This spring, look for the new Fourth Street Gateway that will be installed at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Route 66. Developed with substantial public input, the Beautification and Public Art Commission and the City Council, the project incorporates key principles of redevelopment and will serve to highlight the corridor for motorists along Route 66 and Fourth Street. The site is located on a city-owned parcel between the Walgreens store and the intersection.
Currently covered with cinders and some trees leftover from when ADOT had their service yard on the property, the new gateway features a plaza space adjacent to the street, with decorative paving that can accommodate public art or maybe a neighborhood Christmas tree. A low seat wall separates the plaza from a landscape area that features a basin that collects stormwater from the plaza and from the street. A “Fourth Street” district sign is planned for the low wall. Landscaped with regionally appropriate plant species, the project will also buffer the view of adjacent commercial parking lots. The project is funded by the BBB Beautification Fund.
You may have already noticed temporary pedestrian crossings installed further up Fourth Street. These were installed by the Traffic Section of the City of Flagstaff to test potential locations for permanent pedestrian crossings. The two locations were originally proposed in the Fourth Street Corridor Master Plan. Prior to these installations, there was only one legal crossing between Cedar Avenue and Route 66 and pedestrians frequently jaywalked across this high speed arterial. If these locations work out, we can expect future permanent installations. Permanent crossings would include pedestrian refuges (short median sections), which could be landscaped.
Per the direction of the City Council, surveying work is taking place on Fourth Street south of Sixth Street. This work anticipates the installation of sidewalks, and replacement of sidewalks, in an effort to enhance the pedestrian experience. In order to accomplish this, right-of-way needs to be acquired and most likely, parking lots and driveways need to be reconfigured. There may be an opportunity to install some street trees, buffer landscaping and other beautification elements.
Looking further into the future, traffic conditions on Fourth Street would be improved by the alignment of Sixth Street and Seventh Street. This is extremely challenging due to existing development, but the City Council has directed staff to continue seeking a reasonable way to accomplish this. Similarly, the intersection of Lockett Road and Fourth Street is in need of some alignment improvements. Staff will be working on these concepts.
Finally, the “road diet” proposed by the consultant in the Fourth Street Corridor Master Plan will not be advancing so that the future arterial capacity of Fourth Street will be maintained. FBN
By Karl Eberhard
For more information, please contact Karl Eberhard, City of Flagstaff community design and redevelopment manager, at keberhard@flagstaffaz.gov or 928.213.2969.