2019-005 Hickory Street Bicycle LanesDate: January 11, 2019 Report No. 2019-005
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: Hickory Street Bikcycle Lanes
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The city’s bicycle plan, Update to the Pedestrian and Bicycle
Linkage Component of the Denton Mobility Plan (Feb. 2012), calls for a bicycle lane along the
length of Hickory Street (from Bonnie Brae on the west to Carroll Blvd on the east). Currently,
bicycle lanes have been striped along Hickory Street with the exception of a stretch between
Avenue B and Welch Street. Given the existing right-of-way constraints, the installation of bike
lanes may result in loss of on-street parking in this two-block section. The merchants in the Fry
Street area strongly object to the removal of on-street parking to accommodate bicycle lanes.
City of Denton staff have worked with a bicycle and pedestrian planning consulting firm to
develop five distinct options for accommodating bicycle traffic in this area.
BACKGROUND:
The Hickory Street bike lane project was presented to the City Council for approval on June 20,
2017. At that meeting, representatives of the Fry/Hickory street merchants expressed concerns
regarding the loss of on-street parking that would result from installing bike lanes along Hickory
Street between Avenue B and Welch Street. Additionally, City staff was also working on the
Oak Gateway Area Plan (OGAP) which includes an assessment of existing parking and traffic
conditions in and around the Fry Street area. In summer 2017, the City Council directed staff to
conduct an additional analysis reviewing options/alternatives for the proposed bike lane. Also,
the City Council decided to wait for the completion of the OGAP study to implement the
recommended parking solutions in the Fry Street area along with the Hickory Street bike lanes.
Subsequently, traffic engineering staff engaged the services of a consultant to develop
options/alternatives for implementing bicycle infrastructure along Hickory Street between
Avenue B and Welch Street.
The approved City bicycle infrastructure plan, “Update to the Pedestrian and Bicycle Linkage
Component of the Denton Mobility Plan” (Feb. 2012) identifies the Hickory Street bike lanes as
a priority. Currently, Hickory Street between Bonnie Brae Street and Carroll Boulevard has a
bike lane on the south side of the pavement, except for the segment between Avenue B and
Welch Street. In the coming months, Denton City paving crews will begin the reconstruction and
repaving of Hickory Street between Avenue B and Welch Street. After the completion of the
reconstruction project, and prior to restriping, a decision must be made about how to
accommodate bicycle infrastructure along this segment of Hickory Street.
City staff worked with Alta Planning and Design, a nationally recognized firm with extensive
experience in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure planning to develop the following
options/alternatives for implementing bike infrastructure on Hickory Street between Avenue B
and Welch Street:
Date: January 11, 2019 Report No. 2019-005
Option 1: Install protected bike lane on the south side of Hickory Street by removing on-
street parking
Option 2: Install bike lane on the south side of Hickory Street by removing on-street
parking
Option 3: Install off-street bike path (adjacent to the existing sidewalk) on the south side
of Hickory Street.
Option 4: Remove a travel lane along Hickory Street between Avenue B and Welch
Street and replace it with a buffered bike lane.
Option 5: Install extensive traffic calming features and provide a shared bike/vehicle lane
along Hickory Street between Avenue B and Welch Street.
Table A: Alternative Comparison
OPT DESCRIPTION PARKING
LOST
COST
EST.
ADVANTAGES DIS-
ADVANTAGES
1 Remove parking on north side, add
parking protected bike lane with
flex posts on south side. Remove
parking on the south side from
Ave. A to Welch with striped
buffer
19 Spaces $99,000 Maintain
contiguous bike
lane through the
area on south
side.
Lose 19 on-street
parking spaces.
2 Remove parking on the south from
Avenue B to Welch and stripe bike
lane buffer
24 Spaces $83,000 Low cost Lose 24 on-street
parking spaces
3 Keep all on-street parking. Place
bike path behind curb with
adjacent sidewalk. Use UNT
property.
None $250,000 No parking loss. Ped/bike/bar-
patron crashes
possible. High
cost.
4 Remove a travel lane from Avenue
A to B and add parking protected
bike lane. (LEAST FEASIBLE
OPTION)
None $98,000 Keep parking
and have on-
street bike lane
Reduces Hickory
to one through
travel lane
(bottleneck).
5 Use markings and traffic calming
features to physically enforce 20
mph speed limit. Mix bikes & cars
in travel lanes, add mid-block
pedestrian crossings.
4-8
Spaces
$250,000 Preserves
parking, protects
pedestrians
May not slow
cars. Bicycles
exposed to
traffic. Less
desirable for
bicyclists.
Date: January 11, 2019 Report No. 2019-005
Staff have met with Fry Street business owners, cycling activists, and the general public at public
meetings to gather input about the proposed bicycle infrastructure. Based on their feedback, the
groups strongly advocated for the alternatives that best served the interests. The preferred
options/alternatives for business owners are three or five, both of which preserve on-street
parking. Option two, which preserves a seamless on-street bicycle lane from Bonnie Brae to
Carroll, is preferred by cycling advocates. Due to the loss of a travel lane, option four is not a
feasible alternative as Hickory Street is classified as a secondary arterial road that must have the
second travel lane to accommodate existing and future vehicular traffic.
Additionally, the OGAP recommends: Create a contiguous bike lane along Hickory Street.
(AREA1‐M2: Improve mobility in the area. Part d.) The OGAP recommends a contiguous bike
lane along Hickory Street and creation of parking benefit district to address parking concerns
which will also help offset the loss of on-street parking along Hickory Street.
CONCLUSION:
Based on the assessment of existing conditions and the review of all the options/alternatives, the
consultant recommends Option two which involves removal of parking and installation of the
bike lane on the south side of Hickory Street between Avenue B and Welch Street. From a traffic
engineering, overall mobility, and bike infrastructure connectivity perspective- option two is the
preferred option. The parking impacts (loss of 24 on-street parking spaces) could be mitigated by
implementing parking benefit district strategies recommended in the OGAP.
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Option 1: Install protected bike lane on the south side of Hickory Street by removing on-
street parking
2. Option 2: Install protected bike lane on the south side of Hickory Street by removing on-
street parking
3. Option 3: Install off-street bike path (adjacent to the existing sidewalk) on the south side
of Hickory Street.
4. Option 4: Remove a travel lane along Hickory Street between Avenue B and Welch
Street and replace it with a buffered bike lane.
5. Option 5: Install extensive traffic calming features and provide a shared bike/vehicle lane
along Hickory Street between Avenue B and Welch Street.
6. OGAP – Area 1, Mobility Goals
STAFF CONTACT:
Marc Oliphant
Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator
(940) 349-8954
marc.oliphant@cityofdenton.com
OPTION 1 (Ave B to Fry/A)
OPTION 1 (Fry/Ave A)
OPTION 1 (Welch)
OPTION 2 (Ave B)
OPTION 2 (Fry/Ave A)
OPTION 2 (Welch)
OPTION 3 (Ave B)
OPTION 3 (Fry/Ave A)
OPTION 3 (Welch)
OPTION 4 (Ave B)
OPTION 4 (Fry/Ave A)
OPTION 4 (Welch)
OPTION 5
(Ave B to
Fry/Ave A)
OPTION 5 (Fry/Ave A to Welch)
Colored/Decorative Pavement
https://crossroadsdecopave.com/
OPTION 5
Striped Shared Lane
Textured, Custom-Design Crosswalk
20 mph limit for both blocks
Bolt-down bulb-outs (do not affect drainage)
Rumble Strips
Speed Table
OPTION 5