2018-Update on Willo Vision 3.5 Plan

What Option was Selected by the Neighborhood?

• Along 3rd Avenue, participants at the 3/8/18 Willo Neighborhood meeting generally preferred the protected bicycle/pedestrian path concept.
• Along 5th Avenue, participants preferred the protected cycle-track/shared use path concept.

Please see the attached for images of the boards that were used at the March meeting to present the concepts and garner feedback. This will provide a reminder of the preferred options.

What Direction is the Project Going?

Feedback gathered from the neighborhood meeting is being combined with technical analysis and input from City staff. Based on the analysis and feedback, the protected bicycle/pedestrian path concept is moving forward for additional evaluation along 3rd Avenue. Along 5th Avenue, the buffered bike lane with pedestrian transitions concept together with a potential option for sidewalk infill (to occur at a later date to address existing section gaps) is moving forward for additional evaluation.

What are the Next Steps?

The next steps are to refine concepts and further evaluate the alternatives, as well as conduct planning-level costing, and develop a draft mobility report. At the conclusion of the report (study), City staff will need to determine availability of design and construction funding, in turn, create a project for inclusion in the capital improvement program.

What is the Project Timeframe?

The study is intended to conclude in summer of 2018.

Willo Requests Timeline

This letter was sent to Councilwoman Laura Pastor on April 30, 2018.

Dear Councilwoman Pastor:

As you are aware, the Willo Neighborhood Association has been deeply concerned about the general lack of overall traffic planning for the Neighborhood.

In order to prevent continued traffic challenges, the Willo Neighborhood Association Board of Directors unanimously approved the following official motion:

The Willo Neighborhood Association officially requests a change to the existing project on 3rd and 5th avenues south of McDowell through the Roosevelt neighborhood to complete the transition across McDowell tying into Willo’s preferred configuration on those streets between McDowell and Thomas. The Association would also request that the fiscal 2019 budget allocate funding for the design of the plan on 3rd/5th avenues through Willo plus funding for construction in fiscal 2020.

The Board felt it necessary to specifically request a timeline as the City of Phoenix Transportation representatives who recently attended a Willo Board Meeting, stated it would “take 5 years for anything to be done,” and five years is unacceptable.

I look forward to the City’s cooperation on this major issue impacting one of the City’s most visible and vibrant Historic Neighborhoods.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert L. Cannon

President