The State Street redesign committee met Thursday to discuss Phase II of the project to overhaul State Street. Phase I construction concluded recently and Phase II is scheduled to begin June 13, 2005, and be completed in the middle of October.
Phase II is now 20 percent over budget at $2.6 million. In addition, federal funding for the project was recently reduced by $50,000. Overall, the project faces a $390,000 shortfall.
Committee members considered several options for lowering project costs. State Street is a difficult site for contractors to work on, which keeps bids for the project high. Committee members considered relaxing deadlines for construction in order to ease the burden on the contractor and encourage lower bids, as well as cutting extraneous features, such as newspaper racks and granite curbs.
Ted Crabb, Downtown Coordinating Committee representative, proposed a motion to recommend that the city use colored concrete on State Street crosswalks, to indicate to motorists that they are approaching a pedestrian zone. The motion passed 3-0.
\We should have colored concrete wherever we have pedestrians. The crossing at Henry Street is very dangerous because the drivers don't watch. It's part of the disrespect drivers have for pedestrians,"" Crabb said.
The city declined to use colored concrete in Phase I, substituting it with concrete of a different texture.
""I was very disappointed with the concrete scoring on the 100 block,"" said Scott Thorton, CITIARTS representative. ""I had to look very closely to see the difference.""
The committee also discussed the possibility of increased bicycle parking on State Street. Arthur Ross, pedestrian-bicycle coordinator, expressed the need for an adequate amount of parking for cyclists.
""If you don't have bike racks, you get bikes parked to trees, posts and furniture,"" Ross said. ""Bike parking is an investment in protecting other furniture.""
Bruce Woods, Urban Design Commission representative, disagreed and said the excessive concern for bicycle parking will cause the sidewalks to be too congested for pedestrians.
Ald. Robbie Webber, District 5, advocated increasing parking around Capitol Square.
""Merchants begged us to put spots on Capitol Square, even though there is parking a block off,"" Webber said. ""It helps to have parking spots right in front of their stores.\
