The design and engineering team from Gresham Smith presented the final Downtown Main Street Streetscape Plans to the City Commission at an open public meeting on Tuesday February 1st. The Downtown Main Street Streetscape project is an effort that stemmed from a recommendation made in the Downtown Master Plan. The design and engineering team presented their work to date summarized below. Click here to view the slideshow.
The planning work started by focusing on safety as this was a top concern during the Downtown Master Plan. The consultant team worked with the City and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to find the best solutions for the projects four intersections; 2nd and Main, 3rd and Main, 4th and Main, and 4th and Walnut. The team evaluated traffic volumes, signal timing, turning movements, and crash data to make adjustments to each intersection. The plans propose a number of traffic calming solutions including curb bump outs at corners and mid-block, adding tree canopy, reducing travel lane widths, and reducing 4th Street down to one lane between Main and Walnut. Other safety measures include replacing traffic lights with new poles and high visibility lights, new vehicular and pedestrian lights along the corridor, shorter crosswalks and pedestrian lead time signals.
Once the team had the framework set for safety, the consultants developed zones related to the Danville Streetscape Guidelines for building zones, pedestrian clear zones, and amenity zones. These areas help organize the sidewalk into a variety of uses and order. The building zone is 3’ adjacent to the building, the sidewalk is a clear 10’ path, and the remaining space is dedicated to amenities like lighting, seating, trees, planters, and bike racks. In addition to the sidewalk work, the project includes plans to relocate overhead utilities underground along 4th from Walnut Street to midblock between Main Street and Broadway.
The consultant team met with downtown businesses and property owners and city officials to finalize permanent parklet locations along Main Street and 4th Street. These areas expand the curb out and provide large social areas, places for adjacent business to utilize for dining, musicians to play and offer space for bike racks, litter receptacles and benches.
The Downtown Main Street Streetscape project proposes adding 21,000 sf of public pedestrian space. This area is essentially the same size as Weisiger Park, offering a park like experience for visitors and residents to experience Danville’s vibrant downtown.
The consultant team is currently finalizing construction plans for the project that will include upgrades to the fountain at Weisiger Park. The city will obtain a permit from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and select a contractor this spring. Construction will begin after the Brass Band Festival and will be completed by spring of 2023.
