Design work continues on city of Frederick's corridor projects
Design plans continue for changes and improvements to two key entrances to the city of Frederick.
The city is developing plans for its East Street and Jefferson Street corridors to make them more accessible for both drivers and people using other forms of transportation.
Both areas are similar in their functional classifications as entrance points to the city, but are different in the types of traffic they serve, David Edmondson, a transportation planner for the city, said Wednesday.
East Street carries more truck traffic because of the industrial uses on that side of the city, while Jefferson Street doesn't have as many industrial uses, he said.
The city is about to start reviewing proposals for 30% design for its Jefferson Street corridor and should have a preliminary design by June, Edmondson said.
The project includes a $100,000 grant from the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board to get to 30% design for a section of Jefferson Street stretching from east of Prospect Boulevard to Carroll Parkway.
Possible changes include prohibiting left turns from Braddock Avenue onto South Jefferson Street, adding high-visibility sidewalks at the intersection of South Jefferson and Catoctin Avenue, and adding bike lanes to the road.
The project does not include potentially adding a roundabout to the intersection of South Jefferson, Prospect Boulevard, and Pearl Street, which would be a separate project.
The Jefferson Street corridor, a key traffic route, is also home to facilities including the city's McCurdy Field, the Mental Health Association of Frederick County, the Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County, and the future site of a community center that will provide services and programs for teenagers and young adults.
Developing the project will include consulting with residents and businesses in the area, Edmondson said.
"Nobody knows that area better than those who live there," he said.
According to the city's 2020 comprehensive plan, the corridor serves as both a main transportation corridor and an area of concentrated commercial space that serves the neighborhoods around it.
"As a southern gateway to the City and the Downtown area, the principal needs in this area are to provide opportunities for more substantial levels of redevelopment in strategic locations and to provide a defining character for the area," the plan said.
Meanwhile, the city is also looking at redesigning the East Street corridor from South Street to the intersection with North Market Street, and is developing a form-based code for the area, a planning tool that seeks to create a more walkable, urban environment.
The city's engineering team has a preliminary design for the section stretching from 4th Street to North Market, although no timeline for the work has been set, Edmondson said.
Meanwhile, it expects to have a 30% design done for the southern section of the project, running from South Street to 4th Street, done by June, he said.
An evaluation of the southern section will include looking at traffic studies, crash data, and other information to see how traffic moves through the area and into the northern section, he said.
The comprehensive plan highlights the wide range of uses and activities in the East Street area, a more diverse mix than any other part of the city, the plan said.
The city's planning efforts should help preserve and support that mix of uses, the plan said.
Both East and Jefferson streets have areas that are not good for people not driving automobiles, Edmondson said, with missing sidewalks and other problems.
The city wants to make sure those issues are addressed, and to give the areas character of their own, rather than just a way in or out of the city, he said.
