Project Narrative 1

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RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTINNER LOOP EAST

HIGHWAY

CITY OF ROCHESTER | MONROE COUNTY, NEW YORK STATE

28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

ROCHESTER URBAN AREA (UA)

US DOT TIGER

TIGER GRANT FUNDS REQUESTED : $14, 725,000

CONSTRUCTION JOBS CREATED: 285

NEPA COMPLETION DATE: SEPTEMBER 2012



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

SECTION I: PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................... 2

SECTION II: PROJECT PARTIES .................................................................... 6

SECTION III: GRANT FUNDS AND SOURCES ................................................ 7

SECTION IV: SELECTION CRITERIA ................................................................ 8

A) Long-Term Outcomes ........................................................... 8

State o Good Repair ...................................................... 8

Economic Competitiveness .............................................. 10

Livability ....................................................................... 12

Sustainability ................................................................ 13

Saety .......................................................................... 15B) Job Creation & Near-Term Economic Activity ....................... 16

C) Innovation ....................................................................... 17

D) Partnership ...................................................................... 20

E) Results o Beneft - Cost Analysis ......................................... 21

SECTION V: PROJECT READINESS AND NEPA ............................................ 23

SECTION VI: FEDERAL WAGE RATE CERTIFICATION ..................................... 25

SECTION VII: PRE APPLICATION CHANGES ................................................ 25

APPENDIX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INNER LOOP EAST RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT



PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The City o Rochester, with broad-based community support ranging

rom Genesee Transportation Council(Metropolitan Planning Organization)member agencies, to business andlabor, and the community at-large isseeking $14,725,000 in FY2011TIGER Discretionary Grant undsto complete the Inner Loop EastReconstruction. This project has beenenvisioned or more than two decades,but the City and region are now readyto bring it to ruition. The Inner Loop

East Reconstruction Project ts the goalso the TIGER program and meets allo its requirements, including projectreadiness, with NEPA completionin September 2012, Final Designin Spring 2013, and constructionstart in Fall 2013. This inrastructureinvestment will complete the neededunding resulting in a transormativeproject that provides healthy benetsto the transportation system, economic

development, and quality o lie in theCity o Rochester and Genesee-FingerLakes Region.

The Inner Loop Expressway tightlysurrounds the City o Rochester’sCentral Business District, cutting othe downtown area rom adjacentvibrant and densely-populatedneighborhoods. This inecientgrade-separated expressway is

underutilized by vehicular trac,stifes downtown redevelopment, anddiscourages greater use o alternatemodes o transportation. In order toencourage sustainable economicgrowth and create a more livable,vibrant downtown, Rochester plansto reconstruct a 2/3-mile segmento the Inner Loop between Monroe

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Avenue and Charlotte Street into a high-quality city street fanked by mixed-useredevelopment.

The project will remove mid-1960’s expressway inrastructure that will requiresubstantial investment in the years to come, including 4,430 t. o 4 to 6 lanes o

expressway and three ederal-aid bridges, two o which are structurally-decienand in need o major rehabilitation. Additionally, the project will enhance tracsaety by eliminating numerous non-standard eatures (e.g. lack o shoulders) andnon-conorming eatures (e.g. ramp layouts).

Simultaneously, it will remove a signicant barrier to redevelopment in the EasEnd, one o Rochester’s most important downtown districts, and reconnect thrivingeast side neighborhoods with the downtown area. The construction o an atgrade complete street supporting bicycle and pedestrian trac between thesetwo areas o the city will help create a more livable and walkable community, thushaving substantial social benets.

Completion o the project is expected to strengthen existing developmeninitiatives, over $600 million (recent investment), all within the surrounding projecarea. Additional benets o the project include opening o roughly nine acres o“new” lands or mixed-use redevelopment and “green space”. A key stakeholdeadjacent the Inner Loop, the Strong National Museum o Play, which attractsover 600,000 national and international visitors to the area annually (wwwmuseumoplay.com), completed a $37 million expansion in 2007 and is nowconsidering plans or urther expansion once lands become available with theelimination o the Inner Loop. Reclaiming this land will raise local tax revenuescreate jobs and generate private investment. The Benet-Cost ratio o this projec

is estimated at between 2.3 and 3.8.

As such, completing the transormation o this overbuilt highway into a highquality city street is critical to the continued evolution o this section o CenteCity rom an ill-advised urban renewal clearance zone to a walkable and livablemixed-use community. As evidence o the catalytic nature o this inrastructureinvestment, letters o interest rom many o the region’s most prominent developersare included with this application. Endorsement letters at www.cityorochestergov/innerloopsupport.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1INNER LOOP EAST RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Inner Loop, 12 Lanes wide



PROJECT SPONSOR

City o Rochester, New York

PROJECT CONTACT

Highest Level Contact:

Mayor Thomas S. Richards

Primary Sta-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:$21,898,041

TIGER Grant Request:$14,725,000

I — PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Inner Loop EastReconstruction Project

The project is located in the City o Rochester, a ederally-designated EconomicallyDistressed City still struggling to recover rom the 2001 recession. Employmentlevels in the Rochester Metropolitan Area remain 20,000 jobs below their Year2000 peak. Unemployment in the City o Rochester is well above the nationalaverage and the poverty rate is more than double that o New York State andthe 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 by eliminating an under-used grade-

separated, access-controlled expressway acility. The Rochester Inner LoopExpressway (NYS Route 940T) is a Federal Aid principal arterial on the NationalHighway System that comprises an internal circulation ring around the CenterCity (See project location map below).

The Inner Loop East is a our to six lane divided expressway which iscomplemented with parallel two to three lane rontage streets. The rontagestreets and the Inner Loop are connected with entrance and exit slip ramps. Thisresults in a acility that in some places has as many as twelve travel lanes andoccupies a width ranging rom 182 eet to 355 eet (curb to curb). This sectiono the Inner Loop serves approximately 6,990 vehicles per day just south o

East Main Street and 10,560 vehicles per day just north o Monroe Avenue/Chestnut Street. These volumes are better served by a lesser acility, such as ahigh quality city street (as depicted on page 4), which is more in context with thesurrounding neighborhoods and consistent with prior plans that call or the “right-sizing” o city streets. In act, the volume o trac carried by the rontage roads is


higher than the volume o trac on portionso the Inner Loop expressway. Video o atypical rush hour commute on the Inne

Loop, available at www.cityorochesterorg/innerloopmultimedia, shows little to notrac on this high-capacity roadway at thebusiest time o day.

PROJECT HISTORYWith the vehicle population explosion inand around the City o Rochester in the1930’s and 1940’s, the New York StateDepartment o Transportation and the Cityo Rochester developed plans in the late

1940’s or a network o boulevards andexpressways designed to reduce traccongestion on local city streets and improveaccess around the Center City. The InneLoop Expressway was part o the newnetwork built in the late 1950’s and early1960’s to better distribute trac throughand around downtown, connecting toI-490 and ultimately intended to complete




the extension o I-390 to the CentralBusiness District area, which never

came to ruition. The construction o theInner Loop necessitated the razing obusinesses and homes on 149 parcels,resulting in a distressing eect on thesurrounding neighborhoods.

