The Waterbury Green Master Plan Preserving the Past to Invent the Future

Project Team

Kathleen McNamara – Grants Administrator / Waterbury CTPhillips Barlow – Landscape Architect / TO Design

Elena Pascarella – Landscape Architect / Landscape ElementsDavid Sousa – LA-Planner / CDM/Smith

Civil Engineering + Landscape

Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

Wate

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Wate

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Civil Engineering + Landscape

Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

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Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

THE PRESENT - PRECEDENTS IN PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN

• New Haven Green

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Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

THE PRESENT - PRECEDENTS IN PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN

• Post Office Square, Boston

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Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

THE PRESENT - PRECEDENTS IN PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN

• Bryant Park, NYC

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Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

THE PRESENT - PRECEDENTS IN PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN

• Center City Park

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Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

THE PRESENT - PRECEDENTS IN PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN

• McLevy Plaza

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Exis

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Civil Engineering + Landscape Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

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Civil Engineering + Landscape

Architecture

Sophisticated Site Design

Design for Everyone

Create Many Linkages

Multi-UseStreets w/Bike Lanes

Safe StreetCrossings

Slow Traffic

Road Diet/Narrow

Lanes

VibrantSidewalks

Key Principles of ‘Complete Streets’Key Principles of ‘Complete Streets’

Integrated Transit

Complete Streets & Sustainable

Transportation for Waterbury

Enhanced Crosswalks

Keene, NH (photo by D. Sousa)

ISSUE:

Pedestrians are exposed to heavy urban traffic at intersections where drivers are often distracted by other stimuli and where multiple travel and turning lanes increase the time pedestrians are exposed in the street.

BENEFITS of TOOL:

Wider, better-designed and more articulated crosswalks greatly improve pedestrian safety.

Extend crosswalks through medians to provide a pedestrian safety zone.

Raised crosswalks, speed tables or raised intersections enhance crosswalk visibility and slow vehicle speeds.

Pedestrian count down signals at crosswalks improve pedestrian awareness of safe crossing times.

Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA (photo by D. Sousa)

Downtown Keene, NH (photo by D. Sousa)

Crosswalks should be illuminated with well-placed, numerous pedestrian-level street lights.

Mid-Block Crosswalks

ISSUE:

Many city block lengths are long resulting in long distances between crosswalks at intersections; this often leads to jaywalking.

BENEFITS of TOOL:

Mid-block locations that are signalized and protected with medians and curb extensions improve pedestrian safety and result in lower travel speeds.

Raised mid-block crosswalks enhance crosswalk visibility and slow vehicle travel speeds.

Keene, NH (photo by D. Sousa)

York Square, New Haven, CT (photo by D. Sousa)

Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA (photo by D. Sousa)

Downtown New Canaan, CT (photo by D. Sousa)

Narrow Traffic Lanes

Photo by Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Inc.

ISSUE:

Urban streets should be designed for slower travel speeds to provide a more peaceful setting for homes, schools, businesses and shoppers and to improve safety, especially pedestrian and bicycle safety.

BENEFITS of TOOL:

Streets with fewer vehicle lanes and narrower travel lanes (10’ to 11’ vs. 12’ to 15’) and narrower or no shoulders result in slower travel speeds.

An urban street can carry more vehicle traffic at 30 mph than it can at 50 mph because capacity is controlled at signalized intersections.

Higher design speeds lead to lower street capacity because higher speed signals require more red clearance time.

Main Street on the Green, Branford, CT (photo by D. Sousa)

Curb Extensions (Bulb-Outs)

ISSUE:

Pedestrian crossing distances are wide on many city streets and the visibility of pedestrians is occluded by parked vehicles.

BENEFITS of TOOL:Bulb-outs extend the curb-line into the traveled way to reduce the width of the street and reduce crosswalk distances.Pedestrians in Bulb-outs are more visible to motorists, especially right-turning vehicles.

West Hartford Town Center (photo by D. Sousa)

Downtown Lee, MA (photo by D. Sousa)

Main Street – Branford, CT (photo by D. Sousa)

Robson Street, Vancouver, BC (photo by D. Sousa)

Bulb-outs can be enlarged to provide amenities such as bicycle parking, bus shelters, benches & even sidewalk cafes.

Bicycle Lanes

ISSUE:

Bicycle travel is one of the most convenient, low-cost, and efficient forms of travel yet most people do not feel safe riding bikes on city streets.

BENEFITS of TOOL:Bicycle lanes indicate an exclusive space for bicycle travel on a street, making shared use of the street much safer for cyclists. Bike lanes create consistent & safer separation between bicyclists and passing motorists.Cycling is the most energy efficient and non-polluting forms of transportation.Cities that accommodate cyclists attract new residents and commerce.

Bike Box (location unknown)

A “Bike Box” is a new strategy to improve the visibility and safety of bicyclists at intersections. It clearly defines the bicycle and vehicle zones and gives cyclists a head start across the intersection.

Cycle Track – Vassar St., Cambridge, MA (photo by D. Sousa)

“Cycle Tracks” are a new form of bicycle lane, separate from the street, that are 25% safer than on-street bicycle lanes.

Flatiron District, New York City

(photo by D. Sousa)

Cycle Exchange, London, England (photo by D. Sousa)

ISSUE:

Bus transit is a very practical, efficient and low-cost form of public transit but is not used by large segments of the population.

BENEFITS of TOOL: New bus shelters will improve comfort and convenience of bus transit and help to increase bus ridership.

