Pedestrians wait to cross the street on the corner of University and Hardy drives. The ity of Tempe is planning to update University Drive from Ash Avenue to Priest Drive with new streetscaping, bike lanes and two new crosswalks. (Photo by Kurtis Semph)The design phase to improve one of Tempe’s busiest east-to-west thoroughfares continues to move forward as the Tempe Transportation Commission reviews public input and checks initial plans.
The stretch of University Drive between Ash Avenue and Priest Drive will undergo renovations to enhance its appearance and safety.
The city will install protected bike lanes and new “streetscaping” meant to help calm traffic and beautify the busy section of road.
Sidewalk improvements for pedestrians and more crosswalks are also planned.
Public art will be added to reflect the unique neighborhoods on both sides of University Drive, and new landscaping will create shade, according to city officials.
Tempe Community Services senior planner Eric Iwersen said the city is looking forward to the improvements.
“The project aims to improve that section of University and do great things for the corridor,” Iwersen said. “University is a vital gateway to downtown (Tempe) and ASU.”
The city is contributing 5 percent of the total construction costs and the remainder of the University Drive project is funded with a $1.1 million federal grant.
Community Services spokeswoman Sue Taaffe said the city applied for the Department of Transportation’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant nearly seven years ago.
“We would love to be able to fix every street, but we have to go down a list for streets with most priority and funding,” she said. “We were able to beat out other cities in the state for this grant money.”
The city is calling the job a “re-characterization” of the drive.
The first public forum about the street project took place in January 2012. Nearly 55 people attended the meeting and gave their input on how to improve University Drive.
The initial renderings of the project will be finished by the end of October, and another forum will be held to present blueprints to the public at the Westside Community Center.
Construction is expected to start next summer and be completed within six months, according to Iwersen.
Insurance broker Bill Hazlett’s office is located on University Drive and Beck Avenue. He said the upgrades to the street are long overdue.
“I have not seen anyone get hit or involved in an accident, but the road certainly needs safety improvements, which should have happened years ago,” Hazlett said.
Computer science and engineering graduate student Venkataramanan Kuppuswamy worries about being hit by a car while biking along University Drive.
“I am nervous I could be hit because there is only a painted line between me and the traffic,” he said. “I ride on the sidewalk, even though I know it is illegal, but it is much safer.”
Approximately 30,000 vehicles use the one-mile stretch of University Drive between Mill Avenue and Priest Drive each year, according to Tempe Transportation Division traffic counts.
The project will not downsize the traffic capacity of the road.
The road’s traffic has steadily decreased during the last 10 years because more people bike, walk and use public transportation, according to city planners.
“We are trying to make streets places rather than them just being a street,” Iwersen said. “We want to add color with public art and streetscaping to make the area a real destination and compliment to downtown (Tempe) and ASU.”
Public input is still welcome concerning the project.
Reach the reporter at rvalcho@asu.edu or follow him on twitter @rvalcho
