WBWC State Street Redesign page
Prepared by Sasaki/Pollack Design Team 220 South Main Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104 734.663.9522
2 November 2000
The State Street Area is a complex place historically, socially, physically, attitudinally, and in a thousand other ways. Its unique qualities strongly suggest the importance of entering into the design phase of this project with a full understanding of the existing condition. The DDA, its Design Advisory Committee and the consultant team have spent the past six weeks building on the results of the U of M/DDA two year study documenting physical features, activities, and perceptions by way of observation and conversation. Supplement-ing the past weeks of intense observation, many team members and stakeholders have long personal histories cataloging area information into memory. It is this cumulative record of knowledge that forms the basis of the inventory findings and upon which qualitative recommendations are made in this summary of findings.
The design team's inventory findings may be grouped into two major categories. These are human and built factors. In addition, although not specifically part of this project scope, the current one-way/two-way decision making process does have obvious and major impacts on the future planning of the State Street Area. As a result, the design team also wishes to make observations and recommendations related to those alternatives.
Both the Design Advisory Committee and the consultant team enthusiastically support conversion to a two-way system. G. Wade Walker, Walter M. Kulash, and Brian McHugh (WKM) articulate the roots of this position in their paper titled "Downtown Streets: Are We Strangling Ourselves on One-Way Networks?". WKM cite "eclipsing of storefront exposure" due to one-way traffic as a liability for a downtown. That same condition is also a problem in the eyes of the Ann Arbor Police Department for both emergency vehicle access and policing. A major component of crime prevention is surveillance both by authorities and by the general public. In other words, criminals do not like to be seen. Two-way traffic would increase the quantity and quality of observation leading to public perception of a safer environment and potentially lower crime rates. Ann Arbor Transportation Authority has also noted that a two way traffic pattern would greatly increase routing efficiency as well as viability for a State Street/Main Street circulator.
Human factors and patterns encompass a range of activities including vehicular, pedestrian, business, and cultural, all of which occur in various chronological/temporal rhythms.
Pedestrian traffic is heavy throughout the project area. Exceptionally busy surges occur on weekdays during University of Michigan class breaks resulting in "unlawful" street crossing. The majority of the unregulated crossing activity takes place on State, North University, and Liberty. The cause may be due to the volume of pedestrian traffic, amount of signal time given to pedestrians, scale of designated crossing areas, and complex curb use allotment where open areas become impromptu crosswalks. These are all characteristics which could be improved upon with the goal of bettering pedestrian/vehicular interaction. A dedicated signal phase for pedestrians, larger scale crossing areas, and simplified curb use patterns are opportunities that should be explored during design.
Another important point of pedestrian activity in the area is where visitors enter a parking structure in automobiles and exit as pedestrians. This is where first impressions of the district are developed. Pedestrians exiting the Maynard and Thayer structures arrive at a place that either is or has the feeling of a service alley. Although the streets and alleys may be needed to provide for service operations they must also function as the pedestrian entrances to the district that they are.
Current curb use allotment is intricate. Metered parking, non-metered short term parking, no parking, loading zones, and bus stops may be found in any given block and often in small, mixed increments. The pattern is confusing and the frequency of required traffic control signs adds to the cluttered image. Pedestrian and vehicular use would benefit if curb allocation was simplified greatly by massing each use in such a way to minimize the number of changes. One possible method to aid this effort would be to relocate or condense loading zones. Alternatives to the existing zones are use of alleys or use of the center "lane" in a separated two-way lane pattern if room allows.
Existing bus routes which use State, Washington, Liberty, William, Thayer, and Fifth seem to function quite well. Design options must respect the current routes while allowing for future flexibility should traffic be converted to two way. Bus turning movements and bus stop location/visibility are key design considerations.
Geographically, State Street is a midpoint between the primarily "professional" orientation of Main Street and dominant student focus of South University. This is also true in mindset. The mix of retail, restaurants, and entertainment alternatives reflects these seemingly "bipolar" populations. However, it is this unique blend of groups which create the State Street identity.
Currently, the retail mix consists of both student and professionally oriented businesses. However, the student focused establishments currently have a more viable presence on the street. In order for the State Street area to truly be the union of "town and gown", it must give both types of business opportunity for shared presence on the street. This project should provide a neutral yet dynamic environment within which professional and student patrons feel comfortable. The physical and political framework should also be structured in such a way that future modules of' facade and signage design guidelines may be easily implemented.
