Uptown Charlotte Street and Sidewalk Plans

[dubone]

CDOT has repaved 6th St from college to graham, replacing its decades old concrete surface, which was cracked and brown with asphalt. Hopefully they'll eventually pave over the rest of 6th with asphalt and some of the other concrete streets. Concrete is cheaper to maintain, i guess, but after all these decades, the concrete streets just look terrible. Somehow it makes the area seem really old and blighted.

They also added a really cool pedestrian crosswalk by the HT. It has all the bright yellow signs and they flash when some one is crossing.

[Seeker]

CDOT has repaved 6th St from college to graham, replacing its decades old concrete surface, which was cracked and brown with asphalt.

[A2]

The 5th St sidewalks are really dangerous. They can't widen them soon enough. Having drunk people coming out of the bars on 5th onto very thin sidewalks right next to a highly traveled road is a disaster waiting to happen.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed. I have come out of Phill's and noticed the cars really fly past you from the interesection at Tryon. Kind of scary thinking about one of our fellow comrads becoming the hood ornament after a night of many cold beverages

[UptownGrrl]

I noticed the crossing for the first time yesterday.  Is it motion or proximity activated?  And beofre somone says it, I know I can get out of my car and check myself, just curious if anyone already knew the answer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I saw the lights blinking when no one was crossing or waiting on the side to cross. I just thought they blink to draw attention to the fact that you're coming up on a crosswalk. I think there is a little bit of a crest there, so you don't really notice the crosswalk until you're right on it. Though, I guess it makes more sense to draw your attention to the actual crosswalk and actual people in the crosswalk, than a blinking light on the side of the road that might distract you! "I didn't mean to hit the pedestrian, officer -- it was this blinking light on the side of the road that made me look away!"

[peaceloveunderstanding]

hehe, that sidewalk is quite dangerous, especially when an event is going on and people are packed on it.

[dubone]

i think the cross walk is based on a button pedestrians, but maybe it is a sensor. there is a little pole on the sidewalk before the crossing, so i assume it is one of those 'push to cross' buttons.

It definitely doesn't flash all the time. i drove by there twice, one with a person in the cross walk and the lights all flashing, and a second with no pedestrian or blinking lights.

[SmellyCat]

It's a sensor that's activated when someone walks between the beams. It's possible to walk around the poles, so that's probably why the lights weren't flashing when one of those people were crossing.

[dubone]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/new...ic/12210051.htm

It looks like the revision of the South Blvd/277 interchange is continuing to move forward. This is an exciting shift for this part of downtown, as it is win-win-win all around. Not only will it free up 3 blocks of prime uptown land, which will lead to more development/less dead area in 2nd ward, but the land sales will generate procedes that could fund the HOF. It will create a pedestrian connection which right now is very dangerous. It will also make the interchange much less confusing for cars, as right now you have to find which ramp is appropriate, rather than just turning at a traffic light. It will also allow Caldwell to be bidirectional. I hope this work can happen within the next few years.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

[dubone]

i just wish that the davidson-euclid connector bridge could be incorporated in this project, instead of being a separate project. By being grouped, it would have been able to take advantage of the political momentum that this project has. They probably could save money by grouping them, as it is in virtually the same location for construction crews and management to group activities.

[monsoon]

That is an interesting article and set of plans. Do you know if the NCDOT has agreed to the removal and redesign of the interchange?

[dubone]

That is an interesting article and set of plans.  Do you know if the NCDOT has agreed to the removal and redesign of the interchange?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe that NCDOT supported the city when they had to ask the feds for the right to sell the land for the HOF. I'm pretty sure that NCDOT is supportive of the concept, and will simply program it when the money is squared away.

[dubone]

after looking at the map of the plans, (and not like they care what i think or anything, but... ) i have to post my suggestions.

- Extend brevard to the onramp to 277 westbound.

- Use retaining walls rather than sloping landscape, in order to keep the exit ramps tightly aligned with the existing freeway right of way. Right now, they bow so far away from the freeway, which seems to free up less land to their north than if they followed a tighter path.

- Connect Caldwell St on the southern side of 277 to the onramp for eastbound 277, allowing Morehead street traffic to to get onto 277 heading east, but also possibly allowing South Blvd traffic to get on Morehead street.

- Connect Davidson to Euclid as part of this construction, as i wrote earlier.

[Sabaidee]

I'm glad to hear that this was proposed way before the announcment of the Hall of Fame, even if we don't get the Hall of Fame, this will still happen.

[Sabaidee]

So is Caldwell going to be a two way street at the interchange? I would prefer going straight through Caldwell to South Blvd. instead of coming from Brevard and making a left turn then a right to get on South Blvd.

[dubone]

So is Caldwell going to be a two way street at the interchange? I would prefer going straight through Caldwell to South Blvd. instead of coming from Brevard and making a left turn then a right to get on South Blvd.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes, the plans are to make calwell birdirectional, and that will most likely coincide with the reworking of the interchange. If there is a timing gap, though, cars will simply need to shimmy over as you describe.

I wish the "Charlotte Center City Transportation Study" was online. I think it outlines all the changes that Atlrvr described for us earlier in this thread.

[Sabaidee]

IMO, I would want Caldwell to be bidirectional all the way to 4th Street where Caldwell was reconfigured for the new Arena, but there's no ROW to do so without destroying that historical building on 4th and Caldwell.

[dubone]

IMO, I would want Caldwell to be bidirectional all the way to 4th Street where Caldwell was reconfigured for the new Arena, but there's no ROW to do so without destroying that historical building on 4th and Caldwell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

the plan is to make it bidirectional the whole way through uptown. The block between The Park, the National building, and the city-county deck will be the hardest to widen, however it is currently 4 lanes (with one lane being street parking) through there, so it may be able to be converted without widening. If they do need to widen, they can much more easily encrouch on the city-county deck block, which would also be easier considering who owns the land.

[Sabaidee]

That makes sense, but the newly reconfigured bidirectional Caldwell isn't aligned with the four lanes one way part along the Park. Where Caldwell southbound is forced to turn onto 4th Street, that part is directly infront of the building on 4th and Caldwell.

[dubone]

That makes sense, but the newly reconfigured bidirectional Caldwell isn't aligned with the four lanes one way part along the Park. Where Caldwell southbound is forced to turn onto 4th Street, that part is directly infront of the building on 4th and Caldwell.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes... but since when do lanes need to align in the grid ? all over downtown there are shifts by a lane width or so when you cross an intersection. It isn't ideal, but they can certainly make it work.

[dubone]

the davidson street extension between 2nd and Stonewall is now curbed and graded....everything is done but the paving.

[Norm2]

I noticed that brevard is getting repaved today

[atlrvr]

This Monday, city council will be voting to remove the Brevard/Caldwell connected just north of 277, and replace it with an east-west local street to restore the grid.

[carolina_fan]

This Monday, city council will be voting to remove the Brevard/Caldwell connected just north of 277, and replace it with an east-west local street to restore the grid.

Will the E-W street be 13th St, and if so, will it run all the way to College?

[dubone]

Will it be both the connector by Alpha Mill and the connector north of Belmont Ave? Will most Parkwood cars still cross the tracks on Caldwell, but then make two 90degree turns to get to Brevard? Will Caldwell simply be made bidirectional through 12th or 11th (or 5th to meet the original goals)?

I am so happy for any grid reestablishment. I am also glad to eliminate the nutty connectors.

[atlrvr]

It is just the inbound connector (by Alpha Mill) which makes me wonder how they are going to divert the inbound traffic over.....