Photo Credit:

Daniel Brenner

PROJECT BACKGROUND

STATE STREET DESIGN OPTIONS

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PROJECT SCOPE

• 2022:
• DDA: Streetscape (sidewalk repair, street lighting, curbside lanes, bikeway connections, drainage improvements)
• City: Watermain and road resurfacing
• 2024:
• City: Watermain and road resurfacing

STATE STREET

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Construction 2022

Construction 2024

Watermain/

Resurfacing

Watermain/Resurfacing

AND

Streetscape Improvements

Watermain/Resurfacing

VALUES 🡪 STATE STREET PROJECT GOALS

• Create more space for business activities (café dining, outdoor retailing)
• Provide more flexible curbside zones
• Repair critical infrastructure and utilities
• Complete bikeway link to North University

PEOPLE-FRIENDLY STREETS

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• Improve safety, accessibility, and ease of navigation for all users
• Prioritize for pedestrians given the high-volume of pedestrian activity
• Enhance street lighting
• Accommodate bus and service truck access

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• Support special events and street closures
• Reflect State Street’s distinct character and context
• Improve drainage and better manage stormwater.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

• 27 parking spaces
• 2 larger loading zones
• Hydrant locations
• Bikeway connection
• All intersections currently signalized

OVERALL

• Limited sidewalk width given pedestrian volumes
• Desire for more flexible curbside zone for supportive uses

• Nichols Arcade entrance
• Bus movements between William and North University
• Diag frontage and wider ROW

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LOADING

LOADING

2 Spaces

10 Spaces

5 Spaces

H

H

H

H

7 Spaces

3 Spaces

Bikeway Connection

Signal

Signal

Signal

Signal

CURBLESS STREET DESIGN

Rationale for a curbless design:

• Reinforces the pedestrian-focus. Less roadway delineation slows vehicle speeds
• Fluid movement between curbside lane and sidewalk
• Better supports special events and street closures
• Better accommodates flexibility in the curbside lane
• Opportunity to create a different feeling space and reinforce a unique identity and sense of place

FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENT

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MATERIALS REINFORCE CURBLESS DESIGN

• Design Approaches:
1. Each zone clearly delineated with a distinct material
2. Common materials with special “edge” treatments to separate zones
3. Uniform material or pattern across entire width of the street

LAYERED ELEMENT

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1

2

3

Argyle Street (Chicago)

Argyle Street (Halifax, Canada )

Exhibition Road, London

Midland (Michigan)

BASE CROSS-SECTION & MATERIAL EXPLORATION

NORTH UNIVERSITY TO WASHINGTON

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13’ Sidewalk

Zone

7’ Flexible

Curbside

Zone

(plus 1’ flex)

2’ Valley

Gutter

(concrete)

2’ Valley

Gutter

(concrete)

20’ Travel Zone

(no centerline)

(22’ Travel Zone south of

North university)

7’ Flexible

Curbside

Zone

(plus 1’ flex)

13’ Sidewalk

Zone

Curbside

Material:

Concrete or Pavers

Roadway Material: Concrete (flexible finish) or asphalt

Sidewalk

Material:

Concrete (flexible finishes)

Banding

Material:

Concrete or Pavers in contrasting material

MATERIAL SELECTION

• Specific material selections:
• Concrete: scoring patterns
• Concrete: coloring
• Concrete: finishing (i.e. smooth vs. exposed aggregate)
• Asphalt
• Pavers: concrete, porous vs. non-porous

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LAYERED ELEMENT

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Exposed

Aggregate

Salt

Heavy Broom + Troweled

Plank Scoring

Windowpane

MATERIAL SELECTION

ANN ARBOR EXAMPLES

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Stamped/Colored Concrete

• Plaza at parking deck on Forest

Porous Pavers (two types)