In many communities and even elsewhere in Ann Arbor, restaurants and retail facilities have the opportunity to use sidewalk space for dining or merchandise display. This does not occur on State Street today partially because the dimensions of the sidewalk are limiting and partially as a result of past behavior patterns. With the design of graciously proportioned sidewalks and implementation of monitoring/maintenance procedures by merchants, outdoor dining and retail could be a major asset to the district's vitality.
The rhythm of the State Street Area is as diverse as the businesses it supports and the people who frequent them. Morning and mid-day business patrons are dominated by professionals. Students become more prevalent after noon and flow in direct correlation to class changes. Evening dining varies through the year based on darkness. With the exception of the long days of summer, people seem to begin dining just before dusk. Business also surges around 9:00 pm when movies let out. Likewise, business is heavy before and after performance events on Friday and Saturday. The diversiLy through time gives the district an ever-changing character. The area's ever changing personality has possibilities of being manifested into an equally dynamic physical environment.
Deliveries take place mostly in the early and mid-morning hours. The streets are relatively quiet during that period of the day and delivery vehicles do not have a detrimental impact on operation of the area. Congestion does occur with miscellaneous deliveries during mid-day and afternoon hours. Again, opportunities exist for alternative loading zones and need to be explored during concept generation.
Included in built factors and patterns are elements and conditions such as sidewalk and street dimensions, microclimates, and public facilities and amenities.
Just as one-way streets, in concept and reality, encourage higher vehicular speeds, so do the very wide existing street dimensions. The street as it is today occupies space which could be used for pedestrian activities, a situation which could be improved upon. By reducing lane widths and therefore streets to a reasonable dimension, traffic is calmed fostering/emphasizing pedestrian activity and quality of street life. With slower speeds and a more leisurely atmosphere, vehicular activities such as window shopping, security surveillance, and general people watching become more viable.
As stated earlier, missed opportunities are apparent due to the narrow sidewalk widths. Wider, more gracious sidewalks would accommodate outdoor dining/retail, window shopping out of the main path of travel, and provision of public amenities (trees, bicycle parking, benches, mail boxes, etc ) out of the path of travel.
Impacts that buildings have on sun/shade, wind, etc. play a major role in the physical and perceptual feel of the place. Shade and tunneled winds create cool spaces while building materials absorb and reflect heat in other locations to produce very warm conditions. The various micro climates not only impact humans but also the durability of materials and the survivability of plants. In particular, portions of Washington and Maynard are cool, dark, and windy due to adjacent building shadows Likewise, portions of State and William have a very warm and sunny southern exposure. These characteristics can be both assets or liabilities depending on the time of year. The resulting design should respond to the opportunities for different microclimates to be used during different seasons while moderating the extremes.
The State Street Area contains several landmarks which are readily identified by residents and visitors alike. These buildings and spaces, such as the Nickels Arcade, Michigan Theater, U of M Bell Tower, U of M Diag, and State Theater, are significant and should be celebrated as vital ingredients to the life of the district.
Amenities such as benches, bike racks, public telephones, mailboxes, trash receptacles, etc. are equally important. The existing condition is one where the impression is that all amenities are located everywhere, and that some are used heavily while others not at all. This observation will lead to design alternatives, including patterns of distribution, during the next phase of this study. Public facilities can be re-thought so that locations can be most effective, and cluttered reduced.
In summary, the State Street Area is a living, thriving human and built environment. The challenge facing the DDA, the local community and the City as a whole is to build upon this positive base by capitalizing on potentials and opportunities) and by retaining currently successftil conditions. This district, which today combines aspects of both Main Street and South University, has the potential to represent what Ann Arbor is all about in the eyes of many, the union of private enterprise and academia in a progressive and dynamic way. In order to accomplish this goal, suggested priorities at this point in time include:
a. vigorously support conversion to two way streets as part of the focus on an improved and understandable district for diverse activities;
b. re-focus Maynard and Thayer from "service alley" in feel to main pedestrian entrances into the district;
c. facilitate an improved pedestrian setting by emphasizing appropriate crossing locations and conditions;
d. evaluate driving lane, street width and sidewalk dimensions for the maximum use of their length and width; and,
e. celebrate existing architectural and green space amenities.
The next public meeting to discuss design ideas will be on Thursday, 7 December.