UALR looking to rejuvenate street out front

Fewer travel lanes, more landscaping, trees in concept, but financing a hurdle

Behind-the-scenes conversations are ongoing among many entities in Little Rock concerning a proposal that would significantly alter the design of South University Avenue along the stretch in front of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

photo

proposed University Avenue street changes

Picture reduced travel lanes, a landscaped median, the addition of four roundabouts, more trees, pedestrian crossings and bike lanes.

UALR Chancellor Joel Anderson -- who has been involved in researching, proposing and campaigning for the improvements along with other groups for a few years now -- admits these are lofty goals and said that an end result likely won't mirror the initial concept proposed.

But, he said, the proposal is a starting point to get the community and stakeholders thinking about what a friendlier, more walkable and livable University Avenue corridor could do for the city and the 31,000 drivers who pass through that area each day, according to the latest traffic data.

"Constructed more than 50 years ago over the gravel-paved Hayes Street, University Avenue has transitioned over time into a street that is not conducive to university life," Anderson wrote in his essay titled "Let's work together to capture the power of this place."

"Beyond the stark and very real safety issues it presents, University Avenue also does not provide the business-friendly or people-friendly environment a university campus should reflect. Thus, we seek a different path."

Most city leaders agree that the section of roadway needs improvement, but the first question raised is where will the money to fund this project come from?

FUNDING

An estimate of what the proposed improvements would total hasn't been researched, but Anderson said it's sure to be expensive. He's suggesting multiple funding sources and a coalition of partners working together that would include city funds coupled with grants from Metroplan, the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department and even federal aid, if possible. The university also is willing to give up the edge of its property that borders the street to allow for the expanded roadway.

Little Rock's contribution would come from sales-tax revenue from the 2011 voter-approved tax increase that's been dedicated to infrastructure improvements in the various city wards. Each ward has been allocated about $22 million over the 10-year life of the tax. Much of that funding has already been assigned to certain projects.

The stretch of South University Avenue from 28th Street to Asher Avenue involves Wards 2 and 6, as well as a state highway. Vice Mayor and Ward 6 City Director Doris Wright said she's on board with the improvements and is willing to dedicate a portion of her ward's funding to the project, assuming that other city directors would do the same.

"I like the plans. It will make South University comparable to Midtown. South University deserves the same attention that has been lavished in the Midtown area. When you come onto the bridge at Interstate 630, it looks very run-down. You can tell the amount of attention has not been leveled there," Wright said.

The city already had plans to repave South University Avenue, but Wright has asked that that be put on hold and possibly taken off the table in the event that this new proposal is approved. The work would be completed in phases, she said, adding that funding for the entire project doesn't have to be identified at the outset for the first phase to begin.

There's no timeline for the proposal to be approved or an estimate on how long the work would take, Anderson said.

"There is a vision. There is a concept plan there. The next stage that has to happen, and we are sort of approaching that stage, is for the appropriate engineers to analyze all of the various specifics," the chancellor said. "It will be an expensive project, there's no doubt about that, but these are the kinds of projects you can accomplish with many partners.

"I think we've rounded first base, we've done a good bit of prep work, got a good number of relevant people to say, 'Yes, this makes sense. This would be a great thing,' and we've begun to look at the technical issues that have to be addressed," Anderson continued. "I think we've still got a long way to go, but at the same time we are not just walking up to the plate about to start. I'd say we are past first base."

Ward 2 City Director Ken Richardson said he's intrigued by the conceptual plans, but that he's not ready to agree to commit any of Ward 2's funding at this point -- saying that's a decision for his constituents to make.

"Conceptually, I think it's an interesting proposal. I'm intrigued about the roundabout concept -- the traffic calming aspect of it. I think, obviously, the challenge is going to be the funding part. That has to involve the community and be driven by the community. The decision has to be from the bottom up rather than the top down," Richardson said.

The proposed roundabouts are not the same as the large traffic circles seen in the Northeastern United States, according to the Federal Highway Administration. First, modern roundabouts have a much smaller diameter than the older large traffic circles, some of which are large enough to accommodate a small park. Roundabouts also require incoming traffic to yield to the traffic already in the circle, while large traffic circles typically don't. Roundabouts have a maximum speed of 25-30 mph -- much less than speeds in large traffic circles.

SPECIFICS of proposal

UALR's "Establishing University Village" proposal gives three design options. Each calls for roundabouts where 28th Street, 32nd Street, UALR Campus Drive and Asher Avenue cross South University Avenue. The options differ in the design of lanes, medians and bike lanes.

Design option No. 1 would reduce vehicle travel lanes to two lanes both ways, place a landscape strip between bike lanes and the sidewalks, while staying in the current right of way. It is the simplest of the three proposals.

Design option No. 2 could require businesses to give up easements. It reduces travel lanes to two lanes both ways, has a landscaped median, bike lanes, sidewalks, additional landscaping along the sidewalks, pedestrian crossing islands and on-street parking.

Design option No. 3 is more of a long-term goal that would transform the roadway entirely. It includes two 10-foot lanes in each direction, a large landscaped median in the middle and 4-foot-wide landscaped medians between the travel lanes and bike lanes. It also envisions businesses moving closer to the street with angled parking leading straight out to the roadway.

The three designs were conceptualized in 2012. Anderson said it is now believed that a version of them could be accomplished with UALR giving up a significant portion of easement and without any businesses or residential lots on the other side of the street having to contribute property. He added that that has not been confirmed yet.

Danny Straessle, spokesman for the state Highway Department, said it's important to note that the 2012 Walkable and Livable Communities Institute report on the University Avenue proposal states that the recommendations are based on incomplete information and that the project warrants another study to determine that the solutions are being applied to the right conditions.

"That's noteworthy," Straessle said. "The model that they used for the roundabout at Asher and University was based on the prior year's traffic data. When the Highway Department plans facilities where there's an upgrade or interchange or bridge or whatever, we look at the 20-year planning horizon. We look 20 years down the road to see what the traffic volume is going to be."

He said it's too early to say what state funding the project would be eligible for because there's no specific plan established.

Anderson accepts that as the various entities involved work together, the concept will change, he said. He's pleased that everyone so far has been willing to "come to the table and work together." A number of neighborhood associations and businesses in the area have been involved in initial conversations, he said. The University District Development Corp. first took the idea to UALR.

A university is a catalyst for positive change that is good for an entire city, Anderson said, calling the South University Avenue roadway "the southern door to Little Rock."

"We can design our community as a space for cars to simply pass through," he said, "or as a place for people to thrive -- a place for living, for business prosperity and for health. We opt for the latter, for a real place."

SundayMonday on 06/22/2014

Upcoming Events