• City Hall Parking Lot

ROAD CONFIGURATION - EXISTING

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NORTH U - WILLIAM

• 2 lanes NB (Thru and Thru/Right)
• 1 lane SB

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LIBERTY – NORTH U

• 2 lanes NB (Thru and Left Only)
• 1 lane SB

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WASHINGTON – LIBERTY

• 1 lane NB
• 1 lane SB

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• NORTH U: Thayer to State
• 1 lane EB
• 2 lane WB (right only and left only)

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ROAD CONFIGURATION - PROPOSED

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NORTH U - WILLIAM

• 1 lane NB
• 1 lane SB

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LIBERTY – NORTH U

• 1 lane NB
• 1 lane SB

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WASHINGTON – LIBERTY

• 1 lane NB
• 1 lane SB

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• NORTH U: Thayer to State
• 1 lane EB
• 1 lane WB

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INTERSECTIONS

• Exploring use of pedestrian “scramble”

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CONCEPT OPTIONS

STATE STREET DESIGN OPTIONS

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A - ARRAY

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B – BOOKENDED

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C – CROSS STITCH

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WORKING/REFINED DIRECTION

STATE STREET DESIGN OPTIONS

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WORKING CONCEPT

KEY DESIGN VARIABLES:

• Curbless, full extent
• Edge drained (side of the roadway)
• 40-43 on-street spaces plus 2 extended loading zones

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AMENITIES

• Curbed planters bookended curbside lane at the intersections
• Street lights and trees in grates outside of the curbside zone to delineate the edge

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PAVING & BANDING

• Alternating pavement treatment/finish within the roadway and curb lane to delineate uses

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WASHINGTON

LIBERTY

WILLIAM

NORTH U

WORKING CONCEPT – LIBERTY TO NORTH U BLOCK

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NORTH U

LIBERTY

WORKING CONCEPT – NORTH U INTERSECTION

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WORKING CONCEPT- VIEW NORTH

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WORKING CONCEPT – WILLIAM INTERSECTION

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WORKING CONCEPT – ART FAIR LAYOUT

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• The 2021 quantity of booths can be accommodated in the proposed design.
• Approximately 8 booths would be need to have their location adjusted (orange booths removed, purple booths added)

A

STATE STREET DESIGN OPTIONS

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A - ARRAY

KEY DESIGN VARIABLES:

• Curbless, full extent
• Edge drained (side of the roadway)
• 30-32 on-street spaces plus 2 extended loading zones

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AMENITIES

• Raised/curbed planter zones for trees and key amenities
• Street lights outside of the curbside zone to delineate the edge
• 3-car (60’) zones open for curbside uses.

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PAVING & BANDING

• Bands extend across drive and into sidewalk (requires vaults to be filled) – breaks at parking lane

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A - ARRAY

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A - ARRAY

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A - ARRAY

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B

STATE STREET DESIGN OPTIONS

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B – BOOKENDED

KEY DESIGN VARIABLES:

• Curbless, full extent
• Edge drained (side of the roadway)
• ~36 on-street spaces plus 2 extended loading zones

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AMENITIES

• Larger planters for trees + amenities concentrated near the intersections
• Street lights outside of the curbside zone to delineate the edge – less frequent spacing can align with festoon lighting approach

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PAVING & BANDING

• Larger alternating squares/zones of pavement material shifts
• Special pavement within the intersections area

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B – BOOKENDED

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B – BOOKENDED

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B – BOOKENDED

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C

STATE STREET DESIGN OPTIONS

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C – CROSS STITCH

KEY DESIGN VARIABLES:

• Curbless, full extent
• Edge drained (side of the roadway)
• 30-32 on-street spaces plus 2 extended loading zones

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AMENITIES

• Raised/curbed planter zones for trees and key amenities
• Street lights within the curbside zone (inside a smaller curbed planter) – maintains widest clear sidewalk area
• 2-car (40’) zones open for curbside uses.

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PAVING & BANDING

• Diagonal bands in a looser (but deliberate) pattern
• Bands cut through all materials/zones – helps reinforce continuity of the space across the full ROW width

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C – CROSS STITCH

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C – CROSS STITCH

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C – CROSS STITCH

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