BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (IUSTV News) - A corridor study looking at two major arteries of Bloomington traffic will enter the next phase of the process this week, as the city looks to hear public input and perspective. Bloomington residents are invited to attend a meeting focusing on current conditions of the two roads on Tuesday, June 13, at 6 p.m. in City Hall.
There will be another meeting taking place on Thursday, June 15, at 6 p.m., also in City Hall. In addition to the public meetings, residents can take part in a survey to giver the suggestions, observations, and ideas for the corridor.
The study, which was originally created in 2019, is looking at potential changes to the College Avenue and Walnut street corridor stretching from the State Road 45/46 Bypass to Allen Street on the south side of town.
Currently, Walnut Street and College Avenue are one-way couplets running north and south on their respective streets. The two roads are designed to move high volumes of traffic through the heart of Bloomington at higher speeds than those on adjacent roads.
The City of Bloomington’s Planning and Transportation Department says the study was created because "sidewalks, ramps, and crosswalks along the corridor do not all meet current accessibility standards." They also cited the hundred of crashes that occur on both stretches of roadways each year.
In 2019, the city worked with an outside consulting firm to develop a transportation plan that would outline notable projects, and determine what transportation fixes were of high importance for the city to address.
Part of that recommendation in 2019 was to convert College Avenue and Walnut Street into two-way streets. That recommendation did not end up getting approved in the final amended transportation plan at the end of 2019.
According to the city's website, the plan will work to make pedestrian access to sidewalks along both roads safer and more widespread, as well as increased protected bicycle paths. The study would also look at making mass transit safer and more efficient on College Avenue and Walnut Street.
