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My walk down Telegraph kicked off with the remix of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance… booming from this (presumably homeless) man’s creative solar-powered stereo-in-a-grocery-cart.
A block later we had a friendly conversation with RJ, a street vendor who has been selling jewelry on the Telegraph sidewalk for years. He expressed his frustration that the city had plans to transform Telegraph into a bus rapid transit route. He noted how the BRT would negatively affect him: narrower sidewalks limiting the number of shoppers, more buses creating more noise and more exhaust causing health issues.
While continuing our walk down this eclectic street, an idea came to mind: prohibit vehicle use on Telegraph (from Bancroft to Dwight) and create a pedestrian-only thoroughfare. Benefits would include economic growth from additional pedestrians (consumers/shoppers/tourists) and better land use. Challenges would include traffic diversion, zoning issues, additional (and more complicated?) street vendor licenses, etc. While I continue to brainstorm this idea, I welcome feedback and alternative suggestions. (Photo credit and partner-in-crime: Warren Logan)
No driving on Telegraph seems to be a popular idea. When we spoke to various inhabitants of People's Park, that was their biggest complaint. While I agree to that sentiment to a certain extent, I wonder how the commercial retail vendors would respond if delivery trucks couldn't drive up the street. It'd be nice if delivery trucks were only allowed on Telegraph at specific, non-congestion or low pedestrian density times (i.e before 8AM).
ReplyDeleteNo bus traffic on Telegraph would cause extreme amounts on congestion on Bancroft, Durant and other parallel streets. I take the bus everyday to campus. Since it's summer, the ridership crowd is more than manageable. However, isn't campus is missing about 30,000 students in the summer? Canceling or rediverting the traffic on Telegraph doesn't solve the problem of congestion and pollution, it just moves it a block or two down (possibly away from the commercial and university thoroughfare to the residential streets).
I'm all for making streets more pedestrian friendly. But by taking away the car alternative and making the transit alternative a hassle, would people (other than university affiliated patrons or the homeless) ever come out to Telegraph? Would it be so isolated from the non-campus crowd that it would just become an extension of People's Park, filled with the homeless camping out?
Downtown Chapel Hill has a similar problem. All year long parking is extremely problematic. There are few parking lots and mostly metered spots down the main drag. During the school year downtown thrives from campus foot traffic. However, during the summer, bus schedules are cut and foot traffic is nonexistent - which is also due to the extreme summer heat. To help commercial businesses, the Town of Chapel Hill has offered free valet services to increase non-campus pedestrian traffic to help the local businesses survive. Downtown is so isolated that the town is willing to pay people to drive there and spend money.
Dear students:
ReplyDeleteHow about a middle of the road alternative? (No pun intended). What about using paving, coloration, texture, ballard types and other soft infrastructure devices to reduce/calm traffic.
This type of approach may also provide for multiple uses. Check out Telegraph during Sundays of this month. The street becomes an arts fair.
Just a though
Fernando