Rochester, NY - Inner Loop Project Narrative

7/30/2019 Rochester, NY - Inner Loop Project Narrative

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HIGHWAY US DOT TIGERCITY OF ROCHESTER | MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK STATE

25TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

ROCHESTER URBAN AREA (UA)

TIGER GRANT FUNDS REQUESTED : $17, 700,000

JUNE 3, 2013

INNER LOOP EASTRECONSTRUCTION PROJECTREMOVE RESTORE RECONNECT REVITALIZ


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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

IINNER LOOP EAST RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INNER LOOP EAST RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................. 1

SECTION I: PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................... 3

SECTION II: PROJECT PARTIES .................................................................... 8

SECTION III: GRANT FUNDS AND SOURCES ................................................ 9

SECTION IV: SELECTION CRITERIA .............................................................. 10

A) Long-Term Outcomes ......................................................... 10

State o Good Repair ..................................................... 10

Economic Competitiveness .............................................. 13

Livability ....................................................................... 15

Sustainability ................................................................ 16

Saety .......................................................................... 17

Project Readiness .......................................................... 19

B) Innovation ....................................................................... 22

C) Partnership ...................................................................... 22

D) Results o Beneft - Cost Analysis......................................... 24

SECTION V: PLANNING APPROVALS, NEPA AND OTHER REVIEWS ............. 26

SECTION VI: FEDERAL WAGE RATE CERTIFICATION ..................................... 27

IN

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1INNER LOOP EAST RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

With broad-based community support, theCity o Rochester is seeking $17,700,000 inFY2013 TIGER Discretionary Grant unds tocomplete the Inner Loop East Reconstruction.

This project has been envisioned or morethan two decades, and ater years o careulplanning and design, the City and regionare now ready to bring it to ruition. The InnerLoop East Reconstruction Project ts the goalso the TIGER program and meets all o itsrequirements. This inrastructure investmentwill und a truly transormative project thatwill provide economic development andquality o lie benets to the City o Rochesterand the surrounding communities.

The Inner Loop Expressway encirclesthe City o Rochesters Central BusinessDistrict, cutting o the downtown area romadjacent vibrant and densely-populatedneighborhoods. This inecient grade-separated expressway is underutilizedby vehicular trac, stifes downtownredevelopment, and discourages greateruse o alternate modes o transportation. Inorder to encourage sustainable economic

growth and create a more livable, vibrantdowntown, Rochester plans to reconstruct asegment o the Inner Loop, rom thw west oMonroe Avenue to north o Charlotte Street,into a modern day complete street fankedby mixed-use redevelopment. The projectwill remove the early1960s expresswayinrastructure that is on the verge o requiringsubstantial investment, including 4,400 t. o

4 to 6 lanes o expressway and three ederal-aid bridges, two o which arestructurally-decient and in need o major rehabilitation. Additionally, theproject will enhance trac saety by re-establishing the original low speedtwo-way street grid and eliminating the high speed expressway acility

which contains numerous non-standard eatures (e.g. lack o shoulders) andnon-conorming eatures (e.g. ramp layouts). Ultimately the conversion romhigh speed to low speed acility will reduce the severity o accidents withinthe corridor, an important saety benet.

Simultaneously, the Inner Loop East Reconstruction will remove a signicanbarrier to redevelopment in the East End, one o Rochesters most importandowntown districts, and reconnect thriving east side neighborhoods with thedowntown area. The construction o an at-grade complete street supportingbicycle and pedestrian trac between these two areas o the city wilhelp create a more livable and walkable community, providing having

substantial social benets. (Design Alternative depicted on the ollowingpage.)

Completion o the project will strengthen existing development initiativeswithin the surrounding project area. Additional benets include openingroughly nine acres o new lands or mixed-use redevelopment and greenspace. For example, a key stakeholder and neighbor to the corridor, theStrong National Museum o Play, attracts over 600,000 national andinternational visitors annually (www.museumoplay.com), completed a$37 million expansion in 2007, and is now considering plans or urtherexpansion with the elimination o the Inner Loop. Redevelopment o these

lands will create jobs, grow the tax base, and generate private investment

Completing the transormation o this overbuilt highway into a high qualitycity street is critical to the continued evolution o this section o CenteCity. As evidence o the catalytic nature o this inrastructure investmentletters o interest rom many o the regions most prominent developers areincluded with this application. Endorsement letters may be viewed at wwwcityorochester.gov/innerloopsupport/.

Inner Loop with Frontage Roads, 10 to12 Lanes wide
http://www.museumofplay.com/http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://www.museumofplay.com/


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


DESIGN ALTERNATIVEReestablish Historic City Street Grid

UNION STREETSustainable Street with a Sense o Place


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I: PROJECT DESCRIPTION


PROJECT SPONSOR

City o Rochester, New York

PROJECT CONTACT

Highest Level Contact:

Mayor Thomas S. Richards

Primary Staff-Level Contact:

James R. McIntosh, City EngineerCity Hall, 30 Church St.Room 300BRochester, NY 14614Ph: (585) 428-6828Fx: (585) [email protected]

COST AND AMOUNT OFTIGER GRANT REQUEST

Total Project Cost:

$23,600,000

TIGER Grant Request:

$17,700,000

Inner Loop EastReconstruction Project

The project is located in the City o Rochester, a ederally-designatedEconomically Distressed City that is still struggling to recover rom the 2001recession. Employment levels in the Rochester Metropolitan Area remain 20,000jobs below their Year 2000 peak. Unemployment in the City o Rochester is wellabove the national average and the poverty rate is more than double that oNew York State and the nation as a whole.

The Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project is about capturing the opportunityto reconnect neighborhoods, spur economic development, and provide anappropriately-scaled, complete city street grid by eliminating an under-used

grade-separated, access-controlled expressway acility with its adjacent one-way rontage streets. The Rochester Inner Loop Expressway (NYS Route 940T) isa Federal Aid Principal Arterial on the National Highway System that comprisesan internal circulation ring around the Center City (See project location mapbelow).
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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The Inner Loop East is a our to sixlane divided expressway which iscomplemented with parallel two tothree lane one-way rontage streets.The rontage streets and the Inner Loop

are connected with entrance and exitslip ramps. This results in a acility thatin some places has as many as twelvetravel lanes and occupies a widthranging rom 182 eet to 355 eet (curbto curb). This section o the Inner Loopserves approximately 6,990 vehiclesper day just south o East Main Streetand 10,560 vehicles per day just northo Monroe Avenue/Chestnut Street.These volumes are better served by a

lesser acility, such as a high qualitycity street, which is more in contextwith the surrounding neighborhoodsand consistent with prior plans thatcall or the right-sizing o city streets.In act, the volume o trac carried bythe rontage roads is higher than thevolume o trac on portions o the InnerLoop expressway. Video o a typical

rush hour commute on the Inner Loop, available at www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopmultimedia/, shows little to no trac on this high-capacity roadway at thebusiest time o day.

PROJECT HISTORY

With the vehicle population explosion in and around the City o Rochester in the1930s and 1940s, the New York State Department o Transportation and the Cityo Rochester developed plans in the late 1940s or a network o boulevards andexpressways designed to reduce trac congestion on local city streets and improveaccess around the Center City. The Inner Loop Expressway was part o the newnetwork built in the late 1950s and early 1960s to better distribute trac throughand around downtown, connecting to I-490 and ultimately intended to completethe extension o I-390 to the Central Business District area. The construction othe Inner Loop necessitated the razing o businesses and homes on 149 parcelsresulting in a distressing eect on the surrounding neighborhoods.

