Residents in the Fairmount neighborhood met with city staff members on Wednesday night in the Knight Law Center to discuss options for improving the flow of traffic and pedestrians along Agate Street and traffic through nearby residential streets.
The Agate Street Special Area Study, which covers the streets from Franklin Boulevard to 19th Avenue and Agate Street to Fairmount
Boulevard, seeks to improve Agate Street and prevent cars cutting through nearby neighborhoods as a way of avoiding traffic delays along Agate Street.
Some residents at the meeting noted that instead of going all the way up Agate Street, cars turn at 15th Street and cross through residential neighborhoods to get to Franklin Boulevard and avoid pedestrian crossings.
Transportation Planning Engineer Chris Henry said traffic delays have led to congestion, and as a result, cars cut through residential streets not meant for major traffic.
“A traffic calming request is an indication of a breakdown of arterial function,” Henry said.
Residents said pedestrians crossing between Hamilton Complex and campus and by the visitor parking lot and the Knight Law Center were sources of congestion and delay. Some residents were concerned that if the University’s builds an arena on Franklin Boulevard, it would increase traffic in the neighborhood even more, and said that the University should be involved in planning and traffic mitigation.
Senior Transportation Planner Lisa Gardner said the study had not looked at traffic increases that may be caused by the University’s planned arena because games usually take place after peak hours.
Gardner said the next step in the study will be to develop a scenario for future conditions assessment. Henry said future meetings on the project will be planned after resident concerns and comments have been reviewed.