Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutagenda.council.worksession.20090120MEMORANDUM TO• Mayor and City Council FROM: Tyler Christoff, Project Manager, Engineering Dept. Scott Chism, Project Manger, Parks and Recreation THRU: Jeff Woods, Manager of Parks and Recreation Tricia Aragon P.E., City Engineer DATE OF MEMO: January 16t~', 2009 MEETING DATE: January 20th, 2009 ~: Worksession, Main Street Streetscape/Pedestrian Improvements SUMMARY: Staff is presenting conceptual plans for th e develotrmenttrof pedestrian crossing is seeking guidance from City Council members on th p improvements along the Main Street corridor. PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION: The proje d Pedestrian SafetyaCommitteeeintJuly 2008. Council dunng a work session with the Traffic an Since that time, the design team has further d Counciadire t ve to impaove pedestrian safety and consultant. This Project is the result of a City the aesthetics of Main Street. BACKGROUND: Colorado State Highway 82 rands t ofilelincludes two lanes of travel in each. Street for approximately 14 blocks. The current ro p direction, a center turning lane and a westbound amovements between thenorthhand south sidels corridor creates a significant barrier to pedestrian of town. This project seeks to create safer and easier pedestrian crossings of Main Street at specific intersections through the use of center planted medians, enhanced pavement materials, street plantings and improved lighting at strat sgi 1l ualionof the corridor forlboth motorists and equally important benefit by enhancing the vi q h' pedestrians. Consultant, Schmueser Gordon Meyer, Inc. (SGM) has been retained to aid the Engineering design team with traffic engineering and CDOT cooidin nted thislninitial design concepto u the preliminary design recommendations. Staff has p Planning and Zoning, and the Historic Preservation Committees as well as City Council, RFTA, and CDOT. Currently staff is working to refine tha conceptual design drawings based on input from various stakeholders and available lustonc da Page 1 DISCUSSION: Staff and SGM presented the proposed design as it has been developed to date to the HPC Board on Januaryl4th 2009. The HPC members did not support the proposal as presented, expressing criticism to the idea of any kind of raised landscape medians in the center of the Main Street corridor. The HPC believed that center landscaped medians were "too urban", and a change that was completely out of historic character of a wide open corridor flanked by tall stately street trees. Members of the HPC suggested that landscape medians would detrimentally effect pedestrian safety because pedestrians would utilize the landscape medians to cross the street mid-block. Some members questioned the feasibility of placing street trees in a median and suggested short life spans of street trees and the potential use of non-native trees makes the proposal inappropriate. At least one of the HPC members believed that pedestrian safety was not a significant problem on Main Street and questioned public statements in the Citizen Survey. Another HPC member suggested that the existing use of pedestrian activated crossing lights be expanded and should be sufficient to improve pedestrian safety. The HPC was supportive of "bulb-outs" on the sides of the street, lighting improvements at pedestrian crossing points, and use of different paving material for crosswalk locations, but not landscape or trees in the center of Main Street. Staff believes this project will serve to create safer and easier pedestrian crossings of Main Street, benefit the community by enhancing the visual quality