As time passed, the I-390 extension to the CBD never came to ruition, halted bycommunity activists who had seen the deleterious eect expressways had on othecity neighborhoods. As a result, the Inner Loop has never handled the trac iwas built to serve. This, combined with the Citys population loss due to suburbansprawl (rom a peak o over 330,000 in 1950 to just over 210,000 in 2012has resulted in the overbuilt, under-utilized Inner Loop which exists today. Over thelast two decades, many plans and studies have been completed with the goao revitalizing the Center City and adjacent neighborhoods. Virtually all o theseplanning eorts have envisioned removal o some or all o the Inner Loop and

CITYS 2010 PLAN:

Reestablished Street Grid
http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopmultimedia.aspxhttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopmultimedia.aspxhttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopmultimedia.aspxhttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopmultimedia.aspx


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its replacement with a less-damaging,community-oriented street. These plansare summarized below:

The Inner Loop East area occupies someo the most valuable real estate in CenterCity. While it is currently underutilizedand underdeveloped, with careulplanning and a consistent, coordinatedeort, the opportunity exists to realizethe vision o a new town, downtown

that completes and reconnects thisportion o downtown to its adjacentneighborhoods. Within the southeastarea, connecting the East End (westside o Inner Loop rom Main Street toBroad Street), Upper East End (east side

o Inner Loop rom University to north o Caneld), Manhattan Square (west side oInner Loop rom Broad Street to Monroe Ave), Park Avenue, Monroe Village, andWadsworth Square districts is essential. Removing the southeast section o the InneLoop will nally make this vision possible. Studies have also identied land userecommendations or new development resulting rom the removal o this section othe Inner Loop, which are in harmony with the adjacent neighborhoods. The InneLoop East Reconstruction Project can truly redene the Rochester community.

PROJECT CHALLENGES AND OBJECTIVESIn its hal-century o existence, the Inner Loop has never carried the trac it was builto serve and is now widely viewed as a detriment to both the city and region. This

inecient grade-separated expressway serves as a barrier between DowntownRochester and adjacent densely-populated neighborhoods, stifing redevelopmenand discouraging greater use o alternate modes o transportation. The expresswayis out o context with the surrounding community, creates a number o unsaesituations that need to be addressed, and hinders the overall economic vitality o thearea. Further, two deteriorated bridges in the project area are in need o continuous

costly repairs to address structuradeciencies and are proposed oremoval through this project.

The Inner Loop East presents a

signicant barrier to pedestrian andbicycle mobility within the heart othe City o Rochester. Pedestrianaccess within the project limits romSouth Clinton Avenue to East MainStreet (one mile) is limited to jusour street crossings (i.e., MonroeAvenue, Broad Street, East Avenueand East Main Street) over the

Completion o the Inner Loop in the mid1960s (looking east at Monroe Ave.)

SUPPORTIVE PLANS AND STUDIES The Vision 2000 Plan (City o Rochester, 1990) Inner Loop Improvement Study (City o Rochester, 2001)

Downtown Charrette (AIA Rochester, 2003) Center City Master Plan (City o Rochester, 2003) Manhattan Square Park Master Plan (City o Rochester, 2002) Downtown Charrette A Community Based Vision Plan or Downtown

Rochester (Rochester Regional Community Design Center, 2007) The Renaissance 2010 Comprehensive Plan (City o Rochester, 2000) Rochester Bicycle Master Plan, (City o Rochester, 2011) Center City Circulator Study, (City o Rochester, 2011) CCMP Update Survey, (City o Rochester, 2013)


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Inner Loop. More specically, a majorgap exists between Monroe Avenueand Broad Street (a distance o 1/3mile or 1,700 eet) in the vicinity otwo major pedestrian generators (i.e.,The Strong National Museum o Playand Manhattan Square Park) resulting

in pedestrians unsaely and illegallycrossing the high speed expressway ona routine basis as it vertically transitionsto an at-grade acility. Per its CompleteStreets Policy (adopted November 15,2011), the City o Rochester takes intoaccount the interests o all users (i.e.,bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users, thedisabled, and motorists o all ages andabilities) in all o its capital projects. ThisComplete Streets Policy is an important

policy step in the implementation othe Rochester Bicycle Master Plan,completed in January 2011 with agoal o being recognized as a Bicycle-Friendly Community. With nearly 50lane miles o on-street bicycle acilitiesadded between 2011-2013, it is nosurprise that Rochester was named aBronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community

by the League o American Bicyclists in October 2012. But the City is now strivingor silver. The Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project will result in a complete streetincorporating wide sidewalks and an innovative physically separated two-waycycle track, which provides much needed connectivity or cyclists and pedestriansalike. The resulting acility will be a key link in the citys growing bicycle networkAs evidence o the importance o this new complete street to area residents andcommuters, letters o support rom the Rochester Cycling Alliance, a local cycling

advocacy group, and Reconnect Rochester, a local transit advocacy group, areattached.

It is now time to rebuild this section o the City, developing a true sense o placethrough an appropriately scaled transportation acility. To accomplish this, the InneLoop East Reconstruction Project will restore historic neighborhood connectionsprovide or unprecedented economic development opportunities, and encouragea more sustainable and appropriately scaled transportation network. Completiono this project will result in approximately nine acres o clean, shovel-ready land omixed-use redevelopment thereby creating jobs and leveraging private investmenin this Economically-Distressed City.

Eliminating the southeast portion of the Inner Loop may be the single mos

transformational infrastructure project we could pursue at this time.

2007 Downtown Charrette Repor

PROJECT BENEFITSThis project addresses all ve o the long-term outcome areas (i.e., State o GoodRepair, Economic Competitiveness, Livability, Sustainability, and Saety) and createssubstantial opportunities or employment both in the near-term and long-term.


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State o Good Repair: Rather than

expend unds on maintenance andreconstruction o a acility deemedundesired and overbuilt, our lanemiles o deteriorating expresswayinrastructure (including two structurally-decient bridges) will be replaced bya new, high quality and contextually-sensitive complete street.

Economic Competitiveness: It iswidely acknowledged that a vibrant

regional economy requires a healthyCenter City. This project will redeneDowntown Rochester, making it a moreattractive place to invest and conductbusiness. The transormation rom widesunken highway to complete street willimprove the eciency and reliability othe Center City transportation systemby restoring the historic two way streetgrid thereby reducing circuitous routing(caused by one way streets), enhancing

the attractiveness o active transportationmodes (i.e., bicycle, pedestrian andpublic transportation) and encouragingmore sustainable growth patterns throughthe introduction o new opportunitiesor mixed use inll development. Theensuing redevelopment acilitated by thisinvestment will create job opportunities

or nearby city residents who have long dealt with above-average unemploymen

and high poverty rates.

The initial transportation investment will create an estimated 319 job years, aswell as opening up approximately 9 acres o land or new development. Thisamount o land could support 427, 913 to 795,062 square t. o new mixed usedevelopments, valued between $8.0 million to $11.5 million.

Livability: the new complete street will be o appropriate scale, size and congurationthat better meets the communitys needs or access, neighborhood cohesion andland use. Implementation o this project will greatly enhance livability in the areaby providing more transportation choices, enhancing economic competitiveness

supporting existing communities, and valuing communities and neighborhoods. Thisportion o the City will have its sense o place restored.

Sustainability: The City o Rochester is exercising scal responsibility by minimizingcosts (both capital and long term operating and maintenance) and ensuringthis major transportation system investment is cost eective. The conversion rominecient grade-separated expressway to high quality interconnected city street wilhave positive benets or air quality and energy use. Green inrastructure practices(i.e., porous materials, energy ecient lighting, innovative stormwater managementlandscaping, etc.) will be careully integrated into the project.

Saety: The transormation rom high speed expressway to low speed city streewill have a positive eect on saety and access or all users while also enhancinglivability or current and uture residents. It is anticipated that the severity o accidentsthat occurred on the Inner Loop expressway during the study period will be reducedwhen expressway trac is combined with Union Street trac on the new lowespeed street. Additionally, all o the expressway non-standard and non-conormingeatures will be eliminated rom the network.


