ENGINEERING
FIRM STUDYING NEW LAYOUT FOR FARMINGTON AVENUE (December
15, 2005)
The
firm hired by the City of Hartford to complete the final design of
Farmington Avenue is assessing a preliminary design concept to re-shape
some of the travel lanes, shorten pedestrian crossings, build textured
medians, add road shoulder areas to better accommodate bicyclists
and create bus pull outs where city buses can get out of the travel
lane and not block traffic.
The
Rocky Hill based URS team is also evaluating a roundabout at Woodland
Street. However, this location does not rate well by the Connecticut
Department of Transportation’s newly developed criteria for
roundabouts. The city and Farmington Avenue Alliance will be reviewing
the URS assessment and be making a recommendation on a roundabout
proposal within the next several weeks.
The
first phase of streetscape improvements will cover the area from
Marshall/So Marshall Streets in Asylum Hill to Evergreen/Kenyon Streets
in the West End. There will be no work done in the vicinity of the
Sisson Avenue intersection in this phase. While this intersection
is considered by many to be the most problematic area of Farmington
Avenue, making improvements there would have taken up a large percentage
of the $3.5 million available for this phase of the project. The
Alliance will continue to press for funds for the Sisson/Sherman
intersection to be upgraded in a future phase.
Currently
the URS team is evaluating the proposed street redesign from a traffic
viewpoint. They are looking at current and projected traffic volumes
to determine if the new lane layout will effectively accommodate
vehicles.
URS
will complete the preliminary design for the avenue after the traffic
data analysis is completed and refinements are made to the design
based on comments made by the Farmington Avenue Alliance and the
City of Hartford’s Department of Public Works. A community
meeting to review the proposed design will be scheduled. The meeting
is likely to occur in late February. (December 15, 2005)
City
reaches agreement with engineering firm to complete design for Farmington
Avenue
(February 28, 2005)
The
City of Hartford expects to have the engineering firm, URS, under contract
for the final design of Farmington Avenue streetscape improvements by
early September.
According
to Kevin Burnham of the Department of Public Works, all that's needed
is the paperwork to be signed.
Since
October 2004 the Farmington Avenue Alliance, URS and the City has been
discussing what the scope of the project should be. The City was reluctant
to include some of the innovative design features proposed by the Alliance’s
Farmington Avenue Plan.
Features
that would have increased pedestrian safety, such as raised medians,
raised crosswalks and re-arrangement of sidewalks to reduce pedestrian/car
conflicts had the City concerned. It feared negotiation with private
property owners over easements would delay the project; new at-grade
curbs at side streets would increase the project budget and raised medians
may confuse drivers, impede emergency vehicles or create long term maintenance
issues of landscaping within the median.
The
City was also concerned that bus pullouts may require land takings which
would slow the project and would not be affordable.
The
Alliance, having built community consensus on the need to physically
re-shape Farmington Avenue in a dramatic way in order to increase the
economic viability and livability of the Asylum Hill and West End commercial
districts, objected to the direction of the scope of the project.
After
several months of discussion, the gap in the vision of the City and
FAA for the new streetscape closed. FAA committed to doing a lot of
the leg work needed to get private property owners to cooperate in the
re-design. If property owners are flexible, the City will incorporate
new street and sidewalk layout into the final design for the avenue.
The Alliance will continue to advocate for pedestrian enhancements.
Initial
work on the avenue upgrade will begin at Marshall St in Asylum Hill
and extend west to Evergreen Avenue in the West End. Improvements to
the Sisson Avenue/Sherman Street intersection will come in a later phase
Construction
of the streetscape project will begin in the 2006.
Notices
of all public meetings will be posted on the website.
 City
close to agreement with engineering firm to complete design for Farmington
Avenue
The
City of Hartford expects to have the engineering firm, URS, under contract
for the final design of Farmington Avenue streetscape improvements by
the end of March.
Since
October the Farmington Avenue Alliance, URS and the City have been having
a dialogue about what the scope of the project should be. The City has
been reluctant to include some of the innovative design features proposed
by the Alliance’s Farmington Avenue Plan.
