Streetscape Improvements

Buena Vista STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS

MCDUFFIE STREET

EXISTING: McDuffie Street in downtown Buena Vista features a wide paved area with limited street trees and shade.

PROPOSED: The improvements to McDuffie Street create a more pedestrian-friendly experience in downtown Buena Vista. The concept shows the road resurfaced with fresh crosswalk striping and new parking lines. The new angled parking spaces include electric vehicle chargers to promote regional tourism. Landscaped bump-outs adjacent to angled parking spaces slow down traffic and offer space for new street trees like willow oaks or laurel oaks to provide shade to the road and sidewalk. On the east side of the street, wider sidewalks allow room for businesses to have outdoor tables and street trees. An expanded central median planted with native grasses also calms traffic and allows for safe crossing at the busy 6th Avenue intersection.

4th AVENUE

EXISTING: Currently 4th Avenue is an unnecessarily wide roadway with little shade, no crosswalks to the courthouse, and no sidewalks along the courthouse square.

PROPOSED: Improvements shown include fresh asphalt, landscaped bump-outs, large- and smallcanopy street trees, a new 6-foot sidewalk in the courthouse square, expanded existing sidewalks, and formalized angled parking. This concept also shows utility lines relocated behind downtown buildings.

BROAD STREET

EXISTING: Broad Street serves as busy State Highway 41. The expanse of asphalt and lack of trees make this section of downtown feel barren.

PROPOSED: In order to continue on Highway 41 through Buena Vista, at least one turn through town is necessary. This makes Broad Street an excellent opportunity to lure travelers to spend time downtown with easy access to on-street parking and attractive streetscaping with large-canopy street trees.

6th AVENUE

EXISTING: Just south of the Marion County Courthouse, 6th Avenue is the primary east-to-west route downtown. This road serves as State Highway 26. The wide road width along this corridor encourages high speeds through the heart of downtown.

PROPOSED, OPTION I: Proposed improvements aim to slow through traffic and encourage visitors to patronize local businesses with angled on-street parking, attractive streetscaping, and street trees. This image also shows utility lines relocated.

PROPOSED, OPTION II: 6th Avenue serves as a prime location to celebrate local baseball legend Josh Gibson. This shows a potential location of a prominent Josh Gibson statue in the heart of downtown.