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II: PROJECT PARTIES


CITY OF ROCHESTERThe Rochester City Council has approved legislation authorizing the City to

apply or TIGER Discretionary Program unding. The City o Rochester will bethe grant recipient and will be responsible or administering the grant. TheCity has a proessional sta responsible or ederal grant administration andreporting procedures. The City has a long history o delivering high-quality, large-scale public projects utilizing ederal unding. A current example o this is theMidtown Rising Redevelopment Project, currently under construction. This $100million project involves demolition and remediation o a vacant deterioratingshopping mall and its replacement with a new walkable street grid and parcelsor redevelopment and public space. Other recent examples o major ederally-unded City transportation projects include: the Broad Street Tunnel Reconstruction project, a $23 million project

completed in 2011 which lled in a deteriorating subsurace tunnel and ullyreconstructed a major surace arterial above, and the Port o Rochester Inrastructure Improvements project that was completed

in 2004. This $40 million project constructed new streets, sidewalks,lighting, drainage, parking, multi-use trails, and public space on a previously-undened parking area surrounding the historic Port Terminal Building.

NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONThe New York State Department o Transportation (NYSDOT) has been instrumentalin the overall planning o the Inner Loop East Reconstruction project over thelast 10 years. NYSDOTs primary role has been to provide technical guidance,

as a member o the Technical Advisory Committees or the 2001 Inner LoopImprovement Study and the Citys 2011 Project Scoping Report. NYSDOTcurrently owns and maintains the existing Inner Loop Expressway acility, and thuswould benet rom the removal o this acility rom their inrastructure inventory.NYSDOT concurs with this proposal or TIGER unding.

MONROE COUNTYThe Monroe County Department o Transportation provides trac engineeringservices to the City, and thus they have been a key member in the developmento this project, participating on the Technical Advisory Committee since 2000.Monroe County supports this projects development.

GENESEE TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL (GTC)On September 9, 2011, GTC member agencies passed Resolution 11-132,unanimously endorsing the Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project. GTC is thedesignated Metropolitan Planning Organization responsible or transportationpolicy, planning, and investment decision making in the nine-county Genesee-

Finger Lakes Region. GTC has beenan active member o the projectTechnical Advisory Committee since2000. The Long Range TransportationPlan or the Genesee-Finger LakeRegion 2035 lists the Inner Loop EasReconstruction Project as one o a selecew Illustrative Projects that have theability to provide transormative impacon both the transportation system and

the regional economy. Chapter VI Recommendations, Illustrative Projectspage 106:

www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htm
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III: GRANT FUNDS AND SOURCES


A total o $17.7 million is required in their unds to complete the inrastructure work. Funding is already in place to covethe existing on-going engineering and design work (preliminary and nal design phases). This unding includes $1.65

million in Federal unds ($1.25 million o Federal SAFETEA-LU unds as well as $400,000 in STP Flex unds through theregions Transportation Improvement Program), and $503,000 in corresponding matching unds by the City o Rochester. Iaddition, the City o Rochester has committed $5.9 million towards Construction o the Inner Loop East.

As part o the Citys match, the City will be making available approximately 50,000 cubic yards o ll material romits ongoing municipal marina development project at the Port o Rochester. The project timing overlaps perectly totake advantage o and reuse this valuable ll ( A Benecial Use Determination rom NYSDEC may be ound at: wwwcityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/). This ll is estimated to be worth at least $200,000 and its value is accounted oas a portion o the Citys project unding match. TIGER unding o $17.7 million is matched by a minimum 25% Citycontribution to the inrastructure elements.

Considering the unique nature o this project and the growing backlog o delayed projects in the region due to declininglevels o transportation unding, receipt o TIGER unding is the only unding source available to und the construction phase

This TIGER Discretionary Grant is essential to complete the overall nancing package or the transormation o the agingunderutilized expressway into a high quality city street that restores the historic street grid and accommodates all users whilecatalyzing private investment and generating long-term job growth. The potential or this project cannot be unlocked withouthe commitment o FY 2013 TIGER Discretionary Grant unds.

TIGER FUNDS(REQUESTED)

LOCAL FUNDS(SOURCE) TOTAL FUNDS

Construction(capital and support)

$17,700,000(75%)

$5,900,000 (City o Rochester)(25%)

$23,600,000
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IV: SELECTION CRITERIA


The project will eliminatethe need to maintain,rehabilitate or replace inthe uture, the ollowingoutdated inrastructure:

Four (4+) lane miles o theInner Loop expresswaysystem;

Three (3) multi-span bridges; 16,000 square eet o

retaining walls; and Other highway appurtenances

(e.g. guide rail, saety rail,expressway signage andtrac signals)

A) Long Term Outcomes

The transormation o the Inner Loop East to a high quality city street will have asignicant impact on achieving desirable long-term outcomes or the metropolitanarea and region. The City o Rochester is the civic, economic and cultural centero the nine-county Genesee Finger Lakes Region and is positioning its economy tocompete eectively in the 21st century. With a city population o 210,565 anda metropolitan area population o 1.1 million, Rochester is New York States third-largest city and second-largest regional economy. The reconstruction o the Inner

Loop East will tear down barriers that have stifed growth, hindered neighborhoodcohesion and depressed urban vitality. The signicant eorts undertaken to planor and revitalize in this area o the City can only be propelled into the next phaseo construction, with the requested TIGER unding.

STATE OF GOOD REPAIREliminating Four Lane Miles o Expressway:This project will improve the conditiono existing transportation acilities by eliminating approximately our lane miles ooverbuilt highway inrastructure rom the NYSDOTs inrastructure inventory. Theproposed project will replace this aging, inecient grade-separated expressway,and its adjacent and equally aged one-way rontage streets with a new high

quality complete street capable o handling the orecasted trac volumes whilecontributing to economic development, and enhanced community cohesion/livability.

Eliminating Three Bridges: Three bridges over the expressway, two o whichare structurally-decient and in need o major rehabilitation, will be removed.Needed rehabilitation o these two (2) decient bridges in the next ew yearswill be in the range o $3.8 million, which is a signicant expenditure on aacility that should be eliminated. A detailed assessment o the bridge conditions

is documented in the Citys Inner LoopScoping Study (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/). Details or thethree bridges, according to the NewYork State Department o Transportation(NYSDOT) are as ollows:

East Avenue (State Route 96) oveInner Loop -built in 1965; NYS

Condition Rating o 4.431;FederaSuciency Rating 32.6; NYSDOTGeneral Recommendation 4; RedYellow, and Saety fags issuedR posted

Broad Street over Inner Loop -builin 1965; NYS Condition Ratingo 3.931; Federal SuciencyRating 27; NYSDOT GeneraRecommendation 4; Red, Yellowand Saety fags issued

Monroe Avenue (State Route 31over Inner Loop built in 1957(rehabilitated in 1998); NYSCondition Rating o 6.083; FederaSuciency Rating 77.3; NYSDOTGeneral Recommendation 6;

The lie-cycle cost savings o completingthe Inner Loop East Reconstruction
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Project more than pays or therequested TIGER investment. Reviewing

the 30 year lie cycle costs or the threebridges, it is anticipated that there willbe signicant investment (+$7 million2013 Dollars) incurred at various timeperiods in order to maintain thesestructures. Maintaining undesirable,aging, overbuilt and underutilizedinrastructure is not a sustainablescal expenditure. The supporting liecycle treatments and their costs areavailable at www.cityorochester.gov/

innerloopdocs/.

According to the NYSDOT 2010Pavement Data Report, pavementcondition ratings on this section o theInner Loop Expressway average 6 (air),despite being resuraced in 2006. Itis anticipated that by 2020, the innermainline pavement and its retainingwalls will require a rehabilitationproject, costing approximately $4.8

million (2013 Dollars). Included inthis cost is the replacement o theoriginal railing. The supporting liecycle treatments and their costs areavailable at www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/.

