Jump to content

Uptown Charlotte Street and Sidewalk Plans


atlrvr

Recommended Posts

It would make the most sense to just make Caldwell birectional to 12th street, as it has a very large capacity for moving the traffic west one block to Brevard. If 12th is busy, cars can easily just use the new 13th (or whatever it will be called), and then Brevard past Alpha mill.

Crosland wanted to include part of the land east of Brevard in the Alpha project. My guess is that when these changes go through, they will expand a new project on that entire block. A two-way Caldwell through 12th, and lower capacity Brevard and [13th] around the block would probably be the best for the development of that land.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

  • Replies 159
  • Created
  • Last Reply

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/new...ic/13266731.htm

The extension of Davidson Street to Stonewall will open 4/1/06. I'm really happy they are building it, although I'm really disappointed that they are playing games to restrict traffic. They are putting a median on Stonewall to prevent left turns onto or out of Davidson Street. They also are making it a very narrow two lanes.

I understand limiting the capacity by making it only two lanes, as almost all of Davidson Street is two lanes all the way to Sugar Creek. However, by limiting the turns at Stonewall, they make it a useless connection for many routes. If they were worried about the school, they could simply limit left turns during school hours, but by making a physical barrier, it limits the effectiveness of the connectivity at all times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

this may be somewhat offtopic so mods can move if necessary.

Does anyone know what type of trees line Tryon? They are definitely hardwood and look almost like some form of Oak.

Willow Oaks. The same tree that lines most every street in Charlotte (never mind those horrific Bradford Pears). Queens Rd West is lined with Willow Oaks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those trees are going to be huge when they get older. I hope that they wont look too ugly being trimmed up by the city so that they wont be touching windows on the skyscrapers. would be nie to see uptown in 30 yers with tree branches and a green canopy overhanging tryon and seeing the skyscrapers though the leaves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those trees just came in a conversation I was having the other day. Apparently, there isn't much room for the roots, and so they were only planted with a 30 year lifespan. I'm not sure how it will play out, but 30 years is up very shortly.

It will be a huge shame to lose those trees. They are a major part of Tryon's streetscape, which is a major part of the reputation for both uptown and the whole city.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those trees just came in a conversation I was having the other day. Apparently, there isn't much room for the roots, and so they were only planted with a 30 year lifespan. I'm not sure how it will play out, but 30 years is up very shortly.

It will be a huge shame to lose those trees. They are a major part of Tryon's streetscape, which is a major part of the reputation for both uptown and the whole city.

That is very true, I remember that being one of the things about uptown that stood out the most to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those trees just came in a conversation I was having the other day. Apparently, there isn't much room for the roots, and so they were only planted with a 30 year lifespan. I'm not sure how it will play out, but 30 years is up very shortly.

It will be a huge shame to lose those trees. They are a major part of Tryon's streetscape, which is a major part of the reputation for both uptown and the whole city.

They will plant new ones right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They will plant new ones right?

That would go without saying, I'm sure.

And who knows, they might find a way to save the existing ones for longer. I hope that, if they need to cut down and replant, that they will not do it all at once. It is like on QRW, where occasionally one or two trees die, are cut down, and replanted. It isn't so shocking to the streetscape, since the rest are still there.

How depressing would it be if they did it all at once. :cry:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/ey6nl...40424+Final.pdf

The Charlotte Center City Transportation Plan is up for final vote this coming Monday.

I love that they still plan to add expensive street connections to break up some of the barrier effects. (The MLK/2nd extension from Graham to Cedar under the tracks, the Euclid-Davidson connector over Belk Freeway, and the 5th street extension to Kings over Little Sugar Creek).

I love that they still plan to remove the high speed diagonal connectors that assume cars can't turn in right angles.

Here is the list of changes, as the PDF will likely stop working eventually:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some other subtleties in the list that I like are that they will remove some turn lanes, such as on Church between 4th and 3rd. That means that ugly Church St block of parking decks around Angry Ales will have a chance for better planting strips to help soften the streetscape.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 5th Street extension won't be that bad. It already goes under 277, they just need to add a bridge over the creek.

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=...18&scene=807277

As for 10th, I think they just mean they are going to connect 10th to 10th across Church. Right now the eastbound section of 10th just curves around to feed Church Street. I'm glad for that change. Right now it is annoying that even though there is a 10th Street between Church and Tryon, you can't get there when you are going eastbound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As for 10th, I think they just mean they are going to connect 10th to 10th across Church. Right now the eastbound section of 10th just curves around to feed Church Street. I'm glad for that change. Right now it is annoying that even though there is a 10th Street between Church and Tryon, you can't get there when you are going eastbound.

Sure you can... if you make an illegal left turn for about 12ft ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Ok, now it looks like the traffic patter change is complete. In between College and Caldwell it is now only one lane in each direction. What used to be the eastbound lanes are not being used. I think this might be permanent -- they painted the lines, turning arrows, etc. and installed reflectors where the new lanes are. I just have to wonder...WHY??? I don't think it has anything to do with blocking lanes off for construction on the HOF, because the two lanes now being used are the two that are the closest to the HOF.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to the street master plan, Stonewall is supposed to be a 2 way street with 2 lanes in each direction and is considered a "Primary Pediestrian Street" with 16'-22' sidwalks on both sides.

From Graham to Brevard, there is no median. From Brevard to McDowell and beyond, there is a median.

To analyze there complicated map of symbols, go to Center City Street Enhancement Guidelines Map.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...

For reference, I will quote the uptown street changes guide I created for a duplicate thread here:

First Ward:

First Ward had most of its street changes in the 1990s in conjunction with its redevelopment. However, there are still plans for street changes around the UNCC campus and the planned First Ward Park next to UNCC. The plans are:

- Eliminate 8th between the rail corridor and Brevard

- Make Brevard birectional between 6th and 12th

- Possibly add a street along the rail line between 7th and 9th to support development of Levine's master plan.

