A great street design focuses on the people we are trying to attract. Today, South 6th Street focuses almost solely on moving automobiles. People are an afterthought. This design reverses those priorities. It will still accommodate automobiles, including large trucks, in the volumes that are realistically anticipated. It does it, however, in an environment that is friendly to the homes and businesses that are along the street.
Beginning at County Road #117, the intersection with Essentia Health and the (now empty) Ramada, and heading north, there are frontage roads along both sides of South 6th Street. These stay in place and provide adequate room for any non-motorized traffic that can be reasonably anticipated. One driving lane in each direction with no on-street parking (it would not be used here anyway) is thus recommended.
Beginning at County Road #117, the intersection with Essentia Health and the (now empty) Ramada, and heading north, there are frontage roads along both sides of South 6th Street. These stay in place and provide adequate room for any non-motorized traffic that can be reasonably anticipated. One driving lane in each direction with no on-street parking (it would not be used here anyway) is thus recommended.
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Note that this stretch of South 6th Street is currently a 3-lane design. For a couple of thousand feet, we have gone through the expense of building a third lane, ostensibly so drivers turn off the street without slowing the through traffic. Yet, there are no turns. This lane is completely unused.
This is a prime example of the waste that comes with the current approach, hundreds of thousands of dollars that can be saved with a more thoughtful design. |
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At Wright Street the frontage road on the east side of South 6th Street ends and urban-style of development begins. This means that, on the Northbound side, we need to introduce on-street parking and a protected bike/pedestrian lane. Note that the bike/pedestrian lane is on the outer side of the parked cars because, through this area, traffic will be traveling more than 20 mph. The nine feet of separation and the parked cars provide an added degree of safety for people outside of an automobile.
The frontage road on the west side of South 6th Street ends at Trinity Lutheran Church. Due to the lay of the land, there is no development, and no real development potential, on the west side of the street during this stretch. That means there is no need for on-street parking and, if it were provided, it would not get used. Through this short stretch there needs to be a separated bike/pedestrian lane with a raised curb and tree-lined boulevard between it and the southbound auto lane.
At Willow Street, the character of the development on both sides of South 6th Street becomes urban. This means a shift to on-street parking on each side with a protected bike lane as well as sidewalks.
Note that there has been discussion of adding a traffic signal at the intersection of South 6th Street and Willow Street. Today it is very dangerous to cross South 6th Street at Willow, but that isn't because of the volume of traffic (the general reason for adding a signal). It is actually because of the lack of traffic. Finding a gap to cross five lanes of fast-moving, well-spaced traffic can sometimes take a long time. Drivers that pull out part way get stuck in a danger zone. Drivers that try to shoot the gap take dangerous risks. Going to two lanes with a slow design speed and a median will make this intersection far safer for everyone without the need for an expensive signal.
Note that there has been discussion of adding a traffic signal at the intersection of South 6th Street and Willow Street. Today it is very dangerous to cross South 6th Street at Willow, but that isn't because of the volume of traffic (the general reason for adding a signal). It is actually because of the lack of traffic. Finding a gap to cross five lanes of fast-moving, well-spaced traffic can sometimes take a long time. Drivers that pull out part way get stuck in a danger zone. Drivers that try to shoot the gap take dangerous risks. Going to two lanes with a slow design speed and a median will make this intersection far safer for everyone without the need for an expensive signal.
At Oak Street the urban development shifts fully to commercial. This means South 6th Street needs to become a commercial city street with sidewalks and on-street parking. Traffic is slowed to the point where the separated bike lane is no longer needed; bikes and automobiles can share the same lane in each direction. There is plenty of room within the right-of-way to make this happen and it would create tremendous opportunities for growth of the adjacent properties.
South 6th Street is the most important street in the city of Brainerd and the most financially productive street in all of Crow Wing County. The investments made along this corridor must reflect its importance. A redesign of South 6th Street needs to strengthen and enhance its financial productivity, making the city, and the entire area, more prosperous as a result.
A debate between three and five lanes is simply a choice between two bad options. There is another viable approach.
A debate between three and five lanes is simply a choice between two bad options. There is another viable approach.