Pavement scores on the rontage roadsrange between 5 and 7 (poor to good).The rontage roads (Pitkin, Union,and Howell Streets) have not been

reconstructed within the past 50 yearsand all are due or ull reconstruction inthe coming years (by 2020, estimatedat $11.9 million, 2013 Dollars). Inact, Union Streets supporting subpavements date back to the 1920s. Itis expected that the new street whichresults rom this project will be similarin size to the combined width o the

rontage roads, though slightly narrower. As such, the lie cycle cost savings romreplacing Pitkin, Union, and Howell streets is marginal, though positive. Howeversix trac signals along the corridor will be consolidated into three, resulting inurther cost savings to the public.

Mid 1960s Inrastructure
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Based on the 30 year lie cycles, thecost to maintain the Inner Loop Eastin its current state is estimated to beslightly higher than to replace it witha more ecient at-grade city street.More importantly, it is anticipated thatby 2020 approximately $23 million(2013 Dollars) will be required through

various rehabilitation projects in orderto address the deteriorating 1960sinrastructure in its current conguration.Hence, this project will signicantlyreduce the lie-cycle costs to FHWA,NYSDOT, Monroe County, and theCity o Rochester, which all maintainor und repairs and improvements inthe corridor, including street cleaningand snow plowing. The deterioratingcondition o the inrastructure plus the

community barrier this expressway hasbecome produces lost opportunitiesor economic growth and stability inthe community. Reducing the lie-cyclecosts to all o these agencies and inso doing maintaining transportationacilities in a State o Good Repair isan important aim o the project.

The expressway has a number o non-standard eatures (e.g. shoulder widths) andnon conorming eatures (e.g. blind slip ramps and inadequate merge/weaveareas) which contribute to unsae conditions and an unpleasant experience. Thepresence o one-way rontage roads makes it necessary to have two trac signalsat each crossing arterial (six signals in total). Two o these arterials, East Avenueand Monroe Avenue, carry more trac than the expressway itsel. Thus, theunderutilized expressway causes excess delay on more heavily-traveled suracearterials. Removal o the expressway and rontage roads and their replacemen

with a high quality two way city street will improve trac operations on thesekey Center City arterials while adding only minor delay or ormer users o theexpressway.

With respect to travel perormance, the project can achieve the desired objectivewhile adding only 2.2 seconds o delay per vehicle during the evening peak traveperiod by the orecast year 2035. The Level o Service at the remaining threetrac signal control intersections will operate at good levels. The relatively lowtrac volumes on the expressway can be easily, and more eciently, handled ona standard city street. Access management via medians, alleys, and/or shareddriveways will ensure a high-quality level o service on the new street. Projec

Scoping Report: www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/

The City o Rochester employs a successul preventive maintenance assemanagement program on its arterial and collector streets. These streets ollowa 60-year liecycle which includes interim paving treatments (i.e., milling &resuracing, overlays, spot curb replacement, and periodic crack sealing) toensure a cost-eective liecycle.

Non-conorming Ramp Confgurations
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ECONOMICCOMPETITIVENESSThe City o Rochester is a ederally-designated Economically DistressedCity. With an unemployment ratehigher than nine percent and a

poverty rate above 35 percent,transormative investments whichcreate jobs and enhance the long-term economic competitiveness o thiscity are sorely needed. Although theregional economy has been resilientin recent years, employment levelsare still nearly 20,000 below theirpeak in the Year 2000. This projectwill have a net positive impact on thelong-term eciency, reliability and cost-

competitiveness o the City o Rochester,the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, andthe nation as a whole with respect tothe movement o workers or goods.Removal o the inecient Inner LoopExpressway will improve accessibilityand mobility options, and overallsystem perormance, in the heart oa major Central Business District that

is home to 50,000 employees, nearly 5,000 residents and hosts millions ovisitors annually. There are more than 15,000 people living within a hal-mileo the project area. Thus, reconnecting downtown to the adjacent residentianeighborhoods will increase economic activity at the local shops and restaurants

Economic competitiveness is demonstrated by the projects ability to increase

the eciency and eectiveness o the transportation system through integrationor better use o all existing transportation inrastructure. The elimination o theexpressway section allows or the restoration o a historic street grid system thawill improve overall connectivity and circulation in the area. Due to the limitedcrossings o the Inner Loop, travel patterns in this area are circuitous placing aheavy burden on these same crossings such as the Monroe Avenue, East AvenueUniversity Avenue and East Main Street. Reconnecting the grid system andincorporating two way trac operations will relieve some o the pressure on thesecorridors allowing or urther integration o complete street principals on thesearterials. Re-establishing connectivity in this area will positively reduce vehiculatrips and their associated costs and uel consumption.

This increased mobility includes not only vehicular trac but also greatly improvedpedestrian and bicycle access and transit-supportive eatures. The project includesextending pedestrian links along all newly reconnected cross streets in additionto the pedestrian systems along the new street itsel. Pedestrian amenities will beadded including wide sidewalks, benches, trees and plantings, and lightingThe project will also incorporate bicycle-riendly eatures, including a physicallyseparated two-way cycle track, bicycle lanes, bicycle parking, and signageThere are nearly 20 lanes o on-street bicycle acilities in the city today, with

This will be a game changer or downtown New York State Senator Charles Schumer


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roughly our times that planned or the

near uture. The cycle track planned orthe new street will provide regionally-signicant connections as part othe Citys growing bike network.This is not to mention the impressiveand growing network o o-streetmulti-use trails, including the nearbyGenesee Riverway Trail. Innovativebike treatments such as bike boxes atsignalized intersections, colored bikelanes, and/or buered bike lanes will

be considered and detailed duringpreliminary engineering.

Major transit system enhancementsare envisioned or the CenterCity. Chie among these transitenhancements being considered isthe Center City Circulator (http://www.cityorochester.gov/circulator/)which is a promising and ambitiousrecommendation or a shuttle system

to connect underutilized and newparking acilities within and adjacentto downtown with major downtowndestinations. The recommended shuttlesystem routes traverse the Inner LoopEast corridor providing signicantlyenhanced transit availability to existingand uture residents and businesses inthe area and region.

Existing nearby residents, new residents

and travelers to the corridor will havea more walkable, livable, connectedcommunity that embraces alternatemode choices urther reducingvehicular trips. Making communitiesmore livable by incorporating completestreets is a cost benet to the residentso the community. Americans spend anaverage o 18 cents o every dollar on

transportation, with the poorest th o amilies spending more than double thagure. In act, most amilies spend ar more on transportation than on ood. Whenresidents have the opportunity to walk, bike, or take transit, they have morecontrol over their expenses by replacing car trips with these relatively inexpensiveoptions. Taking public transportation, or example, saves individuals an estimated$9,581 each year.

In summary, the transormation o the Inner Loop East to a high quality completestreet will not only improve eciency and reliability o the transportation systembut will also encourage active transportation modes and more sustainable growthpatterns through the introduction o unprecedented opportunities or new, mixeduse development.

INNER LOOP EAST
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LIVABILITYRemoval o the expressway section allows or restoration o the historic streetgrid network. This provides or the integration o livability into the transportationsystem. Some o the livability principles that directly relate to this project include:

Provide more transportation choices. Develop sae, reliable, and economicaltransportation choices to decrease household transportation costs, reducedependence on oreign oil, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gasemissions, and promote public health.

Enhance economic competitiveness. Improve economic competitivenessthrough reliable and timely access to employment centers, educationalopportunities, services, and other basic needs by workers, as well asexpanded business access to markets.

