City planning/design: Proposals and suggestions

With many years of mapping/GIS experience and citizen advocacy for street improvements and changes to better serve all users, David has proposed several ideas as well as attending planning meetings, charrettes and public input sessions.

Article: "To but not through"

  

The downtown zone Huntsville

What if downtown Huntsville was human focused, with pedestrian and bikes feeling safe and comfortable and walking felt quicker? Cars would still be permitted, but are secondary to the increasing number of people walking to and within downtown, especially the entertainment district.

What if there was a core area of downtown with the following:

  • “To but not through”
    • Encourage people to come to downtown
      • A consistent and expected infrastructure and feeling
    • Not to drive through going elsewhere
      • No restrictions on driving through, just slower, and narrower roads to discourage this
    • Slower traffic=
      • Safer for all users
      • Better visibility for shops and restaurants
  • 18 mph speed limit
  • All high-speed turn lanes removed
  • More street trees and shade
  • All corners daylighted
  • No turn on red in zone
  • All intersection crosswalks as scatter crossings (walk anywhere)
  • Mid-block raised pedestrian crossings every block
  • Vehicle “Drop off” locations
  • Overlapping with Entertainment district

This will result in a coordinated area where pedestrians and bikes are the norm, expected, and respected. A human scale – humans first approach where people in cars will yield to other people within the zone. People will feel safer walking and distances between locations will be shorter (and feel shorter) with mid-block crossings, walk any direction at intersections (reducing the standing wait time). This will possibly make the current open areas (often surface parking) feel more advantageous to developers with easier and safer walking access. Bike lanes will mostly not be needed within the zone as the normal traffic flow will be slower and the roads will have a safer overall feel. Everyone will be safer and central Huntsville will be even more of a destination than it has become over the last few years.

 

All the streets and blocks within the zone pictured below would feel similar and have consistent features and infrastructure. Every intersection is a scatter crossing with no turns on red. Every block has a raised mid-block crosswalk. The entire area has an 18 mph speed limit (within the blue area marked).