Comments on: Fayetteville Street’s Road Diet http://dtraleigh.com/2009/07/fayetteville-streets-road-diet/ A Downtown Raleigh Blog Fri, 18 May 2012 19:54:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Eric http://dtraleigh.com/2009/07/fayetteville-streets-road-diet/#comment-2261 Eric Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:21:07 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1005#comment-2261 I actually wish Fayetteville Street were wider than it is today. I'll echo the above poster that the problem with the Fayetteville Street Mall was that the space felt empty, too quiet for a prominent street in a medium-sized city's downtown. Although I'm glad they've opened Fayetteville up to cars, I think it still lacks the energy that comes with a little hustle and bustle now and then. Take Austin's main downtown street, Congress Ave. (which is laid out in a similar fashion to Fayetteville St. - the skyscrapers line one street that ends when it hits the capitol on the north end). Congress Ave. is open to four/five lanes of traffic, and has a much better feel than present-day Fayetteville Street (and when the street is as quiet as it is, the chirping crosswalk sounds don't help to the austere atmosphere). I actually wish Fayetteville Street were wider than it is today. I’ll echo the above poster that the problem with the Fayetteville Street Mall was that the space felt empty, too quiet for a prominent street in a medium-sized city’s downtown. Although I’m glad they’ve opened Fayetteville up to cars, I think it still lacks the energy that comes with a little hustle and bustle now and then. Take Austin’s main downtown street, Congress Ave. (which is laid out in a similar fashion to Fayetteville St. – the skyscrapers line one street that ends when it hits the capitol on the north end). Congress Ave. is open to four/five lanes of traffic, and has a much better feel than present-day Fayetteville Street (and when the street is as quiet as it is, the chirping crosswalk sounds don’t help to the austere atmosphere).

]]> By: Eric http://dtraleigh.com/2009/07/fayetteville-streets-road-diet/#comment-2179 Eric Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:04:13 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1005#comment-2179 In my mind, this linked film isn't an apples-to-apples comparison to Fayetteville Street. In fact, the opposite occured; F'ville was closed, and the space died. The reason that the businesses will continue to thrive in NYC is that it's adjacent to Times Square, the downtown core of one of the most populous cities in the world and the cultural epicenter of the known universe. ;) I'm a big fan of the Broadway conversion, as it improved the public space and it simplified traffic flow. The improved traffic came from the elimination of the extra legs of the intersections (remember that Broadway is on a skew from the rest of the Manhattan grid), which made the signals simpler. The complaint here about Hargett and Martin was that the traffic was *too* efficient, so the addition of the cross-street and the subsequent one-way to two-way conversion was meant to induce congestion and slow traffic down in order to make things safer for pedestrians. And not only is the new Fayetteville a better shared space on a day-to-day basis, but it's a great street to close for special events and gatherings. And I'm really looking forward to the new plaza to really seal the deal... In my mind, this linked film isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison to Fayetteville Street. In fact, the opposite occured; F’ville was closed, and the space died. The reason that the businesses will continue to thrive in NYC is that it’s adjacent to Times Square, the downtown core of one of the most populous cities in the world and the cultural epicenter of the known universe. ;)

I’m a big fan of the Broadway conversion, as it improved the public space and it simplified traffic flow. The improved traffic came from the elimination of the extra legs of the intersections (remember that Broadway is on a skew from the rest of the Manhattan grid), which made the signals simpler.

The complaint here about Hargett and Martin was that the traffic was *too* efficient, so the addition of the cross-street and the subsequent one-way to two-way conversion was meant to induce congestion and slow traffic down in order to make things safer for pedestrians.

And not only is the new Fayetteville a better shared space on a day-to-day basis, but it’s a great street to close for special events and gatherings. And I’m really looking forward to the new plaza to really seal the deal…

]]> By: CarnifeX http://dtraleigh.com/2009/07/fayetteville-streets-road-diet/#comment-2177 CarnifeX Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:27:14 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1005#comment-2177 The Fayetteville St Mall wasn't exactly a diet, more of a starvation strike. The Fayetteville St Mall wasn’t exactly a diet, more of a starvation strike.

]]> By: RaleighRob http://dtraleigh.com/2009/07/fayetteville-streets-road-diet/#comment-2176 RaleighRob Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:25:27 +0000 http://dtraleigh.com/?p=1005#comment-2176 The mall was too much too soon. (And you could never compare NY to Raleigh, where everyone has a car.) But you're probably right about the old Fay street being too wide to be good for pedestrian uses. The new Fay Street has struck a balance....accessible to those in cars, but still wide sidewalks for pedestrians, sidewalk cafes, benches and all that. It'll take a few more years to reach that potential....we've got a few decades of a "major mistake" to get over. Hopefully when the recession eases, more businesses will take up retail spots along the street (and have hours past sundown!). The mall was too much too soon. (And you could never compare NY to Raleigh, where everyone has a car.)
But you’re probably right about the old Fay street being too wide to be good for pedestrian uses. The new Fay Street has struck a balance….accessible to those in cars, but still wide sidewalks for pedestrians, sidewalk cafes, benches and all that.
It’ll take a few more years to reach that potential….we’ve got a few decades of a “major mistake” to get over. Hopefully when the recession eases, more businesses will take up retail spots along the street (and have hours past sundown!).

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