Support existing communities. Target Federal unding toward existingcommunitiesthrough strategies like transit oriented, mixed-use development,and land recyclingto increase community revitalization and the eciencyo public works investments and saeguard rural landscapes.

Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance the unique characteristicso all communities by investing in healthy, sae, and walkable neighborhoodsrural, urban, or suburban.

The evolution o this project has ocused on these principles by emphasizing theneed to remove the barrier created by the Inner Loop and improve connections

between Center City and adjacent neighborhoods.

By eliminating the sunkenexpressway and itsmoat eect, enhancedbicycle and pedestrianactivity between densely-populated vibrant eastside neighborhoods

and Rochesters increasingly activedowntown area will be acilitatedAdjacent residential areas includesome o Rochesters most thriving

neighborhoods such as Park AvenueNeighborhood o the Arts, MonroeAvenue, and Wadsworth SquareMore than 15,000 people livewithin a hal-mile o the project area(Census 2000). Providing alternatetransportation choices has ripplingeects on transportation costs, reducinguel demand, improving public healthand the environment.

The Inner Loop East ReconstructionProject is a case study in transportationand land use connectivity. Prior tothe completion o the Inner Loop in1965, the downtown area organicallyblended into the adjacent residentianeighborhoods allowing or a greasense o community cohesion. As theInner Loop was constructed, hundredso properties were bulldozed and anyties between the neighborhoods and

the downtown were eliminated. Thisled to a long trend o disinvestment thais only now beginning to turn aroundas evidenced by the roughly $750million in recent planned public andprivate investment in the area. Removao this underutilized section o the InneLoop will help correct transportationmistakes o the past which had a very

I want you to live here. I want you towork here and I want you to play here. Iwant this to be the kind o place, not that

you come and go in an automobile rom,but that you appreciate living in.- Rochester Mayor Tom Richards, Oct. 2011

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land use. Implementation o this project will greatly enhance livability in the area

SUSTAINABILITYThe project has the ability to improve energy eciency, reduce dependence onoreign oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and benet the environment. Theproject will eliminate our lane miles o expressway and rontage roads, whichwill enable greater community cohesion through a more interconnected networko streets, sidewalks and bikeways. The project will allow or the restoration o

the historic street grid that is more energy-ecient, walkable and bicycle riendlyThe removal o this barrier and its replacement with a high quality city street wilencourage and enable alternate transportation modes such as pedestrian, bicycleand transit, between densely populated neighborhoods and the Center City.

Enhanced connectivity means that adjacent employment, cultural destinationseducational institutions, retailers, restaurants, services, etc. will be more readilyaccessible by oot or bicycle to a much larger population. These everyday trips takenby all modes are currently achieved via circuitous (one-way streets) routes aroundthe grade separated expressway; hence overall trac will see a redistribution andreduction. While uture use o alternate transportation modes is dicult to quantiy

expected reductions in CO2 emissions and uel consumption are still expectedbased on the projected trac volumes assessed or this project. Detailed energyconsumption and emission reduction inormation is documented in the Citys InneLoop Drat Design Approval Document (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/)According to the SYNCHRO trac simulation model, which was used to evaluatebeore and ater trac conditions along the new street, the ollowing sustainabilitybenets can be expected:

noticeable negative impact on livability,walkability and private investment.

Complete Streets play an importantrole in livable communities, where allpeople regardless o age, ability ormode o transportation eel sae andwelcome in the public right-o-way. A

sae walking and bicycling environmentis an essential part o improving publictransportation and creating riendly,walkable communities. Recent studiesound that people who live in walkablecommunities are more likely to besocially engaged than residents o lesswalkable neighborhoods. Additionally,they reported being in better healthand happier more oten.

This project is the result o more than twodecades o planning and design workwhich consistently called or replacingthe expressway inrastructure on the eastside o the Rochester Central BusinessDistrict with a acility o appropriatescale, size and conguration thatbetter meets the communitys needs oraccess, neighborhood cohesion and

Excessive Impervious Suraces
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Energy Consumption (hourly) Reductionis expected rom 1,843 gallons used to1,837.7 gallons used, or a decreaseo 0.3%.

Vehicle Emission Reductions are alsoexpected as ollows:

VOC Emissions rom 2,161grams to 1,994 grams or 8%

reduction CO2 Emissions rom 77,428

grams to 71,169 grams or 8%reduction

NOx Emissions rom 7,405grams to 6,915 grams or 6.5%reduction

A slight reduction in energy use anda signicant reduction in all vehicleemissions is anticipated.

The reduction o our lane miles ohighway and elimination o threebridges will reduce consumption onatural resources in manuacturingmaterials or maintaining or replacingsuch inrastructure. This will also reducea notable amount o impervious surace.No environmental impacts have been

identied as the proposed project does not require land acquisitions, will improveair quality, and enhance community cohesion. The projects preerred alternativehas avoided adverse environmental impacts while optimizing the potential oredevelopment eorts. Charter IV o the scoping documents provides detailedenvironmental assessment inormation (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/)

The City o Rochester is committed to enhancing the environment and thereorethe new at-grade acility will incorporate green inrastructure practices (e.g.porous materials, energy ecient lighting, innovative stormwater managementlandscaping, etc.) wherever easible. The City is also proposing to reuse ll materia

generated by a municipal marina construction project on the Inner Loop EasReconstruction Project, thereby reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and relatedemissions resulting rom long distance trucking o ll material rom another locationThe City o Rochester is exercising scal responsibility by minimizing capital costs aswell as long-term operating and maintenance costs by ensuring this transportationsystem investment is cost-eective. Sustainability and implementation o its principleswill be careully integrated into the project to the greatest extent possible.

SAFETYA detailed saety study was completed or the inner loop and the adjacenone-way rontage roads (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/). The study

revealed that existing accident rates are generally near or below the statewideaverage (except intersections), thereore it is reasonable to assume the totanumber o accidents will not go down substantially with the proposed alterationThe project will however reduce the rate o severe accidents (i.e. personal injurycrashes). A total o 40 crashes occurred over a three year period along theexisting high speed, non-standard expressway section o the Inner Loop. O the40 accidents, 13 (or 32.5%) involved personal injuries. By comparison, the lowspeed Union and Pitkin Street segments experienced much lower rates o severeaccidents during the same study period, with rates o 12% and 7%, respectively.

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The average rate o severe accidentso the two city streets is thereore9.5%. Considering that the project willcombine the high speed expresswaysegment with Union Street, thus creatinga single standardized low-speedcity street/boulevard, the expectedresultant eect will be a reduction osevere accidents related to the highspeed acility to a similar rate that

was experienced on low-speed UnionStreet and Pitkin Streets. A reductionrom 32.5% (13 injury crashes) to9.5% (4 injury crashes), is expected.Since the total number o accidents willremain unchanged, the injury crasheswill revert to simple property damageonly crashes. Accident rates and levelo severity on Union and Pitkin Streetswill also remain unchanged within theproject corridor.

Over the last 45+ years, highwaydesign standards have also changedsignicantly to enhance saety or themotoring public. Thereore, the primarystudy corridor geometrics representareas where deciencies (nonstandardand nonconorming eatures) areevident between past and present

design standards. Inner Loop non-standard design eatures include: horizontacurvature, super elevation, sight distance, and road widths (shoulders, mediansand clearances) along the main line. Non-conorming eatures include the layouo the existing slip ramps, which provide ingress and egress to the Inner Loop.

Despite being grade-separated or most o its length, a roughly 700-oot sectiono the Inner Loop between Broad Street and Monroe Avenue is at-grade. Givenits low trac volumes and at-grade character in this location, many pedestriansunlawully cross the expressway at this location causing a signicant saety hazardRemoval o this high-speed limited-access expressway and its replacement witha high quality city street, with convenient and requent pedestrian crossings, wil

greatly improve pedestrian saety in this area. The Inner Loop is disruptive to thebicycle and pedestrian environment in this otherwise walkable urban center. Thesunken expressway is a physical and psychological barrier between thriving easside neighborhoods and the downtown area. The Loops presence discourageswalking and biking between the adjacent urban neighborhoods. The agingbridge crossings at East Avenue and Broad Street are not ully ADA-complianthindering accessibility or the disabled and creating unsae conditions or all.