The I-390 extension to the CBDnever came to ruition, halted byneighborhood activists who had seenthe eect expressways had on other cityneighborhoods. As a result, the Inner

Loop never handled the trac it was builtto serve. This combined with populationloss that has seen the City populationdrop rom a peak o over 330,000 in1950 to just over 210,000 in 2010,has resulted in the overbuilt, under-utilized Inner Loop which exists today.Over the last two decades, many plansand studies have been completed withthe goal o revitalizing the Center Cityand adjacent neighborhoods. Virtually

all o these planning eorts haveenvisioned removal o some or all othe Inner Loop and its replacement witha less-damaging, community-orientedstreet. These plans are summarized asollows:

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The Inner Loop East area occupies some o the most valuable real estate in Cente

City. While it is currently underutilized and underdeveloped, with careul planningand a consistent, coordinated eort, the opportunity exists to realize the vision o a“new town, downtown” that completes and reconnects this portion o downtownto its adjacent neighborhoods. Within the southeast area, connecting the East End(west side o Inner Loop rom Main Street to Broad Street), Upper East End (east sideo 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 InnerLoop 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 Inner

Loop 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. Thisinecient grade-separated expressway serves as a barrier between Downtown

Rochester and adjacent densely-populatedneighborhoods, stifing redevelopment anddiscouraging greater use o alternate modeso transportation. The expressway is out ocontext with the surrounding community

creates a number o unsae situations thaneed to be addressed, and causes excessdelay at multiple busy intersections. Furthertwo large deteriorated bridges in the projecarea are in need o costly repairs to addressstructural deciencies and are proposed oremoval through this project.


• 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)





which provides much needed connectivity or cyclists and pedestrians alike. Theresulting acility will be a key link in the city’s growing bicycle network. As evidenceo the importance o this new complete street to area residents and commuters,

letters o support rom the Rochester Cycling Alliance, a local cycling advocacygroup, and Reconnect Rochester, a local transit advocacy group, are attached.

It is now time to rebuild this section o the city with a true sense o place and tothe appropriate urban scale. To accomplish this, the Inner Loop East ReconstructionProject will restore historic neighborhood connections, provide or unprecedentedeconomic development opportunities, and encourage a more sustainable andappropriately scaled transportation system. Completion o this project will resulin more than nine acres o clean, shovel-ready land or mixed-use redevelopmen

The Inner Loop East presents a signicantbarrier to pedestrian and bicycle

mobility within the heart o the City oRochester. Pedestrian access withinthe project limits rom South ClintonAvenue to East Main Street (one mile) islimited to just our street crossings (i.e.,Monroe Avenue, Broad Street, EastAvenue and East Main Street) over theInner Loop. More specically, a majorgap exists between Monroe Avenueand Broad Street (a distance o 1/3mile or 1,700 eet) in the vicinity o

two major pedestrian generators (i.e.,The Strong/National Museum o Playand Manhattan Square Park) resultingin pedestrians unsaely and illegallycrossing the acility on a daily basis.Per its newly-adopted Complete StreetsPolicy (as o November 15, 2011),the City o Rochester takes into accountthe interests o all users (i.e., bicyclists,pedestrians, transit users, the disabled,and motorists o all ages and abilities) in

all o its capital projects. This CompleteStreets Policy is an important policy stepin the implementation o the RochesterBicycle Master Plan, completed in

January 2011 with a goal o beingrecognized as a Bicycle-FriendlyCommunity. For instance, shared use(sharrow) bike lanes are being installedon Broad Street and Chestnut Streetadjacent to the corridor, exclusivebike lanes are planned or University

Avenue, and a shared Bus-Bike lane isproposed or East Main Street. Majoradjoining roads in the project areaare classied as good or air ridingconditions per a recent Bicycle Level oService (BLOS) analysis. The Inner LoopEast Reconstruction Project will result ina complete street incorporating widesidewalks and exclusive bike lanes,

Proposed Concept




thereby creating jobs and leveragingprivate investment in this Economically-

Distressed City.

“Eliminating the southeast portion o the Inner Loop may be the single most transormational inrastructure project we could pursue at this time.”

– 2007 Downtown Charrette Report

PROJECT BENEFITSThis project addresses all ve o the long-term outcome areas (i.e., State o Good

Repair, Economic Competitiveness,Livability, Sustainability, and Saety)and creates substantial opportunities oremployment both in the near-term andlong-term. State o Good Repair: Rather thanexpend unds on maintenance andreconstruction o a acility deemedundesired and overbuilt, includingtwo structurally-decient bridges, our

lane miles o deteriorating expresswayinrastructure will be replaced by a new,high quality and contextually-sensitivecity street.

Economic Competitiveness: It iswidely acknowledged that a vibrantregional economy requires a healthyCenter City. This project will redeneDowntown Rochester, making it a moreattractive place to invest and conduct

business. The transormation rom widesunken highway to complete street willimprove the eciency and reliability othe Center City transportation systemby restoring the historic street gridthereby reducing circuitous routing,enhancing the attractiveness o alternatetransportation modes (i.e., bicycle,pedestrian and public transportation)

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and encouraging more sustainable growth patterns through the introduction onew opportunities or mixed use inll development. The ensuing redevelopmenacilitated by this investment will create job opportunities or nearby city residentswho have long dealt with above-average unemployment and high poverty rates.

Livability: the new complete street will be o appropriate scale, size and congurationthat better meets the community’s needs or access, neighborhood cohesion andland use. Implementation o this project will greatly enhance livability in the areaby providing more transportation choices, enhancing economic competitivenesssupporting existing communities, and valuing communities and neighborhoods.

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 expressway to complete street will have a positiveeect on saety and access or all users while also enhancing livability or currenand uture residents. It is anticipated that up to 76% o crashes involving injuries wil

be eliminated with this project. Additionally, all o the expressway non-standard andnon-conorming eatures would be eliminated rom the network

The initial transportation investment will create an estimated 285 construction jobsas well as opening up 9.4 acres o land or new development. This amount o landcould support 460,000 to 920,000 square eet o new mixed use developmentsresulting in $64.4 to $128.8 million o additional investment in the community andthe creation and/or retention o up to 1,840 long-term jobs in this economicallydistressed inner city.


Completion o the Inner Loop in the mid 1960s (looking east at Monroe Ave.)



II — PROJECT PARTIES

CITY OF ROCHESTEROn September 8th, 2011, a Rochester City Council committee approved

legislation authorizing the City to apply or unding through the FY 2011 TIGERDiscretionary Program. The City o Rochester will be the grant recipient andwill be responsible or administering the grant. The City has a proessional staresponsible or ederal grant administration and reporting procedures. The Cityhas a long history o delivering high-quality, large-scale public projects utilizingederal unding. A strong example o this is the Port o Rochester InrastructureImprovements project that was completed in 2004. This $40 million projectconstructed new streets, sidewalks, lighting, drainage, parking, multi-use trails,and public space on a previously-undened parking area surrounding the historicPort Terminal Building. Other recent examples o major ederally-unded Citytransportation projects include:•

the Broad Street Tunnel Reconstruction project, a $23 million projectcompleted in 2011 which lled in a deteriorating subsurace tunnel and ullyreconstructed a major surace arterial above, and

• the West Ridge Road Reconstruction project, a $25 million project involvingthe complete reconstruction o a six-lane Principal Arterial street.

