Gainesville releases initial list of recommended traffic projects

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville officials are getting closer to making final recommendations on a new Transportation Master Plan for the city.

The city Wednesday morning released a preliminary list of ideas based on studies done this summer by a transportation focus group and on input from the community. The community input came from two public meetings and an online survey, according to Gainesville Traffic Engineer Dee Taylor.

The recommendations, released as the city enters Phase 3 of development of the Master Plan, include options for Green Street, Jesse Jewell Parkway, and MLK Jr. Boulevard. (Follow the link below to see the full list of recommendations.)

Taylor said the list includes projects that can be completed in as little as one year or as long as 20 years, depending on complexity and cost.

For example, a short term recommendation for alleviating traffic on historic Green Street is creating unbalanced lanes.

"[That would involve] re-striping one southbound lane, two northbound lanes and then having a center two-way left turn lane," said Taylor.

He acknowledged that plan will not be a perfect solution, especially for the morning commute, but he said it corrects issues for the larger portion of the day.

Taylor also said there were ideas presented that were scrapped. He said, for instance, the focus group determined traffic roundabouts would not work on either end of Green Street.

"You know, in the short term it may work for a couple of years, but then as we grow, the initial cost really is not beneficial," said Taylor.

Taylor pointed out that all of the recommendations are just that - recommendations - and that no funding is in place for any of the projects at this point. He said after one final public meeting, the list will be honed and then taken to the Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization (GHMPO) to determine which projects will be financed.

The public is invited to attend the final meeting on Thursday, August 1 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Gainesville Civic Center, but Taylor said there's also another online survey option so residents and motorists can offers opinions on the recommendations.