About the Project
55th Avenue (Pinnacle Peak Road to Happy Valley Road) will soon be repaved as part of the City's largest and most comprehensive pavement maintenance program to date - the Accelerated Pavement Maintenance Program. With fresh pavement comes a cost-effective opportunity to make improvements or changes to the lane configuration (painted stripes on the road). The community is invited to provide input on two options for lane configurations at this location through a virtual public meeting and a survey. Some of the proposed options including adding buffered bike lanes, which add space between people driving and people walking or biking. This would increase protection from vehicles, improving safety and adding comfort for people walking or biking. Additionally, both proposed options also include the slight narrowing of the lane widths that will help to guide cars and deter speeding.
Proposed Changes
The current configuration and the two proposed options are depicted below.
Currently, the number of lanes and the presence of a center turn lane varies throughout the corridor. In some places the street is wide enough for two lanes of traffic in each direction, even though there is only one lane of traffic in each direction. South of Soft Wind Drive, there is a median separating traffic in each direction. There are turn pockets at Alameda Drive and approaching Pinnacle Peak Road.
See the image below for a visual description of the current configuration.
The first option proposes an edge line to better define the traffic lanes. A center turn lane is added where there is room. Additional lanes of traffic in each direction are added in the northern section of the project where there is room. All of the turn lanes and turn pockets remain the same. The existing parking options and rescrictions remain.
See the image below for a visual description of the first proposed option.
The second option proposes buffered bike lanes throughout the project corridor. A center turn lane is added where there is room. Additional lanes of traffic in each direction are added in the northern section of the project where there is room. All of the turn lanes and turn pockets remain the same. This option will restrict parking. In the southern part of the corridor, where there is an existing median, this option would remove one lane of traffic in each direction for about 800'. The lane removal will not impact traffic at the intersections or the overall capacity of the street.
See the image below for a visual description of the second proposed option.
