Eastman Avenue Traffic Study - the Design Series

The Eastman Avenue Design Series was a series of three meetings open to citizens and held in late October 2006. During the Series, 69 participants took an in-depth look at nine different improvement options for Eastman Avenue from Wackerly Street north to Commerce Drive, with the goal of agreeing on one option to recommend to City Council for action. (Find out more about the nine improvement options by clicking here:  DLZ Narrative Report on Nine Improvement Options.)

Using detailed information received before and during the Design Series, the participants came up with a recommendation on what they believed to be the best improvement proposal.

Series participants recommended that congestion on Eastman from Wackerly to Commerce Drive could be relieved by a phase-in of the Boulevard with Indirect Left Turns design, combined with the possible inclusion of a Smart Traffic Signalization system and access management measures.

In essence, the plan would include widening the intersections of Eastman and Airport roads, and Eastman and Wackerly roads. This would be a 10-year fix to the traffic problem. After that time, if traffic is still an issue in that corridor, the City could consider additional options to help lessen the traffic burden in that area.

The recommendation represents a lower cost, short-term solution that will provide acceptable traffic flow on Eastman Avenue for approximately 10 years.

To read the full report presented to Council its December 2006 meeting, click on the "Design Series Results and Subsequent Steps" link at left. The December 4, 2006 Council meeting can also be viewed via streaming video on the City's website. Just look for the December 4, 2006 Council meeting link.

Included in the full report is input on the recommendation from City staff and traffic engineering consultants DLZ, plus a proposed process and estimated schedule that will ultimately lead to the construction of the phased-in Boulevard with Indirect Left Turns option.

It is estimated that the phased-in solution could be completed by the 2010 construction season.