Study Recommends Major Changes To Downtown Traffic
Among the recommendations, converting Prince Edward Street to a bicycle boulevard, and converting a number of one-way streets to two-way travel.
By Hank Silverberg
CORRESPONDENT
The Fredericksburg City Council is expected to review Tuesday night some significant changes recommended for traffic patterns downtown.
An engineering study commissioned by the city earlier this year is recommending that several streets in the downtown area which are now one-way, be converted to two-way traffic. It concludes there will be no significant delay in traffic flow as a result of the changes which are focused on increased pedestrian safety and bicycle traffic.
The study also concludes there will be no significant change in on-street parking, which had been a concern of local merchants during public meetings on the plan.
The recommendations include:
Converting North Princess Anne Street and Caroline Street to two-way traffic between Herndon Street and Amelia Street.
Adding a two-way separated bicycle lane along Sophia Street, Pitt Street and Caroline Street to connect to the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail.
A full two-way conversion for William Street and Amelia Street with new traffic lights including audible pedestrian signals at all six intersections to improve pedestrian safety.
The intersection of Amelia Street and Washington Avenue would be converted into an all-way stop.
Also recommended: Converting Princess Anne Street and Dixon Street to two-way traffic. At the same time, because the streets are narrow, Frederick Street would be made one-way eastbound and Elizabeth Street one-way westbound. In that area, Caroline Street would be reduced to one-way northbound to allow for two-way bike lanes that would connect to the proposed Dixon Park Connector Trail.
Prince Edward Street would face the biggest change. It would be converted into a bicycle boulevard using a lower speed limit and traffic calmers to discourage cut-through traffic while still allowing local traffic access.
The speed limit on all of these roads at present is 25 miles per hour. Except for Prince Edward Street, that would not change.
According to the engineering study, 29% of the people who responded either at public meetings or in public comments submitted online, opposed the two-way conversions with on-street parking availability and access for delivery trucks among the major concerns.
It’s up to the City Council to decide how to proceed, but the study recommends a phased in approach to the changes and their inclusion in Capital Improvement Plans in coming years.
The Dixon Park Connector Trail, which would align with the downtown street changes, is also the subject of a public meeting later this month. That project, being proposed by the Virginia Department of Transportation, would include a 10-foot- wide bridge with retaining walls over Hazel Run and pedestrian bicycle crossing under Route 3. There are two potential alignments being considered for the trail between Caroline Street and Dixon Park.
Part of that proposal would include an on-the-road bicycle facility on Caroline Street between the end of the paved trail at a cul-de-sac and the Fredericksburg Train Station. Bike lanes would also be built between Dixon Street and Frederick Street.
The city has already submitted an application for this project to Virginia’s SMART SCALE funding program.
The public meeting on the trail project is set for September 30, between five and seven pm at the Walker Grant Center on Ferdinand Street.
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