North Avenue Realignment Options Unveiled

Chicane... or not chicane?

When the local architects of the North Avenue Plan for East Tosa set about re-envisioning the streetscape through the 60th to 76th street district, they proposed doing away with the winding lanes, called chicanes.

But once the city officially adopted the North Avenue Plan, the thinking on the streetscape update took on a broader scope.

Planners and consultants looking at traffic flow, business, parking, emergency services, bus, bike and pedestrian traffic and more, began to weigh in.

Some residents of the Fifth District got an advance screening Wednesday night of three options for North Avenue submitted this week by a traffic engineer.

To the surprise of some, two of the three alternatives retain the now-familiar chicanes, while only one does away with them.

The official premiere of the plans will come next week, in a public exchange meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. Immediately after, at 7 p.m., the options will be heard by the Traffic and Safety Committee.

One thing common to all three plans from consultant Ayres and Associates is the addition of bicycle lanes. In the cases of both plans calling for keeping the chicanes, the avenue would lose a number of street parking spaces. In the case of the no-chicane plan, parking spaces would be gained.

All the plans were posted on the city website at 5 p.m. Wednesday for public view.

Option 1: Do the bump

Alternative 1 (in no order of stated preference) is called the "Bump-Out" design. It retains the chicane feel with pedestrian penisulas at corners that force traffic to slalom but also give walkers a shorter distance to cross the street.

This plan also continues to provide for no left turns at half the intersections on the avenue.

Ayres identified the pros and cons of each plan. For the Bump-Out plan, they are:

Pros

• Provides left-turn lanes at every other intersection to allow through vehicles to move around the turning cars. (Through traffic does not have to wait for a car to turn left)
• 34-foot pedestrian crossing distance at bump-outs

Cons

• Approximate loss of 47 on-street parking spaces
• 48-foot pedestrian crossing distance where left turn lanes are provided
• Buses stop in through traffic lane, causing queuing of through traffic
• Maintains Chicane effect

Option 2: Turn anywhere, anytime

Alternative 2 is the one preferred by the originators of the North Avenue Plan. It is the one that does away with chicanes and permits left turns anywhere.

It essentially straightens out the avenue but adds bike lanes that move right along with traffic, alongside parking lanes that would actually add a few more spaces.

It does not provide for dedicated left turn lanes, though, so there is the likelihood of vehicle traffic invading those spaces at intersections.

It has the unmusical name, the "No Left-Turn Lanes" plan.

Pros

• Approximate gain of nine on-street parking spaces
• Left turns are permitted at every intersection on North Avenue between 60th Street and 76th Street
• Bus stops are not located in a through traffic lane
• 34-foot pedestrian crossing distance at bump-outs
• Eliminates Chicane effect

Cons

• Left turns from through traffic lane makes cars wait in traffic until the turning vehicle can make a left turn or will result in cars going around left turns into the bike lane and bus stop area
• Cars going around left turns into the bike lane/bus stop area creates a pedestrian safety problem
• 48-foot pedestrian crossing distance at non bump-out locations

Option 3: Places of refuge

Alternative 3 sounds like a Caribbean cruise to... the "Median Islands."

These islands, though, are in the middle of a busy street, but they are intended to provide a safe haven for pedestrians as well as to slow traffic.

It is also a "retain the chicanes" plan.

Pros

• Median islands create traffic taming benefit
• Provides a pedestrian refuge island which creates a 2-stage crossing movement
• 17-foot pedestrian crossing distance of 1-way traffic at median islands
• Provides a left-turn lane at every other intersection to allow through traffic to move around a turning car. (Through traffic does not have to wait for a car to turn left)

Cons

• Approximate loss of 71 on-street parking spaces
• Maintains Chicane effect

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You may email comments on the plans to William Porter, Wauwatosa’s Director of Public Works at bporter@wauwatosa.net by the end of business on March 29, 2013.