Council reviews one-way conversion and streetscape plan for South Saint Clair; parking to increase

Painesville City Council received an update on a streetscape and one-way conversion plan for South Saint Clair Street at the April 22 meeting.

City staff said CT Consultants produced a concept and public-works crews will finalize drawings and put the project out to bid within about a week. The conversion applies to the block between Washington and Main streets. Work planned includes grinding off existing centerlines and parallel-parking markings, striping islands and parking stalls on the new one-way alignment, changing traffic signage and modifying the traffic signal indicators at the Saint Clair/Main intersection (northern signal head) to show permitted turns for the new flow.

Staff said the reconfiguration will move parking to the Victoria Place side of the street and replace parallel parking on the opposite side; the plan is expected to increase total parking in the project area, with staff estimating roughly 45 spaces in the revised layout. The city will contract a striper and coordinate signage and public information; staff said they will distribute notices (newsletter and website) but that drivers will recognize the change only after striping and signs are in place.

Council asked about outreach and ways to reduce wrong-way driving after conversion; staff discussed temporary visual cues and islands and suggested a ribbon-cutting when work is complete. Staff also reported the city applied for a TLCI grant but did not receive it, and that a separate larger grant application (about $1,000,000, exact amount not specified in the transcript) is pending.

No final council vote was taken; staff will proceed with preparing bid documents and public outreach.