ESL Corporate Headquarters ($50 million)

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The transormation o an expressway toa complete street will have a positive

eect on saety and access or allusers while also enhancing livability. AFederal Highway Administration saetyreview ound that streets designedwith sidewalks, raised medians, betterbus stop placement, trac-calmingmeasures, and treatments or disabledtravelers improve pedestrian saety.Some eatures, such as medians,improve saety or all users: theyenable pedestrians to cross busy

roads in two stages, reduce let-turningmotorist crashes to zero, and improvebicycle saety. Roadway design andengineering approaches commonlyound in complete streets create long-lasting speed reduction. All road users- motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists -benet rom slower speeds.

PROJECT READINESSa) Technical Feasibility: The Design

Approval Document, which is underdevelopment, has been posted to theproject website (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/) or reerence.This document includes the projectsdesign criteria, design layout oAlternative 1A, and a detailed costestimate (including contingency items).In summary, this alternative considers

complete reconstruction and bringing the Inner Loop to grade between MonroeAvenue and Charlotte Street, using the existing South Union Street conguration

This alternative, in many ways, is a re-establish the street grid system approachwhereby South Union Street runs again north/south on its historic alignmenand the southern portion turns east/west by the Howell Street to connect toI-490. This alternative would eliminate the existing retaining walls and bridgesat East Avenue, Broad Street and possibly Monroe Avenue along with reducingpavement maintenance rom 12 lanes to ve lanes.

Converting the Inner Loop Expressway to a walkable, bikeable city street in Area1 can take various shapes including general alignment options, intersectiontreatments and geometric requirements.

General Alignment Concepts there are two general alignments that werereviewed The Western Alignment which basically would ollow the Pitkin StreeCorridor, and the Eastern Alignment which would ollow the South Union StreeCorridor. The Eastern Alignment provides better connection to existing intersectionswith Monroe Avenue and the East Main Street juncture and appears to betteracilitate community cohesion and redevelopment. This alignment providesimproved access and the greatest area or uture development on vacated landsand is thereore recommended.

Intersection Treatment intersection trac control was considered at each othe intersections to determine i a trac signal control or a roundabout may be

appropriate. Preliminary evaluations indicate that roundabouts are best suited athe intersections o Howell Street/South Union Street and South Union Street/Charlotte Street. Provision o roundabouts at each o these locations provides aclear terminus o the Inner Loop and the entrance to a new community. All otherintersections may unction best with a trac signal. Further evaluation o the traccontrol eatures will be undertaken in the next step o the project, especiallyconsidering the Broad Street and East Avenue intersections.


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Minimum Geometric Requirements detailed analysis was undertaken

to determine the mainline geometriceatures necessary at each o theintersections. The majority o the SouthUnion corridor will operate with onethrough lane in each direction. It isanticipated that both roundaboutswill be single lane. Let turn lanes arerecommended at the major signalizedintersections o Broad Street and EastAvenue. Let turn lanes at the minorside streets/alleys may be considered.

It is envisioned that a center medianor continuous center turn lanes may beappropriate between intersections.

Other actors such as on-street parking,bicycle acilities, pedestrian crossings,transit amenities and median treatmentsare anticipated and recommended.

Given the unctional obsolescenceo the Inner Loop and its deleterious

eects on surrounding neighborhoods,the City o Rochester has investigatedvarious options or converting the InnerLoop into an at-grade urban boulevard.Rochesters Vision 2000 Plan (1990)envisioned the Inner Loops conversion.Several alternatives were consideredby the Inner Loop Improvement Studyin 2001. Considering the overallcost and complexity o this eort,the Inner Loop Improvement Study

(2001) recommended a three phaseapproach, with the rst being thereconstruction o the Inner Loop romMonroe Street to Charlotte Street, withan extension to East Main Street. Thisalternative, which has evolved into thecurrent proposal, is signicantly less

expensive and more ocused than many other alternatives considered, including aproposal which also included reconstructing the Inner Loop into an at-grade urbanboulevard north o East Main Street. An advantage o the current alternative isthat it removes the least utilized portion o the Inner Loop and will catalyze severabenets or the surrounding neighborhoods and City as a whole. The Center CityMaster Plan (2003) strongly emphasized the reconstruction o the eastern portiono the Inner Loop as key to achieving multiple planning objectives. The City oRochester subsequently conducted a set o engineering and easibility studies,conrming the current projects easibility and benecial economic developmenoutcomes. The outcomes o the implementation o this project will inorm uture plans

or the remainder o the Inner Loop. The City o Rochester pursued TransportationInvestment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) unding or the reconstructionproject in 2011, but its requests were not successul.

b) Financial Feasibility: The City o Rochester continues to maintain a strongnancial position despite economic challenges. The City ollows a conservativedebt borrowing policy with an accelerated debt repayment schedule, and unlikemost cities its size, Rochester unds a signicant level o capital expendituresrom current unds (cash). Major capital projects have not been deerred. TheCity has a rating o A rom both Standard & Poors and Fitch, and an Aa3 ratingrom Moodys Investors Service, a positive refection on the Citys strong sca

management. Over the past 10 years and beore, the City has been able tomaintain a stable unreserved, undesignated und balance in the general undat approximately one percent o total general und revenues. The Citys annuabudget totals nearly $500,000,000; net assets exceed liabilities. In summarythe nancial condition o the City o Rochester is both stable and reliable.


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c) Project Schedule: The Inner LoopEast Reconstruction Project is in a

position to meet all local, State andederal requirement by June 30, 2014,thereore allowing unds to be obligatedby September 30, 2014. A summaryo the project schedule is highlightedbelow, with a detailed overall projectschedule available or review at www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/.The detailed project schedule includesall major project milestones such asstart and completion o environmental

reviews and approvals, design, right-o-way acquisition, approval o PS&E,procurement, and construction.

The project is currently in the middleo the Preliminary Engineering phase,which was initiated in 2012. At thispoint in time, there are various on-going data collection eorts includingall o the social, economic, andenvironmental condition assessments

(e.g. hazardous waste, asbestos,air & noise, visual resources, suracewaterbodies, watercourses, etc.)and preliminary design eorts (e.g.horizontal & vertical alignment design,cross-section design, design reportdocumentation). To date, the ollowing

tasks have been completed: design survey and mapping or the entire corridor,existing topographic 3-D model, establishment o the existing right-o-way,

UFPO utility stakeout, Phase 1A Archaeological Survey, and the Phase 1BArchaeological and Architectural Reconnaissance Survey.

The City o Rochester, supported by a Technical Advisory Group consisting o theNew York State Department o Transportation, Monroe County Department oTransportation, and the Genesee Transportation Council (MPO) has nalized ascoping report to demonstrate that removal o this section o the grade-separatedexpressway would not result in any negative impacts to the region. This scopingreport has ormed the basis or the development o the projects design report.

When the Inner Loop was originally constructed (circa early 1960s), over 175

parcels were acquired in order to construct the Inner Loop and the adjacentrontage roads. This project is proposing to eliminate the Inner Loop and rebuildthe original street grid within the original bandwidth o the corridor (182 eet to355 eet). At this time, there are no planned right-o-way ee acquisitions. Theproject may require a small number o temporary easements or purposes ominor grading behind the sidewalk.

d) Assessment o Project Risks and Mitigation Strategies: The projectdevelopment schedule represents the primary risk to the overall success o theproject. Traditionally, there are a number o delicate, time-consuming and otencomplex components that can oten cause undesired and unexpected project

delays when not timed and/addressed appropriately; such items as right-o-way acquisitions, utility relocations, environmental evaluation and mitigation andarcheological assessments.

