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Comments before the Raleigh City Council April 15, 2008, 2pm
Steven Waters, America Walks
Progress in Raleigh’s Urban Renaissance
Planning Department
The Raleigh 2030Comprehensive Plan updateis well underway, with numerous workshops and roundtable discussions being held throughout the city. A new master plan for downtown will be included that will build on the Livable Streets 5-year plan.
The City Plaza project led by the Urban Design Center represents the state-of-the-art in placemaking and community building. It will be a signature spot in the center city that will be a critical component of the public realm and bring people together on foot from all backgrounds.
Zoning and Inspections Department
Historic preservation and low-rise development is important because the greenest building is the one you don’t have to build. Raleigh was one of the first in the state to use the State Rehab Code, and has done a great deal of positive work in helping owners, developers, and preservationists in restoring buildings in the urban core. The building code and permit procedures for restorations are still somewhat cumbersome, and more work should be done to find ways to make historic preservation both safe and affordable.
Public Works Department
The Transportation division is updating the 1991 Bicycle Plan with guidance from the Bicycle Committee. The first open house was held two weeks ago to receive public comments. This plan aims to provide an integrated, seamless transportation framework to make bicycling a viable mode of transportation.
The traffic signal system is being updated from cable wire to fiber optics, and timing plans are being looked at for all of our corridors.
Pedestrian countdown timers and LED signal heads are being installed on a systematic basis
15 new buses just received after being ordered 18 months ago, and three more have been ordered for the downtown circulator bus route.
Parks & Recreation Department
A dedicated crew maintains Fayetteville Street and some of the grounds around the premiere facilities, including the Convention Center when it opens in September.
Planning, Public Works, and Parks & Recreation staff are working together to expand the tree pit space under city sidewalks to increase the lifecycle of street trees and raise the tree canopy.
Additional opportunities
Continue investing in downtown because it generates significant tax revenue that helps to curb sprawl and keep taxes low for all city residents and businesses.
Support full funding for the City Plaza project when it comes before you.
Attend the Bicycle Plan workshops, and fund the dedicated staffing position requested by staff so that the plan can actually be implemented!
Tonight you’ll hear about new policies for downtown to wrap parking decks with active uses, designate pedestrian priority and green streets, and designate “A” and “B” retail streets.
Build an entertainment-anchored development that clusters restaurants, movie theatres and other entertainment venues, a vibrant arts district, andin the next ten years, a sports arena.
Reduce pedestrian fatalities by calming traffic speeds.
Steven Waters is an interactive media programmer, urban economist and advocate for livable, walkable communities. He can be reached at 919-618-0294.
The City Council minutes included the above, as well as:
Mayor Meeker expressed appreciation to Mr. Waters for his presentation. He questioned when the next action will be on the City plaza. City Manager Allen pointed out the City is still working to get some final easements with Mayor Meeker questioning how long that would take. City Attorney McCormick pointed out the City is negotiating and working to get the issues resolved but there are two sides to any negotiations so he could not answer the Mayor’s questions.
