PROBLEM AREAS:

Pedestrian Crossings

Only one marked crosswalk exists in the 1/2-mile segment between Washington and Cochran, making it about 1/4 mile between marked crossings. There are 8 intersections in this same 1/2-mile stretch. The one crossing that does exist is low-visibility, with worn markings and no physical indication in the roadway beyond signage.

Sidewalks

Narrow sidewalks are interrupted by telephone poles. There is no “Tree Lawn” or separation between vehicles and pedestrians, making the sidewalk especially hostile. Intersections An oversized intersection at Marlin Dr., plus limited visibility at several other intersections make for dangerous interactions between pedestrians and drivers.

Roadway Width

A lack of traffic control devices or street design that forces drivers to slow down creates a raceway where drivers move much faster than they should, with a V85 almost 10mph over the limit. A wide road design with 12’ lanes on average creates a raceway for drivers.

All of these factors help turn Bower Hill into a divider within a residential community, making it difficult to access the flanking business districts and destinations unless you are in a car.

SOLUTION:

Quick Build

We often think of any street modifications as requiring immense planning, budgeting, and time. And sometimes after spending tens of thousands of dollars, the new street design doesn’t actually have the intended effect. But, we want to offer a counter approach to that. By using cheap, temporary materials, not only can we very quickly and efficiently fix existing problems with streets and intersections, but we can experiment with layouts. Through this experimentation we can determine if the intervention is effective before spending the money and the time to make the design permanent.