To reduce the potential o those related delays, the project team has perormed agreater level o evaluation and design during the preliminary Design Phase thatwould otherwise have not taken place on more routine projects. This advanced-level

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eort which involved a higher degreeo roadway/street design has allowed

the project to successully progressthose critical path items and reach alevel o completeness and comortthat should ensure Design Approvalis granted within the next ew months.Right-o-way acquisitions should beminor with only a ew temporaryand permanent easements required.Utility relocations should be easilyaccommodated within the expansiveremaining right-o-way corridor, and

the Archeological assessments arenear complete with only one (1) historicproperty and no other sensitive areaso concern identied. In addition,the Hazardous Waste Assessment,which is well-underway, will most likelyidentiy non-hazardous but likely a ewcontaminated areas which should besuitable or retention on-site, especiallyconsidering the project goal o raisingup the Inner Loop Expressway to match

the adjacent street grid.

With Design Approval expectedin the near uture, Final Design willoccur during the subsequent 6-9month period, with the ultimate nalsubmission target date o June 2014,thus allowing or advertisement andbidding/award or a Fall 2014construction start. By leveraging thehigher level o evaluation and design

that took place during PreliminaryDesign, the Final Design Phase isexpected to be uneventul andstreamlined.

B) Innovation

The project, in and o itsel, is a highlyinnovative transportation investment.

Removal o outdated expressway acilities has been proven eective in MilwaukeeSan Francisco, and Portland and is being pursued in other cities nationwide. The

success o these national projects revolved around restoring the urban abric to apre-expressway condition that has resulted in very successul redevelopment. TheInner Loop East will be a model or similar investment in cities across the country

The resulting new city street will be a complete street that incorporates widesidewalks, requent and sae crossing opportunities, median islands, accessiblepedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes, and two roundaboutsto enhance trac operations and improve saety. A primary innovation is aphysically-separated two-way cycle track planned or the westerly side o thecorridor. The cycle track will be raised to sidewalk level and separated rom cartrac by on-street parking and a generous buer. Bike signals and detection wil

be incorporated in the cycle track design.

This project will incorporate a number o on-going ITS eorts in the Rochestearea such as arterial management systems including computerized trac signasystems and trac surveillance cameras remotely monitored by the MonroeCounty Department o Transportation at the Regional Trac Operations CenterThe signals will be equipped with trac signal preemption or the Rochester FireDepartment and, i appropriate, transit signal priority or Regional Transit Servicebuses. Signalized pedestrian crossings will eature countdown pedestrian signalsand, i appropriate, Leading Pedestrian Interval timings.

Other innovative project components include sustainable construction practicesalready being applied to the project and the Citys proactive coordination withthe Port o Rochester marina project to reuse ll generated by that project onthe Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project. The reuse o ll rom one project oanother is not only a sustainable application but also a major cost contribution tothe project in the amount o approximately $200,000.

Another project innovation is the use o the project website and social media toprovide up to date inormation on the project status, provide project documents(sustainable), history, meeting results and renderings and visualization aids. Theproject website can be ound at www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopeast.

C) Partnership

New York State DOT has been instrumental in the overall planning o the InnerLoop East Reconstruction project over the last 10 years. NYSDOTs primaryrole has been to provide technical guidance, as a member o the TechnicaAdvisory Committees or the 2001 Inner Loop Improvement Study and theCitys 2011 Project Scoping Report. New York State has also provided undingtoward completion o engineering and design. New York State currently owns
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and maintains the existing Inner Loop

Expressway acility, and thus wouldbenet rom the removal o this acilityrom their inrastructure inventory.NYSDOT concurs with this proposal orTIGER unding. NYSDOT will continueto be an integral partner throughout theproject including completion o the landtranser and redening the jurisdictionallimits o the new road network (currentlyongoing).

The Monroe County Departmento Transportation provides tracengineering services to the City, andthus they have been a key memberin the development o this project,participating on the TechnicalAdvisory Committee since 2000.Monroe County supports this projectsdevelopment.

In addition, the Rochester Downtown

Development Corporation andSoutheast Area Coalition, non-protcommunity groups representing theinterests o residents and businesses inthe project area, have been involvedin the Project Advisory Committee.Member agencies o the MetropolitanPlanning Organization, the GeneseeTransportation Council, have endorsedthis project as the regions highestpriority or TIGER Discretionary unding.

Further, this project is eatured in theLong Range Transportation Plan or theGenesee Finger-Lakes Region 2035as an illustrative project (Chapter VI -Recommendations, Illustrative Projects,page 106, www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htm). Several businesses andprivate developers have expressedinterest in the opportunities this project

will spur. As evidenced by the many letters received (www.cityorochester.gov/

innerloopsupport/), the project is supported by a wide range o parties inbusiness, labor, government and the community at-large.

Buckingham Properties is currently developing a mixed-use project one blockto the East o the proposed Inner Loop Project....The project will exceed $80million. The proposed Inner Loop Project will have a benefcial impact or ouproject as well as or the City o Rochester as a whole.Lawrence Glazer, CEO, Buckingham Properties

One o the primary objectives o the Inner Loop transormation is to restoreneighborhoods and improve livability within this southeast area and Cente

City. The project has and will continue to engage citizens as the projecprogresses. Non-transportation public agencies will be invited to participate inpublic hearing sessions which will provide input to the design team.

ROCHESTER EXPRESSES ITS ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORTThe ollowing is a synopsis o the letters o support and/or interest received onbehal o the Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project since 2011. This synopsisillustrates the deep and varied community support that stands behind thistransormative inrastructure investment. To view these letters in detail, visit theproject website:www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopsupport/

Elected Ofcials City o Rochester Mayor Thomas Richards United States Representative Louise Slaughter United States Senator Charles Schumer United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand New York Senator Joseph Robach New York Senator Ted OBrien New York Assemblyman Joseph Morelle (Majority Leader) New York Assemblyman Harry Bronson Rochester City Council Monroe County Legislator Carrie Andrews (Minority Leader)

Monroe County Legislator John Lightoot

Metropolitan Planning Organization Genesee Transportation Council

Real Estate Developers Letters o Interest Buckingham Properties Christa Construction Conier
http://www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htmhttp://www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htmhttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/team.Onehttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupporthttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupporthttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_1/team.Onehttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopsupport/http://www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htmhttp://www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htm


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Flower City Development

Graywood

Project Area Stakeholdersand Neighborhood/BusinessAssociations The Strong/National Museum o

Play Rochester Downtown

Development Corporation University o Rochester Wadsworth Square

Neighborhood Association Upper East End Business

Association Sector 5 Xerox Rochester International

Jazz Fest ival ESL Federal Credit Union

Regional Associations/Organizations UNICON, Unions and Business

United in Construction Rochester Business Association Visit Rochester Rochester Regional Community

Design Center Rochester Cycling Alliance Reconnect Rochester

Other Interested Businesses Costanza Enterprises, Inc. Rochester Public Library

Bergmann Associates Conier Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield SWBR

D) Results o Beneft-Cost Analysis

The benets o the Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project are estimated to be1.88 to 2.20 times greater the costs o the project. Construction, maintenanceand operations, and travel delay costs are oset by liecycle cost savings, landvalue generated in new and existing neighborhood parcels, and accident injuryreductions. Overall, the discounted benets o the project are estimated to exceedthe costs by $31,057,879 when using a 3% discount rate and $20,746,355million when using a 7% discount rate.

A detailed project benet cost analysis and a real estate market analysis isavailable at: www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/.

