing pedestrian safety at arterial crossings, such as driver yielding behavior, traffic speeds, or the availability of controlled crossing opportunities. In addition, significantly increasing lighting levels at select crossings may create conflicts with the City’s dark sky ordinance and could result in concerns from adjacent residential properties 2 where such treatments are implemented. Option 3 – Evaluate Increased Crossing Treatment Standards Under this option, the City would evaluate whether pedestrian crossing treatments along arterial corridors such as Lincoln Way should be enhanced beyond what is currently assumed in the Walk Bike Roll Plan. This could include consideration of treatments such as pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), signals, or other measures at locations that may not have been previously identified for higher-level improvements. Estimated costs for PHBs are in the $250,000 - $300,000 magnitude. This approach could provide more direct safety benefits at specific crossing locations by increasing driver awareness and improving opportunities for pedestrians to cross higher- volume roadways. It is also generally consistent with the range of treatment options identified in the Plan, though it may involve applying those treatments more broadly or at lower thresholds than originally contemplated in the Walk Bike Roll Plan. Enhanced crossing treatments at arterial locations represent a significant investment and may require reevaluation of priorities across multiple locations to maintain consistency with available funding. In addition, certain treatments, particularly signalized or beacon-controlled crossings, may have impacts on traffic operations and the environment, and would require further analysis to determine appropriateness at specific locations. It should be noted that enhanced crossing treatments would not include the use of Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). The use of these treatments has been suggested in several communications regarding this accident. Current guidance would not recommend their use on a multi-lane arterial street without additional considerations for pedestrian refuge. Option 4 – Evaluate Transit Stop Spacing and Pedestrian Access There are seven (7) CyRide stop locations in the Lincoln Way corridor between University Blvd and Grand Avenue. Three (3) of those locations are not adjacent to existing traffic signals that provide for enhanced crossing opportunities. Under this option, the City could evaluate whether consolidating or relocating selected stop locations would increase the percentage of transit riders accessing service near existing enhanced crossing infrastructure and whether such changes would support the safety objectives identified in the Walk Bike Roll plan. Consolidating or relocating CyRide stops, as contemplated in Option 4, may affect riders’ accessibility and alter established travel patterns. While transit stop locations may influence where some riders access service, it is unclear whether stop consolidation would meaningfully alter pedestrian crossing behavior or significantly reduce pedestrian activity at a particular location. Riders may continue to cross Lincoln Way depending on their origin, destination, and direction of travel, even if stop locations are modified. As a result, transit stop relocation should be considered only one of many factors when evaluating pedestrian safety along the corridor. CyRide has not identified an operational need to consolidate or relocate stops within this corridor at this time, and any reduction in transit accessibility would need to be weighed against the uncertain effect such changes could have on pedestrian safety. Additionally, it is unclear whether stop consolidation would result in a measurable improvement in pedestrian safety or meaningfully address the circumstances associated with this location. 3 STAFF COMMENTS: This accident at Lincoln Way and South Russell Avenue highlights the challenges associated with pedestrian crossings along high-volume arterial corridors, particularly in locations where crossing demand exists, and enhanced crossing infrastructure may not be readily available at every intersection. The Walk Bike Roll Plan identifies these conditions at a citywide transportation system level and establishes a prioritized, phased approach to addressing them within available funding constraints. The Lincoln Way and Russell intersection was not identified as a priority location under the Plan’s current framework. If the City Council choses to continue implementation of the existing Plan in Option 1, staff would proceed with advancing identified priority projects as funding allows through the City’s annual Capital Improvement Plan process. The Plan reflects prior safety and operational analysis, as well as extensive public input, and is intended to guide investment decisions across the transportation system. Under this approach, no additional action specific to this location would be taken at this time. Staff recommends that any changes to crossing treatment levels or project prioritization be considered systematically to maintain consistency across the City with the adopted Plan and ensure a balanced allocation of resources. Options 2 and 3 would represent potential changes to the assumptions, priorities, or implementation approach established in the Plan. Future updates to the Walk Bike Roll Plan provide an opportunity to incorporate new safety information and reevaluate priorities. As part of that process, additional emphasis could be placed on pedestrian crossings along arterial corridors. ATTACHMENT(S): D. Pregitzer - N Russell Pedestrian Crash 4-28-26.pdf Lincoln Way Corridor Map - University to Grand.pdf 4 