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Mesa staff pitch Center Street redesign: wider sidewalks, buffered bike lanes and a roundabout under study
Summary
Transportation staff proposed a redesign of Center Street (Main to University) to widen sidewalks, add protected bike lanes with buffers, and study a roundabout at Second Street while preserving intersection turn lanes.
Mesa transportation staff presented a refined concept for a near-term Capital Improvement Project on Center Street between Main Street and University Drive aimed at improving pedestrian and bicycle access and creating a stronger gateway into downtown.
Eric (transportation staff) told council the corridor has about 77 feet of pavement between curbs and is suitable to reallocate space: "We want to provide a gateway into downtown," he said, explaining the proposal would narrow travel lanes to one in each direction while retaining left-turn lanes at major intersections and adding a roundabout at Second Street as a gateway feature.
Staff proposed separated curbside bike lanes approximately 6.5 feet wide with a four-foot buffer between the bike lane and parking and another four-foot buffer between parked vehicles and the travel lane. Eric said the team plans to reduce the posted speed limit to 25 miles per hour in this segment and to use striping and delineators rather than substantial raised features for most of the corridor.
The staff report notes $7 million in the 2024 bond package for street projects and references a feasibility study completed in early 2024; Eric said staff took weekday and weekend traffic counts and that study work suggests taking a travel lane on the corridor would not degrade intersection operations. A presenter summarized prior micromobility analysis, saying that on this segment "losing the lane wasn't going to change the traffic speed at all" and that volumes in the corridor were under the capacity of two lanes.
Council members raised concerns about special-event traffic and parade routing through the corridor, asking whether a roundabout could be designed to accommodate parade vehicles. Eric and other staff said they will study the roundabout geometry and still expect to accommodate parade movements using striping and engineering solutions.
Staff asked council for direction to proceed into detailed design and public outreach. Council provided direction to move forward with design work, public outreach and utility identification so staff can return with refined plans and cost estimates.
