Washington Ave Revitalization
Thank you for your feedback!
The public polling for a preferred layout for the Washington Ave. Revitalization Project has been completed. Your feedback has been phenomenal and is appreciated. We received hundreds of responses with several taking the time to provide additional feedback by letter or a phone call.
The plan have been updated to reflect the feedback, along with suggestions from the area’s business owners and other stakeholders. Highlights of the updates, based in large part on your feedback:
- Expanded green space at numerous locations. A decision has not been on the type of vegetation. That will be determined as design moves ahead, noting that the selection will be appropriate for a curbside area, low maintenance, and high sustainability.
- Improved lighting. The style of the light standards and fixtures is under discussion and will be finalized as the project progresses. Light poles will be situated so there is a continuous level of lighting along the entire Ave, without any dark spots. Spacing of the poles will vary as needed to address any dark spots that otherwise would be created by tree canopies.
- On-street parallel parking is improved and laid out in a way which provides improved visibility at crosswalks and driveway entrances.
- Dedicated loading/unloading zones for business pickups and deliveries have been added.
- Public transit bus stop locations have been improved.
- Mid-block crossings with solar powered pedestrian activated lighting will improve pedestrian safety while providing a defined shortcut to get from one side of the street to the other without having to walk to an intersection.
- A ground level (not raised) median will be incorporated which simulates the location of the old trolley cars. The median will look like brick and appear to have railroad tracks in it, and be completely traversable by vehicles. This will allow cars to pass someone who may be temporarily double parking and/or EMS to make U-turns if needed.
- A raised median will be created at both ends of the Ave. as part of the gateways.
To give you a better idea of what this looks like, we’ve created a video. It can be viewed below.
In the coming months, we’ll be finalizing the design, developing the gateways, and reimagining the northeast Ideal Alley parking lot in terms of its use, accessibility, and safety. The design of the project is intended to be completed by the end of 2021, with construction occurring in 2022.
Stop back soon for updates, and thanks for helping us make Washington Ave. a destination for residents and visitors alike!