BELMONT, CRAMERTON + McADENVILLE, North Carolina August, 2014

BUILD-A-BETTER BOULEVARDWILKINSON BLVD

THOROUGHFARE – a component of community infrastructure that provides the major part of the public open space as well as travel lanes for vehicles and others forms of transit. A thoroughfare has two attributes: capacity and character.

Country - Highway, Drive, Road, Lane ---- Alley, Street, Avenue, Boulevard - City

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Boulevard – a long distance, generally free movement thoroughfare crossing a City. A Boulevard is flanked by parking, sidewalks and landscape to provide public realm space and buffer buildings along its sides, (see also Highway).

Highway – a long distance, speed-movement thoroughfare crossing open countryside. Highways should be relatively free of intersections, driveways and buildings, otherwise strip development interferes with traffic flow, (see also Expressway + Parkway).

Character – is the suitability of a thoroughfare as a setting for pedestrian activities and as a location for a variety of building types (addresses). Character is physically created by the frontages and buildings along its sides which are dependent on whether the thoroughfare is crossing the countryside, or a city.

Capacity – is the number of vehicles that can move safely through a segment of thoroughfare within a given time period. It is physically established by the number of lanes and their width, by the centerline radius, the curb radius the super-elevation of the pavement and the spacing of intersections.

Results – COUNTRY IN THE CITY AND CITY IN THE COUNTRYOutcomes – TRAFFIC CONGESTION, UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTY and HIGH COSTS

Highly integrated character and capacityCapacity dominated design

Highly integrated character and capacity

Capacity dominated design

Full Spectrum Community Development Existing

Near term

Long term

Understand context, ie: past and present conditions relating to development, traffic, social change and public policies to agree on a vision.

Develop consensus and funding mechanisms to kick-start improvements that will leverage near term needs of the community to enable change.

Maintain vision and flexibility over time to nurture private sector development to implement vision.

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SuburbanRetrofits

Charlotte’s side of Wilkinson Boulevard Existing – Low employment and disinvestment were negatively impacting the standard of living and quality of life of west side residents. City wanted to increase jobs and prosperity for residents.

Near Term – Landscape and sidewalk investment and utility relocation, coupled with policy changes in zoning and innovative funding strategies with local banks.

Long Term – realization that Wilkinson Boulevard was a primary gateway into Charlotte for travelers arriving by air increased focus of redevelopment and inclusion of transit planning.

Context: Existing System - Local

- Average Daily Traffic within study area averages 16,000 vehiclesA steady decline over previous 25 years by several thousand vehicles per day.

- Park Street handles 27,000 vehicles per day north of Wilkinson (+60%) and 17,000 south of Wilkinson.A steady increase over previous 10 years by several thousand vehicles per day.

-Main Street handles 16,000 vehicles per day just north of Wilkinson and 15,000 vehicles per day just south of Wilkinson.A steady increase over previous 10 years by several thousand vehicles per day.

Traffic Westbound at N Main Street

Context: Existing System - Regional

- ConsiderationsI-485Charlotte Douglas International AirportFuture Garden ParkwayWorkplace and Retail Development plansLight Rail

Wilkinson and Catawba Wilkinson westbound from Catawba Wilkinson and Park

Wilkinson and N Main Wilkinson and Lakewood Wilkinson and Market/Wesleyan

Possible Model?

Fairview Road, Charlotte NC6 lane, median, few traffic lights, over 3 times average daily traffic of Wilkinson Blvd

Wilkinson Blvd Corridor StudyPlanning + Urban Design: MetrocologyTransportation Planning: Hall Planning + EngineeringOutreach Coordinator: The Civic Hub