5th/6th Street Livability & Circulation Study
Final Phase II Recommendations
The final guiding statement reflects agreement of the Citizens Corridor Advisory Group (CCAG). It does not specifically reflect any one of the three alternatives developed during the course of the study. Upon tallying the public input from Community Forums, an even split was revealed between those who favored two travel lanes and those who favored four travel lanes. The CCAG itself was evenly split on the subject of the number of travel lanes to include the preferred alternative.
The CCAG worked hard to find a common ground acceptable to the community at large and the interested they represent. Meeting in a working session near the end of the project term, a subset of the CCAG worked out a compromise alternative that was painstakingly refined at the final CCAG meeting ant is presented in the following Guiding Statement:
“(Fifth/Sixth Street shall be) four lanes with two outer lanes signed as transit lanes, but still allowing other forms of traffic, and continuous bike lanes. Some flexibility in the road design may be necessary based on local conditions. However, any deviation from principles agreed upon by the group (CCAG) or existing curb-to-curb widths shall require approval of the neighborhoods, businesses, etc.”
This statement was voted upon in June 2001 at the 13th CCAG meeting, and approved by the CCAG, 25 in favor and 2 opposed. The principles referred to are the following “Elements Common to All Alternatives.”
- Provide continuous sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the street
- Develop pedestrian safety treatments (locations to be determined)
- Include roadside landscaping/buffering between roadway and sidewalks
- Develop the “Education Corridor” theme
- Urban design improvements
- Preservation of historic character
- Maintain residential character
- Improve transit amenities at key locations
- Multiple uses/small business development
- Address drainage problems
- Address parking and consideration of access for business
The following are several ideas proposed by the Project Team for ways in which the “Education Corridor” theme might be implemented in the 5th/ 6th Street corridor. The ideas address the transportation function of the corridor as well as the corridor form.
The “Education Corridor” theme can be functionally expressed through:
- Implementation of a transit shuttle to transport students to and from educational institutions along the corridor.
- Improved pedestrian safety treatments at school crossings along the corridor.
- Implementation of bicycle safety treatments, policies, and educational efforts to encourage children to ride their bikes to school.
- Improved bicycle and pedestrian connections from the schools to the surrounding neighborhoods.
- Development of a “Safe Routes To School” pilot project, which involves parents, teachers, administrators, neighborhood groups, city officials, and law enforcement officers working together to evaluate and improve routes to schools, with the objective of promoting walking and bicycling by students.
- Implementation of a “walking school bus,” to convey schoolchildren to schools or shuttle stops along the corridor. (This concept would also be used to return children home after school.)
The form of the “Education Corridor” theme can be expressed through:
- Designation by the City of 5th/6th Street as the “Education Corridor,” with signs along the corridor signifying this designation.
- Design of bus stops near the schools reflecting an education theme.
- Implementation of hands-on exhibits along the corridor as a combination of street art and a learning experience.
Details specific to individual corridor segments will be developed as part of Phase III.