MEMO To: Mayor and City Council From: Damion Pregitzer, P.E. PTOE, Traffic Engineering Manager Date: 4/28/2026 Subject: Pedestrian Crossing Evaluation – Lincoln Way at South Russell Avenue BACKGROUND: On February 28, 2026, the City Council referred to staff a request to evaluate potential pedestrian crossing improvements at the intersection of Lincoln Way and South Russell Avenue following a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on February 18, 2026. Additional referral requests included outreach to an Iowa State student group to coordinate potential improvements as identified by that group. Following the Council referral, staff reached out to the identified Iowa State student group on multiple occasions to better understand the proposal. As of the date of this memo, staff has not received a response. The crash occurred during evening hours (8:01 PM) under dark conditions and involved a westbound motorcycle and a pedestrian crossing north–south across Lincoln Way at Russell Avenue. The location is a two-way stop-controlled intersection along an arterial street with nearby CyRide stops. The intersection is unsignalized and does not include enhanced pedestrian crossing treatments. Staff delayed formal evaluation until the crash details were available through the Iowa DOT to ensure that all available information could be considered. At this time, it is the consensus of law enforcement that the dark lighting conditions were the primary contributing factor. Speeding and impairment do not appear to be factors in this crash. WALK BIKE ROLL AMES PLAN CONTEXT: Plan Priorities The Walk Bike Roll Plan identifies Lincoln Way as part of a broader network of arterial corridors that present high-stress pedestrian crossing conditions due to traffic volumes, speeds, and roadway width. While this corridor is recognized as challenging for pedestrian crossings, the Plan prioritizes improvements based on a citywide evaluation of factors such as traffic stress, proximity to destinations, and network connectivity (see Prioritized Crossing Projects map). Within the segment of Lincoln Way between Grand Avenue and University Boulevard, no pedestrian crossing improvements were identified in the High or Med-High priority tiers. As such, this location was not included among the implementation priorities established 5 in the Plan. This is due, in part, to the presence of signalized intersections within this segment, which provide controlled crossing opportunities. The Walk Bike Roll Plan identifies 108 crossing improvement locations citywide, with an estimated total cost of approximately $22.5 million. As part of the Plan’s completion, it was acknowledged that available funding would only allow implementation of High priority and a portion of Med-High priority projects over a 15- to 20-year period. It should be noted that the $22.5 million is part of the $101.9 million in overall identified needs (see Funding Plan). The current City policy is to average at least $1.2 million per year for non-motorized improvements. Enhanced pedestrian crossings along multilane arterial corridors such as Lincoln Way represent significant infrastructure investments, often on the order of $250,000 per location, depending on the treatment applied. Constructing enhanced crossings at every such location may not be feasible given funding and operational constraints of the roadway. Given these funding limitations, the Plan establishes a framework for prioritizing improvements over time. Citywide Systematic Transportation Approach The Walk Bike Roll Plan is intended to guide a phased and equitable approach to pedestrian and bicycle improvements across the community. The prioritization process was developed using a consistent set of criteria and informed by extensive community engagement, including public input, stakeholder outreach, and participation from a steering committee. This process was used to identify and rank locations with the greatest demonstrated need. While the recent crash raises important concerns at this location, reconsideration of priorities or treatment levels should be evaluated within the context of the broader transportation system. Implementing isolated improvements outside of this framework may create inconsistencies in project selection and may not reflect the priorities established through the community-driven planning process. The Plan is intended to be updated periodically, and future updates provide an opportunity to incorporate new safety information, including crash trends and observed conditions, and to reevaluate priorities through a comprehensive and consistent process. OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION: Based upon the background and prior planning efforts noted above, the City Council has several options to consider: Option 1 – Continue Implementation of the Walk Bike Roll Plan Under this option, the City would continue to implement pedestrian crossing improvements based on the existing prioritization framework established in the Walk Bike 6 Roll Plan. This includes advancing projects identified in the High and Med-High priority tiers as funding allows, while addressing other locations through the Plan’s established phasing approach. The Plan also contemplates periodic updates, which provide an opportunity to incorporate new information, including changes in traffic conditions, pedestrian activity, and safety data, and to adjust priorities through a comprehensive and consistent process. This approach maintains consistency with the City’s adopted policy framework and supports the equitable allocation of limited resources across the community by focusing investment on locations identified as the highest priority through the planning process. However, this