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 the last10 years. NYSDOT’s primary role has been to provide technical guidance, asa member o the Technical Advisory Committees or the 2001 “INNER LOOP

IMPROVEMENT STUDY” and the City’s 2011 “PROJECT SCOPING REPORT”.NYSDOT currently owns and maintains the existing Inner Loop Expressway acility,and thus would benet rom the removal o this acility rom their inrastructureinventory. 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 project’s development.

GENESEE TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL (GTC)On September 9, 2011, GTC member agencies passed Resolution 11-132,unanimously endorsing the Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project as the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region’s highest priority or the FY 2011 TIGER DiscretionaryGrants program. GTC is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organizationresponsible or transportation policy, planning, and investment decision making


in the nine-county Genesee-FingeLakes Region. GTC has been an activemember o the project’s TechnicaAdvisory Committee since 2000. TheLong Range Transportation Plan or theGenesee-Finger Lakes Region 2035lists the Inner Loop East ReconstructionProject as one o a select ewIllustrative Projects that have the abilityto provide transormative impact on

both the transportation system andthe regional economy (Chapter VI Recommendations, Illustrative Projectspage 106, www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htm)



PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A total o nearly $15 million is required to complete the inrastructure work. Funding is already in place or engineeringand design work through nal plan, specications and estimate (PSE). This unding includes $1.65 million ($1.25 million

in as-yet unexpended Federal SAFETEA-LU unds as well as $400,000 in STP Flex unds through the region’s TransportationImprovement Program) and $503,000 in corresponding matching unds by the City o Rochester. In addition, the City oRochester has committed $5.02 million towards Construction o the Inner Loop East.

As part o the City’s match, the City will be contributing over 100,000 cubic yards o ll material rom its upcomingmunicipal marina development project at the Port o Rochester. The project timing overlaps perectly to take advantage oand reuse this valuable ll. This ll is estimated to be worth at least $1.68 million and its value is accounted or as a portiono the City’s project unding match. TIGER unding o $14.725 million is matched by a greater than 25% City contributionto the inrastructure elements.

Considering the unique nature o this project and the growing backlog o delayed projects in the region due to declining

levels o transportation unding, receipt o TIGER unding is the only unding source available to complete the overall budgeand ensure that this regionally-signicant project is completed in a timely ashion. The project budget includes a 20%construction contingency reserve to accommodate unanticipated complications which may arise over the course o such aunique and complex project.

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 2011 TIGER Discretionary Grant unds.


III — GRANT FUNDS AND SOURCES


TIGERFUNDS(REQUESTED)

FEDERALFUNDS(SOURCE)

LOCALFUNDS(SOURCE)

TOTALFUNDS

Project Approval/Environmental Document

$0$1,154,000(SAFETEA-LU, STP-FLEX)

$289,000(City o Rochester)

$1,443,000

Plans, Specifcations& Estimate

$0$497,000(SAFETEA-LU, STP-FLEX)

$214,000(City o Rochester)

$711,000

Construction(capital and support)

$14,725,000 $0$5,019,000(City o Rochester)

$19,744,000

TOTAL$14,725,000(67%)

$1,651,000(8%)

$5,522,000(25%)

$21,898,000



The project will eliminate the need to maintain,rehabilitate or replace in the near uture, the ollowingmid 1960’s inrastructure:

• Four (4+) lane miles o theInner Loop expressway system;

• 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)

IV — SELECTION CRITERIA

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 Monroe County and is positioning its economy to compete eectively in the21st century. With a city population o 210,565 and a metropolitan areapopulation o 1.1 million, Rochester is New York State’s third-largest city andsecond-largest regional economy. The reconstruction o the Inner Loop East willtear down barriers that have stifed growth, hindered neighborhood cohesion anddepressed urban vitality. The signicant eorts undertaken to plan and implementrevitalization eorts in this area o the City can only be propelled into the next

phase with the transportation and inrastructure improvements needed and to beunded by this TIGER Grant.

STATE OF GOOD REPAIRThis project will improve the condition o existing transportation acilities andnot only minimize lie-cycle costs, but eliminate approximately our lane mileso overbuilt highway inrastructure rom the NYSDOT’s inrastructure inventory. Ithe expressway is let unimproved, it will threaten uture transportation networkeciency, mobility o goods and people, and economic growth due to the poorcondition o the bridges and the deteriorating condition o the expressway. Theproposed project will replace this aging, inecient grade-separated expressway,

and its adjacent rontage streets with a new high quality city street capable ohandling the orecast trac volumes while contributing to economic developmentand enhanced community cohesion.

Three bridges over the expressway, two o which are structurally-decient and inneed o major rehabilitation i not total replacement, will be removed. Replacingthese two (2) bridges alone would be more than hal the cost o the nearly $15million proposed TIGER share to complete the Inner Loop East ReconstructionProject. A detailed assessment o the bridge conditions is documented in the City’sInner Loop Scoping Study (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/). Details orthe three bridges, according to the New York State Department o Transportation

(NYSDOT) are as ollows:

• East Avenue (State Route 96) over Inner Loop -built in 1965; NYS ConditionRating o 4.431;Federal Suciency Rating 32.6; NYSDOT GeneralRecommendation 4; Red, Yellow, and Saety fags issued; “R” posted

• Broad Street over Inner Loop -built in 1965; NYS Condition Rating o 3.931;Federal Suciency Rating 27; NYSDOT General Recommendation 4; Red,Yellow, and Saety fags issued

• Monroe Avenue (State Route 31) over Inner Loop – built in 1957 (rehabilitated





in 1998); NYS Condition Ratingo 6.083; Federal Suciency

Rating 77.3; NYSDOT GeneralRecommendation 6;

The lie-cycle cost savings o completingthe Inner Loop East ReconstructionProject more than pays or therequested TIGER investment. Basedon regional averages or bridges,the estimated cost to replace thesethree bridges is $8.938 million. Theannual maintenance cost or these

bridges is estimated at approximately$200,000. Thereore, the lie-cycle cost savings over 75 years byremoving these unnecessary bridges isroughly $24,000,000. Maintainingundesirable, aging, overbuilt andunderutilized inrastructure is not asustainable scal expenditure.

According to the NYSDOT 2010Pavement Data Report, pavement

condition ratings on this section othe Inner Loop Expressway average6 (air), despite being resuraced in2006. The estimated cost to reconstructthe pavement on this section o theInner Loop is roughly $4,650,000.The estimated cost o annual pavementmaintenance and operations or thissection o expressway is approximately$30,000. Thereore, the lie-cyclepavement cost savings over 75 years

by removing this expressway is roughly$7,000,000. This gure does not takeinto account the cost savings inherent ineliminating the expense o maintaininglarge retaining walls, deterioratedguide rails and medians, drainage,and overhead signage. Theseavoidable highway operations andmaintenance costs are not sustainable.