LONG TERM BENEFITS

The Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project is expected to yield signicant long-term benets to the City o Rochester and its residents. The gure on the ollowingpage summarizes these benets.

State o Good Repair: The Inner Loop is in a deteriorated condition. Conversionto an urban boulevard oers lie-cycle costs savings by avoiding costly bridge,retaining wall and other structural repairs. Rather than paying to maintainunnecessary inrastructure, unds will be reed or a higher public purpose.

Economic Competitiveness: Reconstructing this portion o the Inner Loop wilincrease the productivity o land in the surrounding area. The project will unlockthe development potential o newly created parcels currently in the Inner Loopsright-o-way, and enhance the value o existing parcels in the surroundingneighborhood due to better connections to Downtown Rochester and improvedaesthetic quality o the neighborhood.

3% Discount Rate 7% Discount Rate

Total Quantied BenetsTotal Quantied Costs

$57,035,077$25,897,946

$44,323,622$23,530,278

Total Benefts Less Costs

Beneft Cost Ratio

$31,137,1322.20

$20,793,3441.88


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Livability: Reconstructing the Inner Loop into an urban boulevard will re-establish connections between Downtown Rochester and desirable East Sideneighborhoods. This improved neighborhood condition will disproportionately

impact low-income areas and enable the City to urther several guiding principleso the Center City Master Plan, including pedestrian riendliness, connectivity, andbeautiul gateways. The improved quality o the Downtown built environment willenhance Downtown Rochester as a place to live, work, play, and invest.

Saety: Reconstructing the Inner Loop will remove below-grade inrastructure andenable the implementation o modern roadway design. These improvements willimprove saety by promoting slower driving speeds that reduce the severity oaccidents.



Summary o Project Benefts

Category o BeneftTotal Discounted

Benefts (3%)

Total Discounted

Benefts (7%)

State o Good Repair

Liecycle Cost Savings $25,959,498 $19,116,659

Economic Competitiveness

Land Value - New DevelopmentParcels

$7,354,994 $6,560,586

Land Value - IncreasedNeighborhood Amenity

$15,321,183 $13,666,353

Economic Productivity Not Quantied Not Quantied

Livability

Improved Community Cohesion Not Quantied Not Quantied

Benets to Low-IncomeNeighborhoods

Not Quantied Not Quantied

Saety

Prevented Injuries, Fatalities, and

Accidents

$8,320,150 $4,933,034

Sustainability

Multi-Modal TransportationChoices

Not Quantied Not Quantied

TOTAL

All Benets $56,955,825 $44,276,633

Sustainability: By promoting the useo alternative transportation modesthe Project will reduce vehicle milestraveled and associated criteriapollutants, enhancing environmentaquality in the short- and long-terms.

Summary o Project Costs

Project Construction: $23,562,417(3% Discount Rate) and $22,409,424

(7% Discount Rate)The Inner Loop East ReconstructionProject is anticipated to cost$24,507,856 (2013 $). Primarycategories o costs are: Reestablishing the at-grade street

grid Fill Wall Removals Bridge removal Realignment o sewer and

drainage systems Installation o new utility

connections Area landscaping and

streetscaping Project Maintenance:

$2,335,529 (3% Discount Rate)and $1,120,854 (7% DiscountRate)

Maintaining the new urban boulevard

created ater the removal o theeastern portion o the Inner Loop isanticipated to cost $4.4 million over31 years.


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V: PLANNING APROVALS, NEPA AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS


ENVIRONMENTAL

APPROVALSThe NEPA process began with the starto Preliminary Engineering phase andwill be completed by Fall 2013.

A preliminary assessment oenvironmental impacts o the projectis underway as part o the preliminaryengineering phase and at this time it isassumed that the project is classied asa Type II Action in accordance with the

denitions o the State EnvironmentalQuality Review (SEQR) Act 17 NYCRRPart 15, and as a Class III actionunder United States Department oTransportation (USDOT) NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA)Regulations 23CFR 771.117(d)(1).The project is anticipated to complywith the requirements o a CategoricalExclusion with Documentation.Thereore, an environmental impact

report will not be required under NEPAor SEQRA or the Inner Loop EastReconstruction Project. The project isexpected to apply or a CategoricalExclusion and a Finding o NoSignicant Impact (FONSI) obtainedwithin 6 months.

The preliminary assessment oenvironmental impacts containedwithin the Drat Design Approval

Document is posted on the projectwebsite (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs) in Chapter 4: Social,Economic & Environmental Concernsand Considerations. Preliminaryconsultation with environmentalagencies including NYSDEC, Divisiono Fish, Wildlie & Marine Resources,

United States Department o the Interior, Fish and Wildlie Service, Nationa

Marine Fisheries Service, Habitat Conservation Division, has been initiated andwill continue as the preliminary engineering stage progresses.

City o Rochester Department o Neighborhood & Business Developmen these documents and processes will be completed during the Preliminary andFinal Design state o the project. SEQRA and NEPA Compliance - Design report will be progressed which wil

lead to a Record o Decision.

NYS Department o Environmental Conservation: SPDES General Permit (stormwater management) 5

NYS Ofce o Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation: Phase IA and Phase IB are completed and in the process o being transmitted

to the OPRHP. There were no signicant resources identied and it isanticipated that a no eect determination will be granted.

Legislative approvals required or this project will include City o Rochester CityCouncil approvals or: Award o Construction and Engineering Contracts Jurisdictional and maintenance changes with the New York State Roadway width adjustments or the new city street (Ocial Map Amendments

A similar legislative approval or the jurisdictional and maintenance changes romthe New York State Department o Transportation will also be necessary. Broadsupport among the New York State Department o Transportation, Monroe CountyDepartment o Transportation, and City o Rochester has been demonstratedthrough the various planning eorts over the years and their participation in theongoing preliminary engineering activities.

The project is on the Genesee Transportation Councils Regional TransportationImprovement Program (TIP) and the New York Statewide TransportationImprovement Program (STIP). The TIP Project Number is H01-05-MN1 and the

PIN is 4940T7. The TIP can be ound at http://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/TIP.htmA letter rom the Metropolitan Planning Organization certiying that, i notiedTIGER unds will be added to this project in the TIP, is included in an appendix.

No right-o-way ee acquisition is needed or this project as the New York StateDepartment o Transportation and the City o Rochester own all o the right-oway along the entire project length. Right o way transers and/or maintenancejurisdictions will be reestablished.
http://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopdocshttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopdocshttp://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/TIP.htmhttp://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/TIP.htmhttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopdocshttp://www.cityofrochester.gov/innerloopdocs


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VI FEDERAL WAGE RATE CERTIFICATION

The City o Rochester will utilize the Federal Training Special Provision required in ederal-aid construction contracts andDisadvantaged Business Enterprise provisions in both the consultant agreements and construction contracts. We have been

prohibited by the New York State Department o Transportation rom using the Citys Incentive Program or ConstructionContracts to provide, at wholly City cost, construction contractors an incentive to employ economically-disadvantagedworkers who reside within the City.

The New York State Department o Transportation (NYSDOT) under Federal-aid administration requirements prohibitslocal hiring provisions in ederal-aid construction contracts. The City will work with the NYSDOT Regional ComplianceSpecialist to assist contractors in meeting the requirements o the Federal Training Special Provisions to connect contractorswith apprentices.

The City o Rochester complies with the New York State Department o Transportations Guidelines or Locally-AdministeredFederal-Aid Projects to accomplish ederal Equal Employment Opportunity and health and saety objectives. The ederal

aid construction contracts include both New York State and ederal prevailing wage rate provisions, OSHA saety andtraining requirements, and EEO compliance provisions.

Although the benets rom this project will be shared regionally, direct benets o the project will be ocused on the peopleo the City o Rochester, an Economically Distressed Area.

Documents

Rochester, NY - Inner Loop Project Narrative