Roads such as Peters Creek Parkway and University Parkway lend themselves to an increased residential density and potential transit corridors. 
How do we build a successful transit system through attractively-designed, increased-density developments along partially-developed corridors? How do we help transform these corridors from strips into a complementary mixture of uses?
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Give us your thoughts -- click "comments" below:
18 comments:
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Perhaps a zoning overlay district along these identified corridors.
The section of Peters Creek between 421 and I-40 needs an overhaul. A good place to start would be to reduce the lanes from 6 to 4. I've never seen enough traffic to justify 6 lanes. A reduction in lanes could lead to better control of traffic as well. A grassy median instead of the concrete strip would help to beautify the corridor. With the reduction in lanes, perhaps the median strip could be wide enough to have space for a future light rail/streetcar line that would run down the center of the road.
Property owners who redevelop outdated parcels on the corridor should be encouraged to position the buildings toward the street and put the parking in back in order to foster a more urban and walkable feel to the corridor.
If by partially developed corridors, you mean things like Hanes Mall Blvd--then there really is not much hope. The anchors of that strip are too strong to combat--ie. you can't have a mall and/or big box retail buildings and your cake and eat it too. This strip and others like it are lost causes.
What you can do is take those strips that are closer to the urban core (like Stratford Rd from Silas Creek to five points and Peters Creek from Silas Creek to 1st St.) and make them so very comfortable with big trees (like Sycamores and Oaks) lining wide (like 10 foot) sidewalks with stores and houses and office right up against the sidewalks; then maybe we can have that tramway running down the center of the street with another side walk there to serve the transit needs of the corridor. Hummm, what does that leave for the cars? I guess maybe a lane in each direction on that Stratford stretch and 2 lanes in each direction for that Peters Creek stretch. That ought to be enough if you are really serious about creating vibrancy and life. The land use will have to be mixed office, retail, housing--just like the CBD. There will need to be many intersections along the way--most blocks on these streets will need to be at least 1/2 as long as the are now. Some of these possible new streets that would bisect the corridor and shorten blocks could be ped and bike only.
But if by partially developed corridors you mean places like Hwy 158 after it crosses Hanes Mall Blvd. or Peters Creek Pkwy past Parkland High School, then you are barking up the wrong tree again. The land around these areas should be extremely low density--although they are already at a moderate density state and will likely become more and more congested in the next 10 years. To plan for THAT future, regulations should be in place for either preserved green spaces (greenbelt type and parks/greenways) and/or such that new development there evolves in a new urbanist fashion. But I like the greenbelt idea best.
Attractive mixed used developments can help shorten trips and make bike/ped trips feasible more people. Also "garage" apartments or granny flats are an easy and less intrusive way to increase densisty without changing the character of the neighborhood.
I believe the addition of safe, energy efficient transportation, with carefully planned 'stations' where people feel comfortable waiting, can be the nucleus for development. If you place these as previously mentioned, in redundant traffic lanes (or they will become unnecessary if public transit is good, fast, available)you will attract development in areas that have fallen into poor use or decay and you can also insert them into currently existing buildings and homes, apartments, etc-
Investigate what other cities are doing and figure out what works best
What other cities have succeeded in doing this?
Locate markets & gardens within the strips. Remove pavement. Add sidewalks & bike paths & trees.
Add street trees, street level lighting, ROAD DIETS to make roads seem more walkable once someone takes transit.
Consider promoting pedestrian-friendly development. Parking in the rear, sidewalks, crosswalks, buildings closer to the street, etc.
I believe a lot of the strip like settings are derived from poor design. In order to build attractively assets must be allocated towards the building's architecture.
Study the success of nearby mixed-use developments - (i.e., the Metropolitan in Charlotte)
Charlotte 2020 plan
Identify corridors
Identify transit nodes
Again, utilization of a ground level street access store/glass frontage with living space above.
You have to make riding buses attractive to the middle class & upper class - sell unlimited ride passes - make it easy to do.
You have to have grocery stores available to people who work.
A light rail running down the side or median of Peter's Creek Parkway would be helpful. Reducing the speed and number of cars, perhaps reducing the number of traffic lanes, wider central medians, and encouraging the siting of something besides large parking lots in front of strip shopping centers and car lots, would make it much more attractive road.
We stop building and maintaining new roads, period! We focus on upgrading existing roads on their existing alignment, not off their original alignment. We also reduce speed limits in these areas through design techniques. Make communities walkable and access to public transit easy and reasonably priced. Increase ridership.
10/22/11
To confirm mindset that lead to deal that was made concerning putting picture of TWO African American males on the front of the Winston-Salem Forsyth county Library page= the following Philosophy that is posted on the internet = “As a Commissioner, my major focus has always been on using the County's SCARCE resources to protect the common good of ALL our citizens in Forsyth County.”= could that possible mean that the suffering of one person in the African American race who has suffered a situation not being addressed properly [like if they were white] in order that the person’s benefits are used to PROTECT the common good of ALL of the citizens of Forsyth County=means that the person who was done it; may never see the benefits because to give the individual person the benefits draws attention to the abuse that exists within the county=????
And the other interesting thing is that the wife of the commissioner is the same name as the girl PAULA who they recently hired to harass me=
If you help the person who called you; then target will be somebody with the name of PAULA".[so there was a reason for Paula being hired at the Carver School Road Library].
http://www.co.forsyth.nc.us/commissioners/meet_marshall.aspx
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