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Something that has been irking me lately about American street design conventions is how street trees are installed in a way that effectively narrows the sidewalk rather than by putting them in bulb outs so you lose like half a parking space per tree. It makes the sidewalk more spacious, gives the tree more room to spread out, and comes at the rounding-error cost of a half a parking space. I have seen this in a handful of places like N. Lexington Avenue in Asheville, but nowhere I can think of in Raleigh. In Europe they often put the bike lanes behind the parking AND the street trees.
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Yeah that’s it. Why should street trees take space from sidewalks instead of from street parking? This sort of treatment isn’t necessary on streets like Fayetteville where the right-of-way is 100’ wide sidewalks 30’ on each side. (Many streets in DC have similar dimensions.) But North Lexington is a 60’ ROW, and downtown Raleigh streets are only slightly larger at 66’. A setup with a pattern alternating between 3 spaces then a half-space tree pit would reduce street parking spaces by about 15%. As I have said before, I think parking spaces are not the highest and best use of our streets that are already on the narrow side to begin with.
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Those bulb outs also are good traffic calmers, are a physical pedestrian protection and with an inlet and weir, can be (should be) stormwater treatment facilities too.
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Downtown Raleigh streets are so bad with potholes and bumpy areas. People with Smart cars and small vehicles like mini coopers have a hard time driving downtown. Also, the sidewalks are uneven and there are still way too many crooked above ground power lines. All of this makes it look like we don’t care how our downtown streets look. I’ve noticed that in North Raleigh, for the most part, the streets are paved and the sidewalks repaired and a lot of power lines are buried or hidden. I’m sure it’s somewhat related to all the construction downtown but our streets are really in need of some attention. I wonder if it’s an issue for the appearance commission?
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There is definitely a correlation between who maintains the streets and the quality. Take a guess why?
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So, the City of Raleigh is responsible for the Glen-wood South corridor? If this area is in one of the “extra-taxed” DTR zones, maybe it should include extra for roads/transit upkeep?
Yes, we are extra taxed to support extra “clean up” of which doesn’t happen. They focus on Fayetteville Street instead.
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Peace Street Streetscape project is currently being bid. Pre-bid conference for interested contractors was July 17. Bids due July 30.
Project general description:
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Streetscape improvements on Peace Street from St. Marys Street to North West Street, also includes utility coordination, landscaping, erosion control measures, paving, curb & gutter, ramps, pavement removal & replacement, sidewalk, pavement markings, traffic control and other miscellaneous items.
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Public Utility Improvements along Peace Street from West Johnson St. to North West Street including traffic control measures and other miscellaneous items.
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Signal improvements at the intersection of Peace St. and St. Marys Street, Peace Street and Boylan Avenue, and Peace Street and Glenwood Ave.
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Do you know if utility coordination includes burying the lines on Peace? There’s quite a bit of mess above ground there with lines on both sides of the street. It’s a lot for such a narrow road.
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Seems possible/likely. I see a lot of notes on the drawings saying “proposed utility trenches on private property shall be coordinated closely with city and duke energy.”
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Looks like the Peace street project was canceled. Really disappointing and hope it is revisited. This section of Peace st is rough!
https://raleighnc.gov/home/content/PWksDesignConst/Articles/PeaceStreetWest.html
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Disappointing but understandable I guess. Thanks for sharing.
That stretch needs streetscaping badly. Busy stretch of road and worn out. Hopefully it will get revisited.
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I bought my condo just off Peace with the knowledge of the city’s intentions/direction for an urban Peace St streetscape. That was more than 15 years ago! The city sleeping on the plan, ignoring its core tenets, and delaying, delaying, delaying, was maddening. Naturally the next step is to just cancel the whole damn thing.
I suppose that this will now be a piecemeal sort of thing that only fulfills its promise as parcels get redeveloped?
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Peace street bridge decorative panels being unloaded. Looks like all of the remains ones .
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4 years later or something, right?? LMAO
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Guess better than some artist I saw report on a few weeks ago. Was commissioned do to a large wall size modern art painting. Painting was delivered all wrapped up a year later and when covers were removed at unavailing it was just a big white canvas. He called it “take the money and run”. Needless to say the city officials where not happy.
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Speaking of Peace Street. Are those new painted lines on the road permanent? If so they look awful. The marked pedestrian crosswalks were literally scribbled in with paint, looks like a 2nd grader made them. No way that’s the permanent finish?