Among changes made in previous draft plans is to retain the current single lane in the Public Square traffic circle, or roundabout, according to information released earlier this month by the city. Two lanes had been proposed with objections to that change heard in public meetings.
The project schedule also has been altered. Replacement of water, storm sewer and other utilities will take place in late 2025. The actual streetscape elements construction now will not begin before fall 2026, a year later than originally proposed.
“We listened to the downtown property owner concerns and feedback and decided to defer it by a year. It’s difficult to estimate any effect on estimated project cost,” said Patrick Titterington, city service and safety director. The overall project estimate is not yet available because work continues on detailed design, he said.
The existing single-lane roundabout is projected to be inadequate to handle traffic in 30 years, but should be enough for the next 15 years or so, Titterington said. “We decided not to over complicate the redesign and confuse drivers,” he said.
Among other changes from earlier presentations:
* The “quads” (the parking, sidewalk and seating areas in each corner of the Public Square) will be reconfigured and slightly expanded to better protect pedestrian crossings while also maintaining the number of parking spaces in each quadrant.
* The quads will not include elevated platforms. Instead, Prouty Plaza on the Square’s northwest corner will be redesigned and enhanced to support more patrons and activities.
Safety elements of the proposed plan include expanding the outer edges of each parking quad to provide more separation between vehicles entering the roundabout and pedestrian cross walks.
“That will allow us to add concrete refuge islands mid crossing and a safer path for those crossing the street at the roundabout entrances,” Titterington said.
The changes in the project plans were mentioned at the most recent meeting of Troy City Council. “I am glad to see input was included in updated plans,” said Councilman Todd Severt.
Among other city projects under way is the second phase of the West Main Street reconstruction project
More information on the safety and streetscape project can be found on the city website at http://www.troyohio.gov.
Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com
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