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Committee leans toward pedestrian-only or paved-trail connections after cut-through traffic concerns
Summary
After planning and MCDOT described new street connection types would be implemented through redevelopment, council members raised neighborhood safety concerns and signaled support for converting several proposed vehicular connections into paved trails for pedestrians and cyclists rather than full car access.
Committee members on Nov. 3 spent substantial time weighing proposed new and realigned street connections to University Boulevard, with several district council members urging priority for pedestrian and bicycle connectivity over adding new vehicular links that could invite cut-through traffic.
Presentation and staff reasoning: Council staff outlined three types of proposed connections: realigning misaligned intersections to create T-intersections, adding new connections from parallel streets to University Boulevard, and completing intermittent parallel streets to establish continuous parallel routes. Planning staff and council staff emphasized these connection proposals would generally be implemented at the time of redevelopment and reviewed through the development-review process.
Cut-through concerns: District and committee members pointed to neighborhood streets currently used as informal bypasses and warned that creating through-vehicle connections could shift safety risks into residential areas. “If we’re designing a town center … we understand that, but we are talking about an existing neighborhood,” one district council member said, noting children playing and existing pedestrian activity on local streets.
Technical review by MCDOT: Corey Pitts of MCDOT said the department conducted only high-level reviews of the network changes and has not completed formal traffic studies for the specific connections. He confirmed a stub or dead-end connection would likely avoid unintended cut-throughs, while a full through connection could create a new opening that some drivers might use to bypass congested arteries.
Committee direction: Multiple members said they prefer paved pedestrian and bike trails rather than full vehicular links for several of the proposed connections (including Greenock/Royalton and several Gilmore and parallel-street connections). Chair asked staff to return next week with proposed language specifying paved trails and with clearer descriptions of driveway consolidation and traffic calming options that would reduce the risk of nonlocal through traffic.
What’s next: Staff agreed to bring revised plan language and supporting materials to the Nov. 10 session, including specific recommended text for converting selected connections to pedestrian/cyclist-only facilities and clarifications about implementation tied to redevelopment.
