The Chattanooga Planning Department and Department of Public Works are seeking public input on their preferred option and alternative for a permanent traffic reconfiguration of Frazier Avenue. The public can comment at cha.city/frazier through March 15.
Option A – the city’s preferred option – increases pedestrian safety and access to parking while providing a safe bike route on River Street, allowing cyclists to travel through Coolidge Park, states the city of Chattanooga in a news release.
Option B also increases pedestrian safety and improves bicycle conditions with a dedicated two-way bike lane on Frazier Avenue, but with a reduction to on-street parking, adds the city in its statement.
At the end of the public input period, the city will unveil a final reconfiguration plan March 29.
The effort to reconfigure Frazier Avenue followed an apparent road rage incident that killed two pedestrians and severely injured another on Frazier Avenue Nov. 25.
“Doing nothing on Frazier Avenue has never been an option. It has become abundantly clear that a change to the traffic pattern on this critical street was in the best interest of public safety and the health of our small businesses in North Chattanooga,” says Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly.
“Chattanoogans love Frazier Avenue, and whether people live adjacent to the area or visit Coolidge Park from other neighborhoods, everyone agrees that they want to feel safe as they move about the area,” says Chattanooga City Council Vice Chairwoman Jenny Hill. “With the necessary safety measures in place, Frazier Avenue can become an example for the whole city of how Chattanooga can implement common sense multimodal transportation infrastructure.”
Option A adds buffer zones to Frazier Avenue to support pedestrians and street art, increases on-street parking options on both sides of Frazier Avenue from 27 to 35 spaces, and adds a marked route to River Street, allowing cyclists to detour through Coolidge and Renaissance Parks.
Option B moves parking options to the north side of Frazier Avenue and reduces options from 27 to 19 spaces, provides a protected bike lane on the south side of Frazier Avenue, provides buffers to protect pedestrians and opportunities for street art, and adds a marked route to River Street, allowing cyclists to detour through Coolidge and Renaissance Parks.