Comprehensive Plan - Carbondale, IL

Adopted June 22, 2010City of CarbondaleMobility) as to possible alternatives to reroute tractor-trailer traffic out ofDowntown.b. Perform a design study to evaluate the options to reduce the crossing widths ofDowntown streets. In many instances, the current widths are 70 feet or more,making it difficult and unsafe for suitable pedestrian crossings.c. Use street trees, building canopies and awnings, covered walkways, and otherdesign treatments as pedestrian shelter from inclement weather.d. Improve the pedestrian experience in Downtown with active storefrontdisplays, informational and interactive kiosks, public seating, pedestrianscaledlighting, landscaped planters, public art displays, sidewalk cafes anddisplays, and points of historical references.e. Create a plan for pedestrian precincts and civic spaces within the Downtowndistrict with connections to a city-wide network of sidewalks, bike lanes,pathways, and green ribbons.f. Reconnect each of the adjacent neighborhoods to Downtown by way of sidewalkmaintenance, improvements, and/or construction; handicap accessibilityimprovements at intersections including curb cuts and ramps; pedestrianand bicycle actuated signal detectors; increased signal timing for pedestriancrossings; possible alleyway pathways; and on-street, striped bike lanes.g. Identify improvement projects to create better pedestrian and bicycle linkagesbetween Downtown and the University. Such improvements may includecrosswalk improvements along Mill Street with an improved and widened (aspossible) esplanade on Mill Street to act as a refuge for pedestrian crossing.h. Provide adequate infrastructure and capital budget support for multimodalprojects. An example of a strategic multimodal investment would be makingthe Washington Street corridor a “complete street,” which may include an onstreetbike lane, improved sidewalks, and streetscaping enhancements.i. Identify commercial and residential properties that are experiencing, or atrisk for experiencing, disinvestment and decline. Special emphasis should beplaced on the corridors and entrances to Downtown.j. Establish a targeted infrastructure improvement program with identifiedfunding incentives and administrative assistance to aid in their redevelopmentand aesthetic improvement.k. Adopt and enforce provisions that reduce blighting influences on corridors andin neighborhoods.Focus Area 2.4 - Preserving Community HeritageA significant part of a community’s identity and attractiveness as a place to visitis its history. In fact, heritage tourism is the fastest growing product type in theUnited States, with 92.5 million adult Americans visiting a museum or historic siteor district while traveling: that’s 46 percent of the 199.8 million trips taken over 50miles from home. The Travel Industry of America reports that this $61.5 billionmarket grows at an average of 10 percent, while the tourism industry as a whole isgrowing at a rate between four and six percent.2.32The City was founded in 1852 as a station on the Illinois Central Railroad, whichbecame a crossroad for what is now U.S. 51 and IL 13. This is where Carbondale’spost office and first hotels and commercial businesses were established, which grewChapter Two