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Pavement scores on the rontage roads range between 5 and 7 (poor to good)The rontage roads (Pitkin, Union, and Howell Streets) have not been reconstructedwithin the past 50 years and all are due or ull reconstruction in the coming yearsIt is expected that the new street which results rom this project will be similar insize to the combined width o the rontage roads, though slightly narrower. Assuch, the lie cycle cost savings rom replacing Pitkin, Union, and Howell streets ismarginal, though positive. However, six trac signals along the corridor will be

consolidated into three, resulting in urther cost savings to the public.

The cost to replace the Inner Loop East in its current state is estimated to be aleast 1.32 times higher then to replace it with a more ecient at-grade citystreet. Hence, this project will signicantly reduce the lie-cycle costs to FHWA,NYSDOT, Monroe County, and the City o Rochester, which all maintain or undrepairs and improvements in the corridor, including street cleaning and snowplowing. The deteriorating condition o the inrastructure plus the communitybarrier this expressway has become produces lost opportunities or economic


Mid 1960s inrastructure




growth and stability in the community.

Reducing the lie-cycle costs to allo these agencies and in so doingmaintaining transportation acilities in aState o Good Repair, is an importantaim o the project.

The expressway has a number o non-standard eatures (blind slip rampsand inadequate merge/weave areas)which contribute to unsae conditionsand an unpleasant experience. The

presence o one-way rontage roadsmakes it necessary to have two tracsignals at each crossing arterial (sixsignals in total). Two o these arterials,East Avenue and Monroe Avenue, carrymore trac than the expressway itsel.Thus, the underutilized expresswaycauses excess delay on more heavily-traveled surace arterials. Removal othe expressway and rontage roadsand their replacement with a high

quality city street will improve tracoperations on these key Center Cityarterials while adding only minor delayor ormer users o the expressway.

With respect to travel perormance,the project can achieve the desiredobjective while adding only 2.2seconds o delay per vehicle duringthe evening peak travel period bythe orecast year 2035. The Level o

Service at the remaining three tracsignal control intersections will operateat good levels. The relatively low tracvolumes on the expressway can beeasily, and more eciently, handledon a standard city street. Accessmanagement via medians, alleys,and/or shared driveways will ensure

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a high-quality level o service on the new street. Project Scoping Report: wwwcityorochester.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.

ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS

The proposed project is located in the City o Rochester, New York which is aederally-designated Economically Distressed City. With an unemployment ratehigher than ten percent and a poverty rate above 30 percent, transormativeinvestments which create jobs and enhance the long-term economic competitivenesso this city are sorely needed. Although the regional economy has been resilienin recent years, employment levels are still 20,000 below their peak in the Yea2000. This project will have a net positive impact on the long-term eciencyreliability and cost-competitiveness o the City o Rochester, the Genesee-FingeLakes Region, and the nation as a whole with respect to the movement oworkers or goods. Removal o the inecient Inner Loop Expressway will improveaccessibility and mobility options, and overall system perormance, in the hear

o a major Central Business District that is home to 50,000 employees, 5,000residents and hosts millions o visitors annually. There are more than 15,000people living within a hal-mile o the project area. Thus, reconnecting downtownto the adjacent residential neighborhoods will increase economic activity at thelocal shops and restaurants.

Economic competitiveness is demonstrated by the project’s ability to increase theeciency and eectiveness o the transportation system through integration o


Non-conorming ramp confgurations




better use o all existing transportationinrastructure. The elimination o theexpressway section allows or therestoration o a historic street grid system

that will improve overall connectivityand circulation in the area. Due tothe limited crossings o the Inner Loop,travel patterns in this area are circuitousplacing a heavy burden on these samecrossings such as the Monroe Avenue,East Avenue, University Avenue andEast Main Street. Reconnecting thegrid system and incorporating two waytrac operations will relieve some othe pressure on these corridors allowing

or urther integration o completestreet principals on these arterials. Re-establishing connectivity in this areawill positively reduce vehicular tripsand their associated costs and uelconsumption.

This increased mobility includes notonly vehicular trac but also greatly

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improved pedestrian and bicycle access and transit-supportive eatures. Theproject includes extending pedestrian links along all newly reconnected crossstreets in addition to the pedestrian systems along the new street itsel. Pedestrianamenities will be added including wide sidewalks, benches, trees and plantings

and lighting. The project will also incorporate bicycle-riendly eatures, such asbicycle lanes, bicycle parking, and signage. According to the Rochester BicycleMaster Plan, the City expects to have 50 lane miles o on-street bike acilities bythe time the Inner Loop East breaks ground and the bike lanes planned or the newstreet will provide regionally-signicant connections as part o the City’s growingbike network. This is not to mention the impressive and growing network o o-street multi-use trails, including the nearby Genesee Riverway Trail. Innovativebike treatments such as bike boxes at signalized intersections, colored bike lanesand/or buered bike lanes will be considered and detailed during preliminaryengineering.

Major transit system enhancements are envisioned or the Center City. Chieamong these transit enhancements being considered is the Center City Circulato(http://www.cityorochester.gov/circulator/) which is a promising and ambitiousrecommendation or a “shuttle” system to connect underutilized and new parkingacilities within and adjacent to downtown with major downtown destinationsThe recommended shuttle system routes traverse the Inner Loop East corridoproviding signicantly enhanced transit availability to existing and uture residentsand businesses in the area and region.




City of Rochester On-Street BicycleFacilties - Current Status

On-Street Bicycle Facilities

Existing (as of October 2011)

Programmed

Proposed

Trails (Existing, Under Dev., & Planned

City of RochesterDES Engineering BureauOctober 18, 2011


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 ontransportation, with the poorest th oamilies spending more than double

that gure. In act, most amilies spendar more on transportation than on ood.When residents have the opportunity towalk, bike, or take transit, they havemore control over their expenses byreplacing car trips with these relativelyinexpensive options. Taking publictransportation, or example, savesindividuals an estimated $9,581 each

year.

In summary, the transormation othe Inner Loop East to a high qualitycity street will not only improveeciency and reliability o thetransportation system, but will alsoencourage alternate transportationmodes and more sustainable growthpatterns through the introduction ounprecedented opportunities or new,mixed use development.

LIVABILITYRemoval o the expressway sectionallows or restoration o the historicstreet grid network. This provides orthe integration o livability into thetransportation system. Some o thelivability principles that directly relateto this project include:

12

• Provide more transportation choices. Develop sae, reliable, and economicatransportation 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, educationa

opportunities, services, and other basic needs by workers, as well asexpanded business access to markets.

• Support existing communities. Target Federal unding toward existingcommunities—through strategies like transit oriented, mixed-use developmentand land recycling—to increase community revitalization and the eciencyo public works investments and saeguard rural landscapes.


INNER LOOP EAST




• Value communities andneighborhoods. Enhance the

unique characteristics o allcommunities by investing inhealthy, sae, and walkableneighborhoods—rural, urban, orsuburban.

