BOULEVARD: PARKLET & TRAFFIC CALMING
In 2019, a group of residents from the Grant Park Neighborhood Association was awarded assistance to improve pedestrian safety along Boulevard between Hansell Street and Rosalia Street. The centerpiece of the project is a parklet on Boulevard which provides a seating and gathering space for patrons of the restaurants and shops at the Rosalia intersection. In November 2020, the City repurposed one on-street parking space into the parklet, and added new planters and landscaping to further protect users from traffic on Boulevard.
“While the parklet is a desirable seating and community gathering space, it will fundamentally function as a safety measure, providing a highly visible and focused area of non-driver activity... ”
FIELD ASSESSMENTS
1,000 sq ft
of on-street space given back to pedestrians & bicyclists
4 mph
in reduced average vehicular speeds observed
1 space
on-street parking removed
WHAT WE LEARNed
Leveraging interim improvements: Capital infrastructure projects are costly and can take years. However, with fewer resources, interim solutions can be installed that help inform future investments. While this intervention was small and does not address all of needs of the community, it brings the street one step closer to the desired solution while longer term improvements are being developed.
Parklet installation at Boulevard and Rosalia
On Hansell and Rosalia, the City installed new crosswalks, curb extensions with posts, and on-street parking stalls to address residents’ concerns about speeding and parking on the residential streets.
“There was a 6 car accident on Boulevard [at Hansell St] today [May 2019], right in the area we’re all looking for ways to make more safe. There are accidents there very regularly...”
Traffic calming at Hansell St