TRANSFORMING JOHNSON AVENUE: ENHANCING WALKABILITY ON DOWNTOWN SIDE STREETS

EXISTING: This image shows Johnson Avenue just east of the downtown hotel. Sidewalks along Johnson Avenue are sporadic, and the excessive 28-foot existing paving width could be put to better use. Stormwater runoff travels down Barnes Street toward this intersection, creating the opportunity for green infrastructure like

Proposed

This perspective view shows improvements including clear and accessible pedestrian crossings, continuous sidewalks, attractive street trees, and stormwater mitigation features including lush bioswale plantings. Cuts in the curbing could allow stormwater to enter into these features, reducing the burden on downtown infrastructure. By slightly extending into the neighboring parking area, a new sidewalk and crosswalk could be constructed to connect Barnes Street across Johnson Avenue. This concept shows the existing concrete wall transformed into a canvas for branded local art, building the artistic atmosphere of the area around the arts center and hotel. This design also shows improved signage to direct visitors to the public parking deck and elevate the streetscape appearance.

EXISTING: This section of Johnson Avenue currently includes approximately 81 feet of paving from the building edge on the left to the wall on the right. Despite being a block or two from the square, this area features very limited sidewalks, and the continuous curb cuts make traveling on foot dangerous and unappealing.

Proposed

This concept relocates existing parking to the street and narrows excessively wide travel lanes, freeing up approximately 28 feet for new features like a 16-foot landscape buffer, additional six-foot sidewalk, and four-foot bioswale.

PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY ROME STREET:

Visualizing A Safer Downtown Corridor

Proposed

Improvements like landscaped bump-outs shown in this concept reduce crossing distances for pedestrians while helping calm unsafe travel speeds. Attractive street lights and matching signage help create cohesive appearance, tying side streets together with Adamson Square. Replacing a turn lane with the landscaped median in the background creates a sense of arrival at the square and sends the message that this is a primarily pedestrian destination. This concept includes improved signage directing visitors to the public parking deck and surface lot behind Carrollton’s historic city hall building.

EXISTING: This image shows Rome Street at Johnson Avenue two blocks from Adamson Square. This area features a curb-to-curb pavement width of approximately 31 and a half feet. Where on-street parking is available, it is unmarked and poorly defined.

Rome Street Walkability And Rear Parking Improvements

EXISTING: The existing public parking area behind City Hall Avenue includes approximately 79 marked spaces. The inefficient arrangement of angled parking in this lot could be improved to increase parking supply. While impressive willow oaks define the periphery of the site, most of the lot lacks shade. Despite being two blocks away from busy Adamson Square, this lot is underused, and no dedicated sidewalks connect the parking lot to the surrounding area.

EXISTING: Rome Street approaching the square is an excessively wide roadway with over 30 feet of paved area. This excessive paving encourages speeding in the area.

Proposed

The 90-degree parking shown in this concept provide a more efficient layout at this public parking lot. New bump-outs with street trees create a welcoming shade canopy. This concept shows the existing sidewalk expanded to a 12-foot multiuse path extension of the GreenBelt. A crosswalk, shown in the background, further connects this important resource to the remainder of downtown.

Proposed

This perspective view shows improvements along Rome Street including a 12-foot multiuse path connection to the GreenBelt and an improved public parking area. Extending the sidewalk and planting strip narrows the travel lanes to a combined 24- to 25-foot roadway. Similar improvements could address speeding in the area.