The evolution o this project hasocused on these principles byemphasizing the need to remove thebarrier created by the Inner Loop andimprove connections between Center

City and adjacent neighborhoods. Byeliminating the sunken expressway andits “moat eect,” enhanced bicycleand pedestrian activity betweendensely-populated vibrant east sideneighborhoods and Rochester’sincreasingly active downtown areawill be acilitated. Adjacent residentialareas include some o Rochester’s mostthriving neighborhoods such as ParkAvenue, Neighborhood o the Arts,

Monroe Avenue, and WadsworthSquare. More than 15,000 peoplelive within a hal-mile o the projectarea (Census 2000). Providingalternate transportation choices hasrippling eects on transportation costs,reducing uel demand, improvingpublic health and the environment.

13

The Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project is a case study in transportation andland use connectivity. Prior to the completion o the Inner Loop in 1965, thedowntown area organically blended into the adjacent residential neighborhoodsallowing or a great sense o community cohesion. As the Inner Loop was

constructed, hundreds o properties were bulldozed and any ties between theneighborhoods and the downtown were eliminated. This led to a long trend odisinvestment that is only now beginning to turn around as evidenced by the ove$600 million in recent public and private investment in the area. Removal o thisunderutilized section o the Inner Loop will help correct transportation mistakes othe past which had a very noticeable negative impact on livability, walkabilityand private investment.

Complete Streets play an important role in livable communities, where all people –regardless o age, ability or mode o transportation – eel sae and welcome in thepublic right-o-way. A sae walking and bicycling environment is an essential par

o improving public transportation and creating riendly, walkable communities.Recent studies ound that people who live in walkable communities are morelikely to be socially engaged than residents o less walkable neighborhoodsAdditionally, they reported being in better health and happier more oten.

This project is the result o more than two decades o planning and designwork which consistenly called or replacing the expressway inrastructure on theeast side o the Rochester Central Business District with a acility o appropriatescale, size and conguration that better meets the community’s needs or access

neighborhood cohesion and land use. Implementation o this projecwill greatly enhance livability in the area.

SUSTAINABILITYThe project has the ability to improve energy eciency, reducedependence on oreign oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions,and benet the environment. The project will eliminate our lanemiles o expressway and rontage roads, which will enable greatecommunity cohesion through a more interconnected network o streets,sidewalks and bikeways. The project will allow or the restoration


“…I want you to live here. I want you to workhere and I want you to play here. I want thisto be the kind o place, not that you comeand go in an automobile rom, but that youappreciate living in.”- Rochester Mayor Tom Richards, Oct. 2011

Manhattan Square Park Canfeld Place




14

Vehicle Emission Reductions are also expected as ollows:• VOC Emissions – rom 2,161 grams to 1,994 grams or 8% reduction• CO2 Emissions – rom 77,428 grams to 71,169 grams or 8% reduction• NOx Emissions – rom 7,405 grams to 6,915 grams or 6.5% reduction

A slight reduction in energy use and a signicant reduction in all vehicle emissionsis anticipated.

The reduction o our lane miles o highway and elimination o three bridges wilreduce consumption o natural resources in manuacturing materials or maintainingor replacing such inrastructure. This will also reduce a notable amount o impervioussurace. No environmental impacts have been identied as the proposed projecdoes not require additional Right o Way, will improve air quality, and enhancecommunity cohesion. The project’s preerred alternative has avoided adverseenvironmental impacts while optimizing the potential or redevelopment eorts.

The City o Rochester is committed to enhancing the environment and thereore thenew at-grade acility will consider incorporating green inrastructure practices (e.g.porous materials, energy ecient lighting, innovative stormwater management

landscaping, etc.). The City is also proposing to reuse ll material generated by amunicipal marina construction project on the Inner Loop East Reconstruction Projectthereby reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and related emissions resulting romlong distance trucking o ll material to another location. The City o Rochesteris exercising scal responsibility by minimizing capital costs as well as long-termoperating and maintenance costs by ensuring this transportation system investmenis cost-eective. Sustainability and implementation o its principles will be careullyintegrated into the project to the greatest extent possible.


o the historic street grid that is more

energy-ecient, walkable and bicycleriendly. The removal o this barrierand its replacement with a high qualitycity street will encourage and enablealternate transportation modes such aspedestrian, bicycle and transit, betweendensely populated neighborhoods andthe Center City.

Enhanced connectivity means thatadjacent employment, cultural

destinations, educational institutions,retailers, restaurants, services, etc. willbe more readily accessible by oot orbicycle to a much larger population.These everyday trips taken by all modesare currently achieved via circuitousroutes around the grade separatedexpressway; hence overall trac willsee a redistribution and reduction. Whileuture use o alternate transportationmodes is dicult to quantiy, expected

reductions in CO2 emissions and uelconsumption are still expected based onthe projected trac volumes assessedor this project. Detailed energyconsumption and emission reductioninormation is documented in the City’sInner Loop Scoping Report (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs /).According to the SYNCHRO tracsimulation model, which was usedto evaluate beore and ater trac

conditions along the new street, theollowing sustainability benets can beexpected:

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

Excessive pervious suraces




The City o Rochester is committedto enhancing the environmentand thereore the new city streetwill consider incorporating greeninrastructure practices (porousmaterials, energy ecient lighting.stormwater management, landscaping,etc.) The City is also proposing to reuseexcess materials (e.g. ll) rom anotherongoing city project, in the constructiono the Inner Loop. The City o Rochester

is exercising scal responsibility byminimizing capital costs, long termoperating and maintenance costs byensuring the transportation systeminvestments are cost eective. SAFETYThe project will reduce the number,rate and severity o crashes. A totalo 17 crashes involving injuriesoccurred over a three year period

in the project corridor; 13 (76%) othese crashes occurred along theexisting high speed, non-standardexpressway section o the Inner Loop. Itis thereore anticipated that up to 76%o the crashes involving injuries will beeliminated with this project. In brie,a total o 87 crashes occurred over athree year period along the Inner LoopEast and adjacent service roads (SouthUnion Street and Pitkin Street). The

requency o crashes at the six tracsignal controlled intersections that servethe existing Inner Loop currently exceedthe Monroe County average accidentrates or similar type o intersections.The proposed project will eliminatethree o these intersections, along withcrashes associated with the higher

15

travel speed and non-standard highway eatures o the Inner Loop. The resulis an expected total crash reduction o 62%. A detailed saety assessment isdocumented in the City’s Inner Loop Scoping Study (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/).

Over the last 45+ years, highway design standards have also changedsignicantly to enhance saety or the motoring public. Thereore, the primarystudy corridor geometrics represent areas where deciencies (nonstandard andnonconorming eatures) are evident between past and present design standards

Inner Loop non-standard design eatures include: horizontal curvature, supeelevation, sight distance, and road widths (shoulders, medians and clearancesalong the main line. Non-conorming eatures include the layout o the existing slipramps, 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 Loop’s presence discourageswalking and biking between the adjacent urban neighborhoods. The agingbridge crossings at East Avenue and Broad Street are not ully ADA-compliant,hindering accessibility or the disabled and creating unsae conditions or all.


Pedestrian crossing expressway




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.

