DOWNTOWN TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - A second meeting of three was held Wednesday night on the future of Downtown Toledo streets at the SeaGate Convention Centre.
The main idea was to take the existing downtown streets and see how best to revamp them.
The city has seen significant growth and change with developments like Hensville and the ProMedica Headquarters coming in and the idea is to keep that momentum going.
This may involve changing the patterns of one way streets and removing curbs on some roads like Adams Street to make them more appealing for events.
One change, is already pedaling forward.
"We do have a project coming up to add a cycle track to Jefferson Street and that will connect Promenade Park down by the river and it will go all the way out and connect to the art museum with a bike facility, so it will go all the way through downtown, which is really positive,” said Stephanie Bartlett, Professional Engineer at the City of Toledo Division of Transportation.
Private contractor, Mannik & Smith Group has been gathering information at these meetings to present in a report to the city this fall.
It will evaluate the existing traffic flow and future proposed traffic patterns while accounting for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users to enhance the development potential downtown. The project role includes: Consultant team lead, traffic engineering and modeling, funding strategies, needs assessment, and development of scenarios.
The Downtown Toledo Transportation Plan takes into account the 2017 Downtown Master Plan, and other numbers, like how many people are coming in for festivals.
“We will be presenting concepts on every street downtown, and then we’re going to have breakout sessions where people can go to a street concept that particularly involves them and they can provide their input," Jean Hartline, Project Manager and Vice President for Mannik & Smith Group Incorporated said,
These meetings focus on analyzing existing conditions and engaging the community for their vision and feedback.
If you live, work, or play in the downtown area, you are a welcome stakeholder. But if you are unable to make the meetings or are interested in finding more information, you can do here.
