The city is considering changing the way traffic moves through
downtown and what that thoroughfare
– though just seven-blocks long but the heart and soul of the
city – will look like.
The city is considering changing the way traffic moves through downtown and what that thoroughfare – though just seven-blocks long but the heart and soul of the city – will look like.
Whether it’s two lanes or four lanes, the city council should look at what is best through the lens of what will help facilitate more people living downtown, because that’s what’s going to drive downtown’s economic engine and make it a place residents and visitors want to come.
A key question city council members will likely consider before approving a final design is whether the street should be tapered to two lanes, or remain in its current four-lane configuration from Dunne Avenue to Main Avenue.
One of the problems facing the council is that two entities that have or represent substantial economic interests downtown – the Morgan Hill Downtown Association and Granada Theater redevelopment candidate Barry Swenson Builder – submitted opposite views on what number of lanes is likely to fulfill the city’s long-term plan for downtown, and harmonize with existing businesses and amenities downtown.
Barry Swenson Builder, through its leasing agent Meacham Oppenheimer Inc., submitted a letter indicating its preference for four lanes, which would bring more traffic through the corridor.
“For any downtown corridor, the more traffic the better,” said Ryan Warner, sales associate for Meacham Oppenheimer. “They see these shops and tenants, they pull over on their way home, and on the weekends, generating more foot traffic. Some of these shop owners, they need as much exposure as possible.”
Meanwhile, the MHDA sent a letter expressing support for narrowing the street to two lanes through downtown, and leveling the median in order to “open up” the downtown, says a letter to Mayor Steve Tate from the association.
Downtown stakeholders, including existing business owners, as well as downtown residents and members of the property based improvement district support the design known as “option 3,” which consists of two lanes and a median of its existing size.
Finally, more than 100 respondents to a survey indicated a desire for a more pedestrian-friendly street, wider sidewalks and safer bike lanes.
The purpose of a new streetscape would be to uphold the city’s long-term downtown specific plan, the goals of which include creating an urban setting with “unified landscaping and streetscape improvements,” a more pedestrian-friendly downtown, strengthening the corridor’s identity with new design mixed with traditional character, and enhancing visual and physical linkages to downtown from outlying areas.
So, where does that leave the council?
It leaves them with a decision in which they should first ask themselves: What would be best to foster a strong pedestrian-friendly downtown core in which more than 500 families can live? That’s where the vision starts.
