Broadway Plan a Showstopper

NEWPORT, R.I. – Throughout the afternoon, they came. Possibly 100 or more, according to some estimates – for what was by all measures an a-typical municipal meeting with a goal that could change the very feel of one of the city’s most important traffic and business corridors.

As one of the main north-south arteries that introduce southbound travelers to the city, Broadway is one of the gateways to Newport’s historic downtown core.

And while improvements have been made further north from One-Mile Corner to Bliss Road, down toward Thompson Middle School and City Hall, little has been done in recent years to improve the quality of what for many year-round residents is a daily destination.

On Thursday, city planning officials joined with project consultants to unveil a series of proposed streetscape improvements to the Broadway corridor that they hope will make the area more pedestrian friendly and safer for motorists.

“This project has really been years in the making,” said Paige Bronk, director of planning and zoning for the city. Discussion surrounding the project really started in 2004 during a Broadway Planning Charette organized by the city and the Newport County Chamber of Commerce.

Among the recommendations that came out of that process were: imrpovements for enhanced pedestrial safety at existing crosswalk locations, parking realignment, the installation of historic lighting, and the conversion of Broadway to one way traffic between Marlborough and Farewell streets.

Using that report as a guideline, over the past few months, planning officials have been meeting with engineers and stakeholders to discuss a series of alternative proposals, some of which were highlighted at the Thursday meeting.

Jim Capaldi, project manager for Louis Berger Associates, said that a traffic study conducted in August on the Lower Broadway area indicates that a one-way design is feasible, resulting in improved traffic flow into Washington Square as well as freeing up space for added parking in the area.

Other areas studied included Middle Broadway, designated as the span from City Hall to the Police Station, and what the consultants referred to as “the Dunkin Donuts” section, which includes Equality Park and the street’s restaurant row.

Of the Middle Broadway rendering seen above, Capaldi acknowledged that “We had heard that there might be some interest by the owners for facade improvements” to the structure across from City Hall and Thompson Middle School. Designers took that into account in creating what was arguably the most talked about drawing put forth.

And while each of the designs generally drew some level of approval from residents, there were a few favorites.

The one-way design of Lower Broadway south of Marlborough Street, for example, drew rave reviews. So did proposals to reclaim the sidewalk outside of Dunkin Donuts, and to expand Equality Park.

“When we were first given this task, I came to thing about all the years when I would come into Newport and was expecting to find the Newport that everyone envisions,” said Will Gates, principal at Providence-based design firm Gates Leighton & Associates. “And yet, when I would come by the hospital area, down further toward Newport, I would come by this section Broadway which was hard with a wide section of non-descript pavement and views of businesses that weren’t softened by trees without adequate marketing, without any good composed areas that were safe for pedestrians, no facilities for traversing by bicycles. In general, just a disapointment;  in just this one section of Broadway. And then further down into Washington Square, I would say, ‘Ah now this is Newport.’”

That’s what gave rise to the project designers’ goal of “extending the destination.” Which, according to Gates, is to say that the Broadway streetscape should “properly represent to visitors and residents, that they’re now in a great international city.”

“We also approached the project in that this is very much a local neighborhood,” he said.

This bi-level approach reflects what area residents have long known: that Broadway, more than perhaps any other area of the city is a hub for daily errands and one of the city’s primary traffic arteries.

Improved lighting and widened sidewalks will help to make visitors feel more comfortable. A narrower roadway will implicitly calm traffic and reducing the distance between sidewalks from up to 52 feet down to 24 feet, will make the area more pedestrian friendly.

Jack McVicker, president of the Off-Broadway Neighborhood Association lauded the study’s design thus far, and offered one suggestion: installing a drop-off area in front of Thompson Middle School.

Meanwhile, Peter Fagan, a member  of the Aquidneck Island Watershed Council, suggested that the city also look into incorporating stormwater infrastructure improvements for the area and reconsidering a proposal from the 2004 charette to install a round-about at the Marlborough Street intersection.

Alliance for a Livable Newport President Bonnie Watson asked if there has been any effort to incorporate alternative modes of transit, to which Bronk replied that bike lanes have been studied, as has the promotion of public transportation.

Other suggestions included: installing an architectural gateway to signify entrance into Washington Square; reconfiguring the intersection of Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard; and an added emphasis on green space and period details.

Describing lighting as a critical need for the area, the consultants indicated that a future meeting may be held just to address lighting improvements for the area.

City officials project that a final engineering report could be completed as soon as 2010, with action beyond that up to the City Council.

Even if you missed the meeting, public comment continues to be accepted through the city’s Web site, and detailed project descriptions can be found in various locations along Broadway, including large placards recently put on display at Empire Tea and Coffee and inside City Hall.

An interactive map of the project is also available online at cityofnewport.com/broadwaystreetscape.  Comment forms may also be made by e-mailing Paige Bronk at pbronk@cityofnewport.com.

Tagged as: City Council, Local News, Newport