Features
that would have increased pedestrian safety, such as raised medians,
raised crosswalks and re-arrangement of sidewalks to reduce pedestrian/car
conflicts have the City concerned. It fears negotiation with private
property owners over easements would delay the project; new at-grade
curbs at side streets would increase the project budget and raised medians
may confuse drivers, impede emergency vehicles or create long term maintenance
issues of landscaping within the median.
The
City was also concerned that bus pullouts may require land takings which
would slow the project and would not be affordable.
The
Alliance, having built community consensus on the need to physically
re-shape Farmington Avenue in a dramatic way in order to increase the
economic viability and livability of the Asylum Hill and West End commercial
districts, objected to the direction of the scope of the project.
After
several months of discussion, the City and FAA are now closer in their
vision for the new streetscape. FAA has committed to doing a lot of
the leg work needed to get private property owners to cooperate in the
re-design. If property owners are flexible, the City will incorporate
new street and sidewalk layout into the final design for the avenue.
The Alliance will continue to advocate for pedestrian enhancements.
Initial
work on the avenue upgrade will begin in two separate sections of Farmington
Avenue. Included will be the area between Marshall and Denison Streets
as well as Farmington Avenue between Tremont Street and Prospect Avenue.
The Alliance hopes the project can be coordinated with sewer separation
on Farmington Avenue by the MDC that will get underway this spring just
over the West Hartford line.
Construction
of the streetscape project is not likely to begin before the 2006 construction
season.
Firm
Hired by City for Farmington Avenue Design Work Meets with Residents,
Takes Walking Tour
(November 30, 2004)
URS,
the firm the City of Hartford has selected to finalize street design
plans for Farmington Avenue, will begin work on the avenue as soon as
its scope of work is approved by the City. However, in mid-October members
of the design team, area residents and representatives of the Farmington
Avenue Alliance and Farmington Asylum Business District participated
in a walk through of the whole length of the project area – from
the Asylum/Farmington merge near downtown Hartford to the Prospect Avenue.
The team wanted to get a good look at the street and listen to community
concerns. The City has asked URS team to work closely with residents
and businesses to develop the design.
Neighborhood
residents and business representatives also met with the engineering
team in mid August. Click here for a report
(pdf) of the initial meeting with the URS team. The URS expects
to hold public workshops during the preliminary design phase and public
meetings at different phases during the developed of the design.
City
Names Firm for Farmington Avenue Project
(August 30, 2004)
The
City of Hartford recently named URS, a large corporation with expertise
in transportation planning and design, to head up a team to improve
Farmington Avenue. URS will work with the community to refine a design
developed by the Farmington Avenue Alliance in 2001. The plan, developed
with extensive input from the Asylum Hill and West End community, seeks
to improve the avenue for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists while
creating a better climate for businesses.
The
City has asked URS team to work closely with residents and businesses
to develop the design. Neighborhood residents and business representatives
met with the engineering team in mid August and will do a walk through
of the avenue in early September. Click
here for a report (pdf) of the initial meeting with the URS team.
City
To Discuss Farmington Avenue Streetscape Project (August 30, 2004)
Bhupen
Patel, Director of the City of Hartford’s Department of Public
Works, has invited fifteen neighborhood groups, including West End and
Asylum Hill organizations, to meet on August 16 at 6:00 P.M. at Conference
Room “A”, Center of Health Enhancement, 95 Woodland Street,
to discuss the general scope of streetscape projects the city is ready
to undertake. Farmington Avenue is one of five arteries in the city
that will be upgraded. The City intends to work with stakeholders from
the neighborhood to get input into the street design.
Hartford
Applies for $900,000 Grant for Farmington Avenue
The
City of Hartford’s Department of Public Works applied for a $900,000
grant for Farmington Avenue and two other city streets from the Capitol
Region Council of Governments for STP-Urban Funds, a federally funded
transportation program.
If
awarded, these funds would be added to streetscape funds the city plans
to use to begin implementation of the Farmington Avenue Plan.
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