approach would not result in near-term changes at this specific location. Option 2 – Evaluate Increased Lighting Standards Under this option, the City would evaluate whether enhanced roadway lighting or pedestrian-scale lighting standards should be developed for arterial street crossings. This would include defining what an enhanced lighting treatment would consist of, evaluating associated costs, and identifying how such a standard could be applied across similar crossing locations citywide. This approach could improve visibility for both drivers and pedestrians, particularly during nighttime conditions like those present at the time of the accident. Compared to more substantial crossing improvements, lighting enhancements may represent a lower-cost, faster implementation strategy and could be repeated more broadly across corridors with similar characteristics. The estimated cost per location is in the magnitude of $10,000 - $20,000. Establishing and applying enhanced lighting standards would require additional analysis and funding to implement the necessary improvements. While improved lighting may increase visibility, it may not fully address other factors influencing pedestrian safety at arterial crossings, such as driver yielding behavior, traffic speeds, or the availability of controlled crossing opportunities. In addition, significantly increasing lighting levels at select crossings may create conflicts with the City’s dark sky ordinance and could result in concerns from adjacent residential properties where such treatments are implemented. Option 3 – Evaluate Increased Crossing Treatment Standards Under this option, the City would evaluate whether pedestrian crossing treatments along arterial corridors such as Lincoln Way should be enhanced beyond what is currently assumed in the Walk Bike Roll Plan. This could include consideration of treatments such as pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs), signals, or other measures at locations that may not have been previously identified for higher-level improvements. Estimated costs for PHB’s are in the $250,000 - $300,000 magnitude. 7 This approach could provide more direct safety benefits at specific crossing locations by increasing driver awareness and improving opportunities for pedestrians to cross higher- volume roadways. It is also generally consistent with the range of treatment options identified in the Plan, though it may involve applying those treatments more broadly or at lower thresholds than originally contemplated in the Walk Bike Roll plan. Enhanced crossing treatments at arterial locations represent a significant investment and may require reevaluation of priorities across multiple locations to maintain consistency with available funding. In addition, certain treatments, particularly signalized or beacon- controlled crossings, may have impacts on traffic operations and the environment, and would require further analysis to determine appropriateness at specific locations. It should be noted that enhanced crossing treatments would not include the use of Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). The use of these treatments has been suggested in several communications regarding this accident. Current guidance would not recommend their use on a multi-lane arterial street without additional considerations for pedestrian refuge. STAFF COMMENTS: This accident at Lincoln Way and South Russell Avenue highlights the challenges associated with pedestrian crossings along high-volume arterial corridors, particularly in locations where crossing demand exists, and enhanced crossing infrastructure may not be readily available at every intersection. The Walk Bike Roll Plan identifies these conditions at a citywide transportation system level and establishes a prioritized, phased approach to addressing them within available funding constraints. The Lincoln Way and Russell intersection was not identified as a priority location under the Plan’s current framework. If the City Council choses to continue implementation of the existing Plan, staff would proceed with advancing identified priority projects as funding allows through the City’s annual Capital Improvement Plan process. The Plan reflects prior safety and operational analysis, as well as extensive public input, and is intended to guide investment decisions across the transportation system. Under this approach, no additional action specific to this location would be taken at this time. Staff recommends that any changes to crossing treatment levels or project prioritization be considered systematically to maintain consistency across the City with the adopted Plan and ensure a balanced allocation of resources. Options 2 and 3 would represent potential changes to the assumptions, priorities, or implementation approach established in the Plan. Should the City Council wish to pursue any of these options, placing this item on a future agenda would allow staff to return with a staff report and facilitate additional discussion with Council to define the scope of work necessary to evaluate the impacts of those potential changes. 8 Future updates to the Walk Bike Roll Plan provide an opportunity to incorporate new safety information and reevaluate priorities. As part of that process, additional emphasis could be placed on pedestrian crossings along arterial corridors. 9 CyRide Bus Stops Enhance Pedestrian Crossings M© City of Ames, Iowa makes no warranties, expressed or implied, including without limitation, any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall the City of Ames be liable for lost profits or any consequential or incidental damages caused by the use of this map. 1:6,992 Lincoln Way Corridor - University Blvd to Grand Ave 10