Mesa staff propose Centre Street redesign with wider sidewalks, separated bike lanes and a roundabout study

Eric (transportation staff) presented the Centre Street capital improvement study to council, describing the segment between Main Street and University as a priority for downtown connections and multimodal improvements. He told council the project grew from the 2020 MESA Moves bond program and a feasibility study completed in early 2024.

"So today we're going to focus this section of center street that we're going to be talking about is from Main street to University," Eric said. He said the goals are to enhance walking and bicycling, provide a gateway into downtown and connect the convention center to downtown.

Staff outlined specific design elements: widening sidewalks (especially between Second and Main), adding shade, curbside separated bike lanes approximately 6.5 feet wide with a four‑foot buffer to parking and a four‑foot buffer between parked vehicles and travel lanes, and keeping parallel parking as a buffer. Eric also recommended studying a roundabout at Second Street as a gateway and traffic‑calming measure.

On operations and capacity, Eric said the most recent feasibility work and the micromobility study found traffic volumes on the section were low enough that removing one travel lane would not materially change operations; the highest measured volume on any Centre Street segment was just under 10,000 vehicles per day, while a four‑lane collector typically handles 15,000–20,000 vehicles daily.

Council members raised parade logistics and event traffic concerns and asked whether the roundabout would impede large vehicle movements for parades and convention center events. Eric said the roundabout concept would be refined in design to ensure large vehicle movements are accommodated and that much of the project would be striping and delineation.

Funding and next steps: staff said $7 million in the 2024 bond is allocated for streets projects and requested direction to proceed to detailed design, public outreach and utility coordination. Council directed staff to move into design and promised continued review through the Sustainability and Transportation Committee and council updates.

Why it matters: the project aims to change the look and multimodal function of downtown Mesa by prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists while retaining necessary motor vehicle movements. The design choices could affect parking, event logistics and downtown access during concerts and conventions.

What happens next: staff will perform detailed design, public outreach and utility conflict analysis and return with refined plans and cost estimates before construction authorization.