B) Job Creation& Near Term

Economic ActivityShort Term — The project promotesthe short-term creation or preservationo jobs during construction and longterm with the expanded businessopportunities resulting rom theshovel-ready development sitescreated. The total amount o undsthat will be expended on constructionand related activities by all o the

entities participating in the project is$21.9 million. Per the USDOT metrico 13 jobs created per million dollarsinvested, the project is anticipated tocreate 285 jobs.

The initial transportation investmentwill create jobs, however, unliketypical transportation investments;


this project will leverage signicant private redevelopment that will createmany more long term jobs in an economically-distressed inner city. There isa signicant renaissance that is taking place within this area o the city, asevidenced rom the development in and around the study corridor. In the lasve years, there has been $145 million (1,885 jobs) o investment within acouple o blocks o the study corridor, with a signicant amount unding projectsimmediately adjacent to the Inner Loop, e.g. ESL corporate headquarters andThe Strong Museum o Play. The Strong National Museum o Play, whichattracts over 600,000 national and international visitors to the area annually(www.museumoplay.com), completed a $37 million expansion in 2007 andis now considering plans or urther expansion once lands become available

with the elimination o the Inner Loop. Further, there is also $230 million(2990 jobs) in new investment currently under construction with another $225million (2,925 jobs) planned or construction, all within 1 to 2 blocks othe Inner Loop East project. The City’s prominent developers are showing agreat interest in the project. The Inner Loop East project area investment issummarized on pages 18 and 19.

Long Term — The project will make improvements to the roadway inrastructureand circulation on the east side o Rochester’s Central Business District, thus

ESL Corporate Headquarters ($50 million)

The Strong Museum New Townhouses




allowing or signicant expansion,

hiring, and growth o privatesector businesses. To that end,transorming the Inner Loop wouldopen up 9.4 acres o “new” landsor development. This amount o landcould support 460,000 to 920,000sq. t. o new commercial/residentialdevelopments, resulting in $64.4to $128.8 million o additionalinvestment in the community. Theprivate investment in redeveloping

this land would create an additional708 to 1,416 construction jobs andthe newly-redeveloped land wouldgenerate between $3.43 to $6.86million annually in new propertytaxes or Monroe County, the Cityo Rochester, and the Rochester CitySchool District. Sale o this vacatedland to private development wouldalso result in over $2.0 millionbenet to the City and State based

on current land values.Based on an accepted industryaverage o 250 square eet peremployee, the private investment incommercial redevelopment leveragedby this project will create/retainup to 1,840 long-term jobs in thiseconomically-distressed inner city.Business enterprises to be createdor directly benet rom the projectduring construction and later when

the project is operational include:local and regional constructioncompanies, private developers, retailand restaurant businesses, local andregional suppliers to NYSDOT, Cityo Rochester and Monroe Countyin the routine maintenance andoperation needs.


The Inner Loop East is widely-viewed as one o the most important publicprojects or regional economic development. Removal o the sunkenexpressway and rontage roads and replacement with a high quality city

street will improve accessibility and mobility in the area, enhance communitycharacter, and create acres o developable land that will leverage privateinvestment and create signicant employment opportunities ar beyond theinitial transportation investment.

Over the long term, this transportation investment will capitalize on locaemployment growth directly through mixed use redevelopment o the resultingshovel-ready developable sites created and indirectly by redening thedowntown area, making it a more hospitable location to work, live, play andtraverse. As the primary urban center with the largest concentrations o minoritylow-income, and Limited English Prociency populations in the region, the

benets o this economic grant will extend to our city’s most disadvantaged. C) Innovation

The project, in and o itsel, is a highly innovative transportation investment. Removao outdated expressway acilities has been proven eective in Milwaukee, SanFrancisco, and Portland and is being pursued in other cities nationwide. Thesuccess o these national projects revolved around restoring the urban abric to apre-expressway condition that has resulted in millions o dollars in redevelopmentThe Inner Loop East will be a model or similar investment in cities across thecountry.

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, bike lanes and tworoundabouts to enhance trac operations and improve saety. In addition to bikelanes and parking, innovative bike treatments such as bike boxes at signalizedintersections, colored bike lanes, and/or buered bike lanes will be consideredand detailed during preliminary engineering.





MAP ID PROJECT NAME STATUS $ INVESTMENT PUBLIC/PRIVATE

1 Erie Harbor Park Proposed $2,000,000 Public

2 Roc City Skate Park Proposed $2,000,000 Public/Private

3 Capron South Lots Under Construction $4,511,000 Private

4 250 South Complete (2009) $2,100,000 Private

5 ESL Headquarters Complete (2009) $50,000,000 Private6 Strong Museum Complete (2007) $37,000,000 Private

7 Manhattan Square Park - Phase 2 Complete (2009) $3,244,000 Public

7 Manhattan Square Park - Phase 3 Under Construction $3,100,000 Public

7 Manhattan Square Park - Phase 4 Proposed $2,800,000 Public

8 SUNY Rochester EOC Under Construction $20,000,000 Public

9 Midtown Tower Proposed $46,000,000 Private

10 Midtown Rising Under Construction $101,000,000 Public

11 Perorming Arts Center Proposed $70,000,000 Public/Private

12 Paetec Corporate Headquarters Proposed $ 55,500,000

13 Eastman Theatre Expansion Complete (2010) 47,000,000 Private

14 Block F Proposed TBD Private

15 Windsor Lot Under Construction $1,234,000 Private

16 522 East Main Under Construction $500,000 Private

17 Windsor Place Complete (2010) $1,200,000 Private

18 Charlotte Street Townhomes Proposed $20,000,000 Private

19 School 58 Expansion Proposed $16,615,000 Public

20 Eastman/Union (astrac) Complete — Private

21 230 East Complete (2010) $1,000,000 Private

22 250 East Under Construction $1,600,000 Private

23 East Avenue Inn & Suites Proposed $4,000,000 Private

24 Court/Broad/Chestnut Streets Under Construction $4,200,000 Public

25 255 East Avenue Complete (2009) $1,000,000 Private

26 Roc Brewing Co. Complete (2011) $500,000 Private

27 The Ambassador Complete — Private

28 Union Laayette Townhomes Complete (2009) $2,000,000 Private

29 Alexander Park Phase 2 Under Construction TBD Private

30 Alexander Park Phase 1 Under Construction $83,000,000 Private

31 Art Walk 2 Under Construction $10,000,000

32 Inn on Broadway Expansion Proposed $4,000,000 Private

33 University Ave Milling & Resuracing Proposed $250,000 Public

34 East Avenue Milling & Resuracing Complete (2010) $600,000 Public

35 Charlotte/Anson/Lawrence Reconstruction Complete (2010) $855,000 Public

36 East End Garage Under Costruction — Public

37 Capron/South Reconstruction Under Construction $923,000 Public

38 Charlotte St (West) Reconstruction Proposed $750,000 Public

39 University-Windsor Townhomes Proposed $1,000,000 Private

Private: $363,145,000

Public: $156,348,000

Public/Private: $82,000,000

Complete (2007-2011): $145,499,000

Under Construction: $230,079,000

Proposed: $224,915,000

TOTAL: $601,493,000




This project will incorporate a number

o on-going ITS eorts in the Rochesterarea such as arterial managementsystems including computerized tracsignal systems and trac surveillancecameras remotely monitored bythe Monroe County Department oTransportation at the Regional TracOperations Center. The signals will beequipped with trac signal preemptionor the Rochester Fire Department and,i appropriate, transit signal priority

or Regional Transit Service buses.Signalized pedestrian crossings willeature countdown pedestrian signalsand, i appropriate, Leading PedestrianInterval timings.

