09 - Toole Design Group Memorandum

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Item No. 9 TO: Mayor & City Council FROM: John Godwin, City Manager SUBJECT: TOOLE DESIGN GROUP REPORT DATE: October 1, 2018 BACKGROUND: We received the Toole Group's report last week. This report not an overall master plan, but a memorandum recommending methods to slow traffic, increase walkability, and create areas for public gathering. By dong these simple things, it has been shown that most cities see additional investment, physical improvement, and higher visitor counts, and thereby a growing downtown economy. The single most significant recommendation made by the Toole Group is the elimination of all one-way streets. The city began this project a few years back, but more progress is not possible without TXDOT buy -in and approval. Concurrent with the elimination of the one -ways would be a dramatic reduction in pavement width, expansions and improvements of walkways, and the replacement of the traffic signals in the immediate downtown area with four-way stop signs. This makes traffic slower yet more efficient, and greatly enhances safety for vehicles and pedestrians. STATUS OF ISSUE: The major areas the memorandum addresses are the Plaza, 1St Street SE from Clarksville to Lamar, and the Market Square/library/Bywaters area. The Plaza itself would be expanded by twenty feet in each direction, approximately doubling the overall size of the area. This additional space would come from eliminating the very inside lane of traffic, and converting parking to parallel spaces. The outside sidewalks would be expanded by six feet gained from also converting angled parking there. All the traffic signals would be eliminated when the one-way streets are eliminated. This directional conversion may necessitate the city taking over 1St SW and Grand as city streets instead of state highways. This brings more costs, but also greater flexibility and control. We think taking over 1St is especially important to us in order to complete standing plans we have for the plaza as well as Market Square A one block segment of 1St SE, which is already planned for improvements, would be reconstructed so as to allow it to be readily closed for pedestrian traffic, special events, etc. Creating this "shared space" includes no raised curbs, new pavement, and lighting, electricity and landscaping to make it look more like a planned public space and less like a street.