of the Main Street comdor, and provide opportunities for enhanced transit, stormwater and green space. The project has been designed to specifically address safety concerns along Main Street as they relate to vehicle pedestrian interactions. Staff has developed this project not only to serve a need, but to address issues of sustainability, maintenance and aesthetic civil design. Attached are five graphic boards for review. These boards outline design choices as well as a preliminary layout of the project. Historic imagery, 3-D renderings and design precedents have been included for your information. Staff has scheduled a Public Open House, January 28`h from 5-7pm in City Council Chambers to solicit public comment on this proposal. Staff and our consultant SGM will be in attendance to answer questions and gather feedback. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: ATTACHMENTS: Attachment A: (5) graphic image sheets illustrating project proposal Page 2 of 2 Va i f!t u j ~ (R a .~ ~. ,x -n 7 a ~ y r :yam + ~~ ~p~ p~ t ;. , ~: ~~ ~..% v J . i ~' `z _~ ^_ %-N ,`' ~l' ~_ J: :. ~~~ ~5 i~l ^~~~- ~J --V_ r., `~i ~ T - is '"t1 "' .-+ f ~• .:1 _U= nJ5 N+ ~~ ~ ~ rV 1 ^, CD 6's tL ~. O S~ V. r .. rJp ~ ~ ^'s =, ^' r- _ J ..J ^ ~ '~ N ;f Va ~~ ~_ lY J: G .^~-' ~ J ..~ ~ ~~I~i J r* ~~-,.. C'u r,. 6% ~-- r; r . ~' ,~ G . ~ ~ 2 ('~ r :~ ~. :n .-~. Y~ zZ L • ~ .lJ 'j O (T Z 1f n ny o ~~ -~ ~I O N G O s u~ x •• m i .~' ~, Y • ~. 'L a m i Y F r •~ n °~ r ~~ ~- C. .:'. f~ t/; !- ..., ~t ~~ T r -c - J~ f i ~~ r, y I Z ~J ~~ L n ,~ ~~ r ~m ~r l J~ r ~-~ i ~~ - v v r , ~ ~ r' ~V' 1~~1 ` Q ~~ ~~ " 'J y.... :~ • ~y f~' ~~ ~~ rU ~'! 'C7J~ ~• p '~ ~ ~'r ~, Q ~• ~py, 1y' G r~ T cn ~ • N ~,, R ~_ R' ~' _ ' ('~ ~ '- ,_.,_ J ~J' f~ ~, ~ r f ~~~~ ' `~ ~ r~ Y r f 4 j,y ~,. ,, M i 4~- 6 ,9'~ ~1 ,~~' '~_ '. -~ a _ J y ~-1 ~ C~', y ~ ~ ~ y h _ ~ y ` J L ' ~ co :. n o . c _ ,~ L7 * to 7 ~ U ~ m 1 ~ T x E~ ~~ ~~ s~ r; z 1 I r-- -r ~ . ~ Q c C .. r+'~ n' ~ ~ ~'. ~• C; r. J r G G . J r-r CLIC ?• h' , ~ 4 / ~ ~~ ~ ; - ~, ~~ ~ r. - _ CJc % '-' ~. ' ~. f'p r Q `~' l .r • ~ ~ • ~ C'i '..+ 1 ~ ..+ r. f. _' ~. r+ • ~-^ CD ~ ~. Ur ~. M i G .C ^~ ,~ G = '_' - r; ~. ,- !D Vs • ~ ~ T ~P== ` ':~ ~ ~rf y~~ ~I .s i:n ._ -; t ~'. I Z ~...J mss, -. L' z f- m J Z f, " ~ _= ~~, _ ~~m ~l p . _~ .- ~.. _ ;Fr -;'~ `i ~~~ s~ ~ r .-O n~ .I^ ~~ ~~ -- ~-~ . ~ ..~ _. - z '~ i Z i ~ ~ ~~~ ~ - ~ ~-., . 1 _ ~~ 4 ~~ ...~: .. r.J _ '~~ ~~ ~ . x'. i r. °~' r f: .~,. r ~ I ~- ~.y ~. = T .~; _ - r `~ ~~, ~~ L .~y '~~ r ~ J ~~ ~~ ~;, ~~ ~'~"~ ~~~ \.f' -~ ~~ l~ L1j l ' ! ~F U 7 ~ f~ w M 5 ~ ,1 s 7 _ ~ (~ . x ~~ J 11 1". _'® z~ i~ T ~ ~ -- rJ ~ r I ..~,..~ y C ~ r 1 n r. 7 ~~ T j 1 ~~^ ~ ~ ~. ...~i, i ~ . ~~ ~ ~ " ' ,) m ~~ N .'~ ~ ~~, " ~ ' (. ~. r . ;, ,ti, ~ : ~, y ~~ ~.. ~. ' = r, ~u ~ c ^~ ". r ~.,~. . , r ~ ~ r- .r ~' ._ . n; ~- C ~': ~ i ,~ '` r- S -' r-- z v ~ v ~ yl ..:+ ~ ti. ~' r-1- r. ~. ~ ~~ '•• n ~ i. T l J !G ~ ,'~ ~' Y+ ~ \• ~ , ~> ~ ~~ 1 f .~. ~. ~~ r- ~.. 1~ ~r ~ ~ J ~I J ~~ V J '~ r r~ f '~11 J n ~' ~, ~ ~ ~~~~ ~, ~~ ~ C~ ~_O ~ ,--~ t ly. I ~ ..~f _ `~ ~, ~~ n c `~Y r (A r ~ 7 c A Y X { Y1 a i !~. n~ ~~ ~.~{t~- rl ~, ,, ,~t~~`~ ~LL {.;i L ~f, ' 'll ~, ~ i ~ .J j ~ ~.. J. ~~'r 1+h ~ft< ~i . ~ ~r ~+ 1 ~, ~' ~:,' .~k. ~1' a c ~ rt ~ ~, Y .~G.. _ ^ o rr ~, ~ ~~• t. 1 ,rte, U ; _~ ~,. G ~ ~- .-:,~ U: ~~ ,~ i ~ p rn rv =11~n -- :~:;~ ~, , f._ L. ,ti~~^~~ e ~. ~v I ,. ~.~ < !_ J ~i Ir ~ ' I T~ 1.fY T J ~= :;: - 1 r`_ ~ C"'~ ,f ('~j .,, ~ ~ ti. ~t ~~ `~.-- _ -' ~'_~' ~_ 1 ~. -~ rJ n, -ii .~ ` i'~ 1. ~ ~ l 1~ ii ~ ~ t { _' ' _~' '~ N ~. t_. .. : r L '~ ~~e _ ~~ ~ T _ - J. ~, _ _ ,~ r~.f'Y _ - ,~•c•-i. ~~ ~-- ,~ i! y 'T ~j a- ,. 1 I , -T ,C' .~ .*'~"' . ~~~: s, {yyy.~~~r~ ~. .~