Painting Southbound Parking this week.
Downtown Complete Streets Improvement Project (CIP #460) Phase 2b is wrapping up this week.
This week (11/9-13/2015) the final touches are being applied to Main Street.Concord Main Street Project Website November 6, 2015 Update:
November 11, 2015 What's Left? On Monday the south bound lane will receive its final top coat of pavement. Due to paving, westerly adjacent side streets will be closed intermittently during the day. All parking garages will remain accessible. Layout and striping will occur between Tuesday and Wednesday, weather permitting, and Granite crews will be working throughout the week at the Pleasant St. and Warren St. bumpouts finishing paver installations. Warren St. will be closed between the parking garage and Main St. on Thursday and Friday to allow for crews to safely work at and finish the sidewalk bumpout.
By the end of the day Friday the final sidewalk amenities will have been added and North Main Street will be open to two way traffic and parking on both sides of the street.
The so called "Complete Streets Project" will be incomplete for some of the most vulnerable cyclists (see March 20th, 2013). This is unfortunate and was almost avoided. (see minutes below)
Over the last few months discussions about incorporating a trial back-in angle parking section in front of the state house were considered, unanimously supported and then unanimously dismissed by the Transportation Policy Advisory Committee. It seems the City Engineer influence was paramount in the decision. Decide for yourself.
Transportation Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes:
July 23, 2015 TPAC Minutes pg 3
(reported in City Council Agenda Packet September 14, 2015 - page 134)
TPAC discussion
explored the potential opportunity to consider a ‘test strip’ of back-in angled parking
somewhere in the area south of Concord Street. Perhaps the back-in angle parking
could be marked early in the project as a ‘test’ so that parkers have a chance to try it out.
The final pavement marking at the end of the project could be adjusted to either retain
the back-in markings if they were popular, or go back to the front-in angle parking as
per the current plans.
It was suggested that back-in angle ‘test’ areas might have better public exposure if they
were located in the heart of the downtown area, for example in front of the state house
or on Pleasant Street Extension. These locations could be marked for back-in angle
parking with temporary tape for a few weeks or months, before the final project
markings (thermoplastic) are applied. For example, temporary lines could be installed
in November after the paving is done and used through the winter before the decision
on final line painting is made in the spring. Attendees concurred this would be a good
time for a test as Louis Carno is coordinating the Main Street Project publicity and any
back-in angle options could dovetail in with their ongoing public relations efforts.
Ed Roberge suggested that he could bring TPAC’s suggestions on testing back-in angle
parking to the City Manager and get an opinion on how to best move the idea forward.
TPAC concurred and moved to keep this item on the agenda pending additional
feedback from Ed Roberge on process. The Chair suggested that the September 24
TPAC meeting could be devoted to this item.
August 15, 2015 TPAC Minutes pg 2-3
(reported in City Council Agenda Packet November 9, 2015 - page 218-219)
Discussion continued regarding last month’s consideration of installing a temporary test
area of back-in angle parking in conjunction with the on-going Main street
reconstruction project. Ed Roberge noted he had received another resident email
indicating support for back-in angle parking on Main Street. He had also discussed
TPAC’s consideration of a potential test alternative to Administration with suggestion
that TPAC could offer its recommendation to City Council. In terms of coordinating this
test with the ongoing Main Street project, a reasonable alternative would be to use
temporary paint markings to designate back-in angle parking (rather than the front-in
angle as per the approved design) along the front of the state house plaza (13 spaces)
and along the south side of Capital Street (six spaces). Markings would be installed in
late fall after the paving of the west side of N. Main Street is complete. Temporary
markings would indicate the back-in angle spaces over the winter and staff would
monitor operation and public feedback and report back to City Council in the spring. By
then the temporary markings would be substantially faded, and permanent markings
(either front-in or back-in as decided by Council) would be installed.
TPAC members concurred that this alternative was both well located and appropriate
for purpose of a test. TPAC approved a motion to test back-in angle parking in front of
the state house plaza and on Capital Street over this winter (Motion-Tufts; Second-
Maldonado; Unanimous). Staff was requested to draft up a report with TPAC’s
recommendation to City Council. The Chair requested that a special TPAC meeting be
scheduled for Tuesday, September 1 to discuss and finalize this report for submission to
Council for consideration at the September 14 meeting.
September 1, 2015 TPAC Minutes pg 1-2
(reported in City Council Agenda Packet November 9, 2015 - page 221-222)
a. Referral by the Chair to discuss the status of the sections of N. and S. Main Street
immediately north and south of the Downtown Complete Streets Project
This was a special meeting of TPAC to finalize a report and recommendation to City
Council on a potential test of back-in angle parking on Main Street. This is a
continuation of the discussion at the August 27, 2015 meeting that culminated with
TPAC approval of a motion to test back-in angle parking in front of the state house plaza
and on Capital Street over this winter. Staff was requested to draft a recommendation
and report for City Council for further TPAC review.
On further reflection, Ed Roberge questioned the efficacy of a potential test of back-in
angle parking in the central core along Main Street. A primary concern was the
desirability to maintain consistency in parking operation along the corridor. If the test
proved desirable to the public, the expectation might be to stripe back-in angle parking
in conjunction with new Main Street construction; this would create conflicting
expectations if the already-constructed front-in parking remained on the east side of N.
Main Street. He felt that it would be unlikely that Council would approve funds to
repave and restripe the already-completed east side to convert front-in angle parking to
back-in. He suggested that if a test of back-in angled parking was to be considered, that
a location outside of the Main Street project and the downtown core might be more
appropriate. S. Main Street south of Concord Street was suggested as an example.
A concern was noted that Main Street merchants were stakeholders in the 2012-2013
discussions that led to the approved design for Main Street, and back-in angle parking
was not generally supported by them at that time. A temporary test now of back-in
angle parking this fall would coincide with peak shopping season and might raise
renewed concerns from retailers.
After further consideration, TPAC members concurred that furthering a proposal to test
back-in angle parking within the Main Street project area might increase the risk of
avoidable public backlash which could affect the public consensus on the Main Street
project reached in 2013. TPAC approved a motion to reconsider its August 27, 2015
motion to test back-in angle parking in front of the state house plaza and on Capital
Street over this winter (Motion-Irwin; Second-Todd; Unanimous). TPAC then approved
a motion to remove its August 27, 2015 motion to test back-in angle parking in front of
the state house plaza and on Capital Street over this winter (Motion-Irwin; Second-
Champlin; Unanimous).
