Final Progress Advisory Panel Report - Knight Program in ...

• Zebra-striped crosswalks, as mentioned in the study, work well
in walkable urban districts to show where substantial numbers
of pedestrians cross without any other traffic control device.
They are also effective when added visibility of the crosswalk is
desired.
Bicycle comments:
• Bike lanes are not usually synonymous with traffic calming,
since they provide the appearance of wider traffic lanes.
• Sharrows are specified for lanes where vehicles and bicycles
share the lane and are not used where bike lanes are included.
The Raleigh, North Carolina, Re-Imagine Raleigh project
included the on-site development of an interactive model that
captured the city’s urban form, including key geographical
features, street patterns, and cultural landmarks. Decorated
one-inch scale buildings are used to capture the essence of the
actual ones.
• The “uphill” bike lane is an excellent design concept.
• Bus pull-out bays might only be necessary in the “uphill” direction.Recommended design comments:
• The median should be broken at each street crossing 6th Avenue East to prevent an inordinate number of
left turns and U-turns.
• Sidewalks should be a minimum of six feet wide.
• All dimensions should be measured to the curb face since speeds are low.
• To reduce costs and encourage infiltration, curbs should be eliminated adjacent to the median. Greater
infiltration of road surface runoff to the median is a healthy solution to the current high level of untreated
water going into Lake Superior during rain events. (At present, over 110,000 gallons of untreated rainwater
run directly into Lake Superior for each one-inch rain fall event.)
• Between 2nd Street and 5th Street, the two-way left turn lane should have a coarse paving material to inhibit
speed.
• The lane should be pervious if possible, yet drain to the edge when saturated.
• Concrete pavers have structural integrity and can provide permeability.
• An additional signalized intersection would help manage motor vehicle speeds.
In summary, the Progress Advisory Panel supports the process and the design section (with the slight modifications
noted) described above. The next step, using those recommendations, is for the city and the appropriate
agencies to communicate with the Department of Transportation and advance a scope of services for 6th
Avenue East design. (See Rick Hall’s presentation, To Walk, Or Not to Walk … ,
for more information on designing walkable streets in urban areas.)
Capacity Building
To make the Duluth Creative Corridor urban design approach work, a lot of education and technical assistance
will be required, especially in the early years until the changes on the ground make the benefits clear. Specific
recommendations are to:
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