Study of Downtown Fredericksburg Traffic Could Produce Big Changes
By Hank Silverberg
CORRESPONDENT
Fredericksburg City planners are taking a look at ways to mediate traffic in the downtown area that could leave parts of the business district untouched, but slow down traffic in the adjoining neighborhoods.
Some options being considered were unveiled at a standing-room-only community presentation on Wednesday night.
The study is expected to be completed in time for the City Council to make some decisions about traffic improvements at budget time next spring.
The options being discussed would include returning several streets that have been one-way since the 1960s back into two-way roads similar to what was recently done on Fall Hill Avenue near U.S 1.
Included in the options is a plan to make William Street and Amelia Street, which are parallel one-way roads now, back into two lane streets all the way from Sophia Street to Washington Avenue. That would also improve the flow of traffic coming off the newly constructed Chatham Bridge where vehicles currently cannot go up William Street. Two sets of traffic signals on William Street and Amelia Street would also be replaced with four-way stops and improved pedestrian crosswalks.
Also suggested is returning most of Caroline Street and Princess Anne Street to two-way traffic, though the sections of those streets between Wolfe Street and George Street, in the heart of the business district, would remain one-way as they are today.
Other traffic calming that might be added on parts of Caroline and Princess Anne include speed tables, mini-roundabouts, and curb extensions. The speed limit on both roads varies from 20 to 25 miles per hour depending on which section you are on.
Many of those at the public meeting expressed support for slowing down traffic. Jessica Kujala who lives in the neighborhood just off Princess Anne Street said she was “excited about anything that would slow down traffic and make it better for biking and walking.”
Most of the questions at the meeting were about another part of the proposals, a dedicated bike lane on both Caroline and Prince Edward streets that would be located on the existing footprint between curbside parking and the actual sidewalk on one side of the street.
Rachel Dekeyser “liked the presentation and the idea of the bike lanes,” but others expressed concern it would make it harder for them to get out of their driveways.
City Councilman Will Mackintosh, who was at the meeting, said he’s not ready to commit to any of the suggestions, but he did say “I would favor anything that makes the best use for traffic and pedestrians out of the existing space.”
Mackintosh said none of this could happen very soon because right now the city has only about $100,000 in the budget for traffic calming.
Projecting the cost of any possible changes is one of the things that is still being studied.
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