Other innovative project componentsinclude sustainable constructionpractices already being applied tothe project and the City’s proactivecoordination with the Port o Rochester

marina project to reuse ll generatedby that project on the Inner Loop EastReconstruction Project. The reuse o llrom one project or another is not onlya sustainable application but also amajor cost contribution to the projectin the amount o approximately $1.68million.

Another project innovation is the useo the project website to provide up

to date inormation on the projectstatus, provide project documents(sustainable), history, meeting resultsand conceptual renderings andvisualization aids. The project websitecan be ound at www.cityorochester.org/innerloopeast.


D) Partnership

New York State DOT has been instrumental in the overall planning o the InneLoop East Reconstruction project over the last 10 years. NYSDOT’s primaryrole has been technical guidance, as a member o the Technical AdvisoryCommittees or the 2001 “INNER LOOP IMPROVEMENT STUDY” and the City’2011 “PROJECT SCOPING REPORT”. The New York State currently owns andmaintains the existing Inner Loop Expressway acility, and thus would benet romthe removal o this acility rom their inrastructure inventory. NYSDOT concurs withthis proposal or TIGER unding. NYSDOT will continue to be an integral partnerthroughout the project including completion o the land transer and redening thejurisdictional limits o the new road network (currently ongoing).

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

In addition, the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation and SoutheasArea Coalition, non-prot community groups representing the interests o residentsand businesses in the project area, have been involved in the Project AdvisoryCommittee. Member agencies o the local Metropolitan Planning Organizationthe Genesee Transportation Council, has endorsed this project as the region’s

highest priority or FY 2011 TIGER Discretionary unding and has included thisproject in the Long Range Transportation Plan or the Genesee Finger-LakesRegion 2035 as an illustrative project (Chapter VI - Recommendations, IllustrativeProjects, page 106, www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htm). Several businessesand private developers have expressed interest in the opportunities this projecwill spur. As evidenced by the many letters received (www.cityorochester.org/innerloopsupport), the project is supported by a wide range o parties in businesslabor, government and the community at-large.

“Buckingham Properties is currently developing a mixed-use project one block tothe East o the proposed Inner Loop Project....The project will exceed $80 million

The proposed Inner Loop Project will have a benefcial impact or our project aswell 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 CenteCity. The project is engaging citizens with more to be scheduled as the projecprogresses into next year. Non-transportation public agencies will be invited




to participate in these sessions whichwill provide input to the design team.

One o the primary objectives o theInner Loop East transormation is torestore neighborhoods and improvelivability within the southeast area andCenter City. The project has engagedcitizens through public outreach eortswith many more opportunities orpublic involvement to be scheduled asthe project progresses into next year.Non-transportation public agencieswill be invited to participate in these

sessions which will provide input tothe design team.

ROCHESTER EXPRESSES ITSENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORTThe ollowing are letters to UnitedStates Secretary o Transportation,Ray LaHood, in support o the City’sInner Loop East project. These letterswere penned by local neighborhoodassociations, business associations,

elected ocials, property developers,and more. They illustrate the deepand varied community support thatstands behind lling in the Inner LoopEast. Endorsement letters at www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopsupport

Elected Ofcials• United States Senator Kristen

Gillibrand• United States Senator Charles

Schumer• New York Senator Joseph Robach• New York Assemblyman Joseph

Morelle• New York Assemblyman Harry

Bronson• Rochester City Council

21

Real Estate Developers Letters o Interest• Buckingham Properties•

Christa Construction• Conier, a Rochester real estate development company.• Flower City Development• Graywood

Local Neighborhood, Business, and other interested Associations andOrganizations• The Strong Museum o Play• UNICON, Unions and Business United in Construction• The University o Rochester• Rochester Business Association•

Genesee Transportation Council• Reconnect Rochester• Rochester Cycling Alliance• Costanza Enterprises, Inc.• Wadsworth Square Neighborhood Association• Rochester Public Library• Sector 5, a downtown residency advocacy group.• Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival• Bergmann Associates• Conier• SWBR

E) Results o Beneft-Cost Analysis

The ollowing quanties project benets, including the use o Benet/Cost Analysis(“BCA”). Full consideration has been given to quantiying benets or the Long-Term Outcomes including: State o Good Repair, Economic Competitiveness,Sustainability and Saety. A detailed estimate or each o these items is includedin the appendix and can be ound in the City’s Inner Loop Scoping Report (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs/); the ollowing provides a summary.

Other Recent Investment with the Area – $600,000,000

The local developers have made signicant investment in the area, $145 millioncompleted, $225 million under construction and $230 million proposed. Theseinvestments have not been included in any o the project’s benet-cost analysis.

State o Good Repair Beneft – $2,000,000Value o land created by eliminating the expressway and made available orprivate development. Lie cycle cost savings to the NYSDOT in reduced lanemiles o state highway, plus reduced costs to repair and maintain bridges andother parts o the old highway has not been included.





Economic Competitiveness Beneft(Lands Created by eliminating the

Inner Loop) – $67,900,000 minThe acres o vacated land wouldgenerate private investment rangingrom $64.4M to $128.8M and create637-1,674 construction jobs (per thecurrent USDOT metric o 13 jobscreated per million dollars invested).County, City and School taxespotentially generated by economicredevelopment could reach another$3.5 -$6.87M. Private investment

leveraged by this project would createup to an estimated 1,840 long-termjobs. Benets associated with improvedconnectivity, alternative transportationmode savings, and enhanced livabilityhave not been quantied. Consideringthe renaissance that is already takingplace within a couple o blocks o thearea, this investment potential is real.

Sustainability – $275,000 (cost)

Minor additional travel delay costs areanticipated to the road users. Energysavings and emission reductions(i.e., 6,259g CO2, 167g VOC,490g NOX, 5.3 gallons o uel),though locally important, are globallynegligible and thus not quantied.

Saety Beneft – $947,000By removing the Inner Loop East, it isanticipated that 76% o all crashes

involving injuries in the project area willbe eliminated. Other saety benetsrelated to complete streets, pedestrianand bicycle saety improvements, andaccessibility have not been quantiedin this benet.

22

Project Cost – $20,855,000The cost to reconstruct the Inner Loop East in its current state is 1.32 times greate

than the proposed project. Replacement o this section o the Inner Loop isthereore cost eective.

