NEW YORK AVENUE CORRIDOR STRATEGY
identified to support each specific category are not intended to suggest specific architectural styles or building materials, but are intended to suggest building form, the types of activities that would occur within the building and the building’ s relationship to the surrounding public realm.
TRANSPORTATION FRAMEWORK
Citizens of Arlington and numerous stakeholders expressed a strong desire to create a signature street for East Arlington. The Transportation Framework achieves this with improvements along New York Avenue that address mobility, safety and aesthetic issues( see Figure 5.4). As this Study Area redevelops, it is essential to have street standards that appropriately serve the corridor and match the vision for the adjacent Opportunity Sites. For New York Avenue, four roadway cross-sections were developed that incorporate a variety of mobility and streetscape improvements within the existing available right-of-way. New York Avenue terminates at E. Abram Street, which limits the corridor as a major north-south route. Additionally, traffic volumes are not expected to significantly increase in the near future. Therefore, mobility improvements are recommended to focus on providing safe and effective multi-modal access to the revitalizing commercial areas, as well as to the surrounding neighborhoods and schools.
From E. Abram Street to E. Park Row Drive, New York Avenue is recommended to remain three lanes with a center two-way left-turn lane( see Figure 5.7). The addition of brick pavers in the center turn lane and at selected crosswalks will provide a tactile driving surface, help calm traffic speeds and provide safe crosswalks to encourage pedestrian use. At targeted locations where cross street access would not be affected, landscaped islands may be installed to enhance the visual identity of the corridor( see
New York Avenue Open House
Figure 5.5 and 5.6 for before and after images). South of E. Park Row Drive, New York Avenue is recommended to remain four lanes. To provide for better pedestrian access through the entire corridor, a wider sidewalk on the east streetside is recommended for areas where right-of-way is available. This may be achieved through coordination with property owners to install new sidewalks in constrained areas south of E. Park Row Drive. Street trees and pedestrian-scale lighting are also recommended to provide an attractive definition to the street edge and create a sense of comfort for pedestrians by physically separating them from adjacent motor vehicles.
Three additional roadway cross-sections are provided as guides for internal access to the Opportunity Sites( see Figures 5.8, 5.9 and 5.10). Kimberly Drive can be transformed as a signature two-lane divided east-west connection through Opportunity Site B with a landscaped median, angled parking, and wide pedestrian ways. Internal two-lane undivided access drives within the Opportunity Site should provide wide pedestrian ways with landscaped buffers, lighting or street furniture to buffer from adjacent parking.
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FINAL REPORT | SEPTEMPER 2013