While everyone has reason to be skeptical about Levine's plans, there are some influences that are expected to happen in the next five years that might help spur some movement. UNCC has already budgetted for spaces in a deck underneath its building and the proposed First Ward Park. The county and city are actively talking to make plans. There is also the planned NE extension of the Lynx, which is expected in the next 5 years. These might help jumpstar plans for the land that Levine has banked and allow for the associated street changes to occur. Levine's plans can be discussed and UNCC's plans for uptown can be discussed

The county has approved a sale of the Hal Marshall site north of 9th St. There are plans for extending 10th st to Brevard and it is probable that this will happen when the new Hal Marshall site owners redevelop the land. That site can be discussed .

There are other long term plans, but do not have clear funding sources yet:

- Making Caldwell bidirectional between 5th and 12th

- Eliminating the eastbound 277 entrance ramp from Davidson Street

- Making 11th bidirectional between Davidson and 10th

- Extending 5th to Kings across Little Sugar Creek

Second Ward:

Second Ward is also receiving major street rework around major projects. Most of those efforts are funded or are receiving close attention by the city. First, there are some major changes around the Nascar Hall of Fame which are funded as part of that project:

- Redesign of South/277 interchange to include 2 lights, eliminate high speed connectors and sell off the land. This effort can be discussed here.

- Making Brevard bidirectional between Stonewall and Trade and making it a signature pedestrian street, which can be discussed

- Making Calwell bidirectional between Stonewall and Trade

The Nascar Hall of Fame can be discussed

There are also plans to redevelop the area in and around Marshall Park in keeping with the Second Ward Master Plan. The idea was to build a new park that is surrounded by residential projects to help make the area more sustainable. Part of the funds went to the land swaps with the city to make the 3rd Ward projects viable. If the stadium deals are upheld by the courts, Spectrum will get this land and build "Brooklyn Village". Street changes will be:

- A sidestreet grid around the new 2nd Ward Park between 3rd, MLK, McDowell and Davidson

The 2nd Ward projects that include Brooklyn Village can be discussed here.

There is a long term plan that is not funded that will add a connector across 277 connectin Davidson to Euclid.

Third Ward:

The public is planning to pay for 3rd Ward street changes by having the Knights do them and then get paid back over time with a tax rebate. Most of these changes were in the plans to be done anyway but would need to be sped up in conjunction with redevelopment of that area:

- Eliminate the high speed connector from 4th to 3rd just west of Graham

- Extend the two-way/"bidirectional" section of 4th St from the railroad tracks to Mint

- Close 3rd between Graham and Mint now that that traffic will stay on 4th all the way to Mint

- Make Mint bidirectional from Trade to MLK, just like it is south of MLK and like Pine St is north of Trade

- Eliminate the high speed connector from Mint to Poplar just south of 3rd, where the park is planned

I am not sure these two are funded with the stadium but they are in the plans and near the other stadium work:

- Make Poplar bidirectional from 3rd to 6th

- Make MLK bidirectional from Mint to College

These projects can be discussed with in the and threads.

Other plans that are likely to happen within the next few years and not funded with the stadium are:

- Add side streets between Graham and the railroad to serve Gateway Station and remake the grid there.

- Eliminate the high speed turn lanes on J&W Way to make it more pedestrian friendly to serve the project there

The Gateway Station projects can be discussed

Other plans in Third Ward that are not likely to happen soon are:

- Extend MLK to Cedar

- Add some sort of pedestrian/bicycle crossing between 3rd Ward and SouthEnd that might come in the form of a bridge or a freeway cap discussed

Fourth Ward:

There are no major funding efforts for the street updates in Fourth Ward, but there are some smaller scale projects that are likely to happen in the next few years:

- Eliminate the high speed turn from 6th to Graham

- Eliminate the railroad crossings from Smith to Seaboard and along 9th in conjunction with the Seaboard Extension

- Add a streetlight on Graham at 8th St to slow traffic and facilitate pedestrian crossing

- Eliminate the Right Turn Only at 10th and Church, allowing the use of 10th to Tryon (likely to happen with redevelopment of the Renaissance Place block and Hal Marshall site)

The Seaboard Street extension can be discussed in the NC Music Factory thread The Renaissance Place site can be discussed http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/31786-skyhouse-charlotte-at-former-renaissance-place-site/. There has also been some discussions about the closures of existing railroad crossings in pursuit of a quiet zone here.

Other projects are in the plans but are not likely to happen soon:

- Widening sidewalks and eliminating street parking on 5th between Church and Tryon

The 5th St changes next to Ivey's has been discussed in conjunction with the [stalled] project to redevelop the first floor of that building http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/35358-fifth-street-pedscape-ivey39s-building-retail-improvements/.

Uptown in General

There are also some summary threads talking about these types of plans. There is a thread

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/9403-uptown-charlotte-street-and-sidewalk-plans/ that is the main topic about the Uptown Street plans. The thread http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/45909-uptown-charlotte-streetscape-standards/ discusses the streetscape standards that are being worked on by the city.

Furthermore, you might be interested in other pedestrian and bike infrastruction connecting uptown to the rest of the city by discussing the Little Sugar Creek Greenway project http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/9226-charlotte-greenways-and-trails/ and the Charlotte Bike Master Plan http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/43040-charlotte-bike-lanes/.

You might want to view the source material for all of these discussions on the city website:

- Center City Transportation Plan

- Urban Street Design Guidelines

- Pedestrian and Bicycle Connectivity Projects

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.