Beneft/Cost Analysis ratio – 2.33 -3.83*The benets and costs, distributed over 20 years ater completion o raisingthe Inner Loop East (assuming a 3.5% discount rate), demonstrates a positivebenet to cost ratio. This BCA only includes the calculated user benets, sale andreinvestment in land and new property tax revenue. This return on these variablesis dependent on the square ootage and type o redevelopment that occurs on theland created by the project. It also does not refect these additional benets noquantied at this time, such as:•

Private development in the area;• Reduced road maintenance (snow removal, street cleaning, etc.) and othe

normal repairs associated with having our ewer lane miles road andshoulder, along with three (3) ewer multi-span bridges and three (3) ewetrac signals;

• The need to rehabilitate or reconstruct two (2) multi-span bridges, plusretaining walls;

• Improved health due to improved air quality due to reduced vehicle emissions• Energy cost savings (uel consumption, energy ecient street lights);• Multi-modal improvements to access and circulation – complete streets

benets;•

Eliminating a long standing barrier and improving community cohesion; and• Meeting overall community desires - Livability.

I these other benets were actored into the benet cost analysis, the benetsincurred by every dollar spent would be expected to be notably higher. TheBenet Cost Analysis and Lie Cycle Assessment are provided in the appendix.

A lie cycle cost comparison was undertaken to compare the costs o maintainingthe eastern portion o the Inner Loop to the alternative o raising the Inner Looprom Monroe Avenue to Charlotte Street. Costs included normal road and bridgemaintenance practices as presented in the Modal Cost Comparison Matrix

(NYSDOT-Region 4, June 2009), over the presumed 75 year lie or these typeso acilities. The results indicate over $1.8 million dollars savings in 2015 byraising the Inner Loop ($21.9 million) versus maintaining the existing Inner Loop($23.7 million) over 30 years. Thus, raising the Inner Loop is a better investmeno public unds than maintaining the existing. Note that this savings most likelywill be higher since the cost to reconstruct and maintain the existing Inner Loop isbased on NYSDOT Region 4 typical cost per lane mile o road. In reality, costs toreconstruct and maintain an urban street are much higher. In addition, many o thecosts to maintain the existing Inner Loop are not included or lack o inormationlike street lighting and water main repairs.




PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING: DECEMBER2011 TO SEPTEMBER 2012

• Develop Drat Design Report:December 2011 to May 2012

• Develop Final Design Report: May2012 to September 2012

• NEPA: Fall 2011 — Fall 2012

FINAL DESIGN: SEPTEMBER2012 TO APRIL 2013

• Complete 40% Plans: September 2012

to November 2012• Complete ADP (95% Plans): November

2012 to January 2013• Complete Bid Plans (PSE): May 2010

to July 2011

BID & AWARD: SUMMER 2013

CONSTRUCTION START: SEPTEMBER 2013

ESTIMATED DATE OF COMPLETION: JULY 2015

V — PROJECT READINESS AND NEPA

PROJECT SCHEDULEA detailed project schedule broken down by quarterly increments is

shown below which demonstrates that the project will achieve PSEand begin construction well within the FY 2011 TIGER DiscretionaryGrant requirements. The TIGER Grant unds will be spent steadilyand expeditiously once construction starts.

Preliminary Engineering work is underway. The City o Rochester,supported by a Technical Advisory Group consisting o New YorkState Department o Transportation, Monroe County Department oTransportation, and the Genesee Transportation Council (MPO) hasnalized a scoping report to demonstrate that removal o this sectiono grade-separated expressway would not result in negative impacts

to the region. This scoping report constitutes signicant portions othe required preliminary engineering documents, including existingperormance (trac and inrastructure) conditions and uture needs.


F A L L 1 1

W I N

T E R 1 1 / 1 2

S P R I N G 1 2

S U M

M E R 1 2

F A L L 1 2

W I N

T E R 1 2 / 1 3

S P R I N G 1 3

S U M

M E R 1 3

F A L L 1 3

W I N

T E R 1 3 / 1 4

S P R I N G 1 4

S U M

M E R 1 4

F A L L 1 4

W I N

T E R 1 4 / 1 5

S P R I N G 1 5

S U M

M E R 1 5

F A L L 1 5

Preliminary Engineering

NEPA Documentation

Final Design

Bid & Award

Construction

ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALSThe NEPA process is commencing with the Preliminary Engineering phase to be completed by September 2012.

A preliminary assessment o environmental impacts o the project was developed as part o the Project Scoping Report andassumes the project to be classied as a Type II Action in accordance with the denitions o the State Environmental QualityReview (SEQR) Act 17 NYCRR Part 15, and as a Class III action under United States Department o Transportation (USDOTNational Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regulations 23CFR 771.117(d)(1). The project is anticipated to comply with therequirements o a Categorical Exclusion with Documentation. Thereore, an environmental impact report will not be requiredunder NEPA or SEQRA or the Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project. The project is expected to apply or a Categorica



PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Exclusion and a Finding o No Signicant Impact (FONSI)obtained within 6 months.

The preliminary assessment o environmental impactscontained within the Project Scoping Report is posted on theproject website (www.cityorochester.gov/innerloopdocs) inChapter 4: Social, Economic & Environmental Concerns andConsiderations. Preliminary consultation with environmentalagencies including NYSDEC, Division o Fish, Wildlie &Marine Resources, United States Department o the Interior,Fish and Wildlie Service, National Marine Fisheries Service,Habitat Conservation Division, has been initiated and will continue as the preliminary engineering stage progresses.

City o Rochester – Department o Neighborhood & Business Development – these documents and processes will becompleted during the Preliminary and Final Design state o the project.• SEQRA and NEPA Compliance - Design report will be progressed which will 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:• Cultural Resources coordination and documentation

Legislative approvals required or this project will include City o Rochester City Council approvals or:•

Award o Construction and Engineering Contracts• Jurisdictional and maintenance changes with the New York State

Department o Transportation• Roadway width adjustments or the new city street (Ocial Map Amendments)

A similar legislative approval or the jurisdictional and maintenance changes rom the New York State Department oTransportation will also be necessary. Broad support among the New York State Department o Transportation, MonroeCounty Department o Transportation, and City o Rochester has been demonstrated through the various planning eor ts ovethe years and their participation in the ongoing preliminary engineering activities.

The project is on the Genesee Transportation Council’s Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the New YorkStatewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The TIP Project Number is H01-05-MN1 and the PIN is 4940T7. TheTIP can be ound at http://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/TIP.htm A letter rom the Metropolitan Planning Organization certiyingthat, i notied, TIGER unds will be added to this project in the TIP, is included in an appendix.

No right-o-way acquisition is needed or this project as the New York State Department o Transportation and the City oRochester own all o the right-o-way along the entire project length. Right o way transers and/or maintenance jurisdictionswill be re-established.


PROJECT DESCRIPTION


V — PROJECT READINESS AND NEPA


“This will be a game changer or downtown”

— New York State Senator Charles Schumer



VI & VII— FEDERAL WAGE RATE CERTIFICATION & PRE APPLICATION CHANGES

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 beenprohibited by the New York State Department o Transportation rom using the City’s 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 Transportation’s Guidelines or Locally-AdministeredFederal-Aid Projects to accomplish ederal Equal Employment Opportunity and health and saety objectives. The ederalaid 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.

VII — PRE APPLICATION CHANGESSince the pre-application the only change is the reduction by $400,000 in TIGER unds being requested to $14,725,000.

Project Narrative 1

Documents

Transcript of Project Narrative 1