FAQs
Why do we need to make any changes at all to Main St?
Beyond addressing well-documented safety concerns, the underground utilities on Main Street have reached the end of their design life and are in need of replacement. In addition, Main Street is in need of investments to the public realm that can help usher in prosperity and longevity for our existing businesses as well as future investors. Downtowns all over the country are evolving and consumers, who have many choices and little absolute need to come downtown, are increasingly voting with their feet and their pocketbooks for downtowns that provide rich experiences and outdoor environments. Changes to Main Street (and other streets in the City) are also essential to addressing the threats of unmitigated climate change, such as stormwater surges during intense rain events and increasingly hot temperatures.
Will parking be removed?
We understand the critical importance of on-street parking as an amenity to Downtown businesses. The future design of Main Street strives to maintain as much on-street parking as possible while addressing critical safety needs and balancing the functionality of Main Streets for future businesses. The current design proposes 73 on-street parking spaces compared to 130 under existing conditions. The project’s design does provide an increased supply of accessible on-street parking with spaces provided on every block.
Within a 5-minute walk of Main Street 400 on-street parking spaces and 1,000 public off-street spaces are available. The City has also updated its parking policy (March 2023) to reflect people’s parking habits and ensure is availability for users who value its convenience.
How will traffic and congestion be affected?
Today, traffic congestion is caused in part by the number of vehicles that travel through Main Street, but also by the street design and the traffic signal programming. Traffic analysis is being conducted as part of the redesign of Main Street to evaluate future conditions and to maximize efficiency while balancing other priorities for the street. Overall future traffic operations are anticipated to remain generally at the same level of accommodation for vehicles as existing conditions while the project will incorporate significant enhancements to improve the experience pedestrian and bicycle users.
How will emergency response vehicles travel through the corridor?
Concern about increased emergency response time is common when discussing any street project. However, research shows that some measures actually can improve or maintain existing response time while improving safety for vulnerable users, like people walking and biking. Additionally, emergency response vehicles are allowed to use the full width of the street in both directions during emergencies, which makes it easier for them to maneuver around pulled-over vehicles.
Though the installation was only in place for four weeks, response times measured during the temporary Shared Streets & Spaces project over the summer of 2020 showed no change in response time when compared to existing conditions.
How will this project affect people experiencing homelessness on Main Street?
This project is not intended to unsettle people experiencing homelessness or others who are panhandling who spend time on Main Street. The City is working to create a Community Resilience Hub to support all community members who face chronic and acute stress due to natural and human-caused disasters, climate change, and social and economic challenges, including providing services for those who otherwise will be panhandling.
How will construction activities affect Main Street?
Prior to any construction activities, a detailed construction management plan will be prepared to help make construction safe and efficient. Keeping Main Street open for business during construction will become a major focus for the project team when we get closer to construction. The design team has already begun collecting examples and ideas from places around the world that have completed major reconstruction activities while preserving civic, business, and other activities on the Street.