Transit Enhancements

Downtown Albany, NY (photo by D. Sousa)

York Square, New Haven (photo by D. Sousa

Vancouver, British Columbia (photo by D. Sousa)

Vancouver, British Columbia (photo by D. Sousa)

On-Street Parking

Main Street, Branford, CT (photo by D. Sousa)

ISSUE:

Parking is important to improving access to shops, restaurants and businesses and needs to be convenient to attract retail patrons.

BENEFITS of TOOL:

Supports the local commercial economy.

Provides buffer between pedestrians and moving traffic.

Slows traffic, making pedestrian crossings safer.

Facilitates safe and convenient curb-side drop-off of passengers.

Increases pedestrian activity on the street.

Provides cue to motorists that they are entering a low speed area.

Downtown Ridgewood, NJ (photo by D. Sousa)

Downtown Hanover, NH (photo by D. Sousa)

Charles Street, Boston, MA (photo by D. Sousa)

ISSUE:

Prior to the dominance of motor vehicles, city streets were lined with majestic trees; this feature is important to urban livability.

BENEFITS of TOOL: Vertical elements and overhead canopy of leaves enclose the street and cause drivers to reflexively slow down. Street trees, ornamental street lights, and bollards, visually reinforce that the street is a pedestrian-dominated, slow traffic zone. Street trees help to cool the urban environment and improve air and water quality.

Street Trees and Streetscaping

Photo by Dan Burden, Walkable Inc

Howard Avenue, New Haven, CT (photo by D. Sousa)

Skaneateles, NY (photo by D. Sousa)

Landscaped Medians

Photo by Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Inc Photo by Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Inc

ISSUE:

Urban streets often have multiple lanes creating wide swaths of pavement.

BENEFITS of TOOL: Tree-line medians visually narrow the travel lanes and promote slower vehicle speeds. Landscaping provides a visual amenity Medians can have crosswalk passages that provide refuge areas for pedestrians.

Midblock median island- Richard Drdul

Curb Radius Reduction

Reduced radius corner, location unknown

Branford Center - Main Street at Chestnut (photo by D. Sousa)

ISSUE:

The geometry of intersections is often designed for the needs of vehicles rather than pedestrians.

BENEFITS of TOOL:Reduced curb radii require vehicles, especially trucks, to make turns at slower, safer speeds.Tighter curb radii lessen the crossing distances for pedestrians in crosswalks.

Downtown Keene, NH (photo by D. Sousa)

Landscaped Medians

Photo by Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Inc Photo by Dan Burden, Walkable Communities, Inc

ISSUE:

Urban streets often have multiple lanes creating wide swaths of pavement.

BENEFITS of TOOL: Tree-line medians visually narrow the travel lanes and promote slower vehicle speeds. Landscaping provides a visual amenity Medians can have crosswalk passages that provide refuge areas for pedestrians.

Midblock median island- Richard Drdul

Channelizing Island

ISSUE:

Many intersections on arterial streets present crossing challenges to pedestrians due to right-turn movements and wide crossing distances.

BENEFITS of TOOL: Right turn slip lanes limit vehicle turning speeds and improves the visibility of pedestrians. Slip lanes should include pedestrian refuge islands.

Channelized island, location unknown

Channelizing bike lane, location unknown

Existing Conditions

• Waterbury Green and Exchange Place serve as pulse points – “pulse” points allow for transfer between buses

• 30 and 60 minute service• 2 minute transfers between services• North-south buses connect with east-west

routes (more than 21% transfers) at the Green• 35% of the bus runs have less than 2 minutes

to transfer

Existing Bus Routes

Transfer Times

~ 5 minutes

2 minute walking radius

West Main Street Location• Transfer time increases to 5 minutes• A 5 minute transfer time would:

– make passengers miss connections and wait longer for connecting service

– require holding buses for passengers transferring service– affect reliability of service– see a reduction in service (16% reduction for 30 min.

service)• To maintain a 2 minute transfer time, north-south

services (Routes 13, 15, 16, 35, 36) have to be re-routed.

• This adds travel times and reduces service on those routes

West Main Street Location• Moving pulse point to W. Main Street and

keeping same level of service i.e. 2 minute transfer time between services would require “more buses” and significant changes in bus routing.

• Why not “more buses”:– Increases capital and operating costs– Would result in an increase in passenger fares

(approximately 21% of operational costs)– Changes in service would require federal and state

involvement and “strong” support

  Connecticut’s Town Greens • Waterbury Green is one of 170 in the state, priceless public landscapes that belong to everyone. • Concept of shared open space brought to America by English settlers • Instantly recognizable icons • Living artifacts and one of the few physical connections to our Puritan heritage. • Today a much needed green space in cities and towns 

“Without the green Connecticut would be a much different place”

- Helen Higgins Executive Director, CT Trust for Historic Preservation

1700 – 1800

• Clark Tavern Nearby• Ensign Stanley House Nearby – Provided protection to colonists from Indians in 1700• Clark Tavern occupied by Revolutionary War soldiers.• Muddy open space at the intersection of two roads.• Swamp – not suitable for home or pasture• The Declaration of Independence was read to troops on July 9, 1776

• Leveled and Fenced in 1825• Boulders hauled off during “Carting-Bee” on July 4, 1825• Corduroy Road replaced by gravel road in 1828• Meeting House moved off the Green in 1835• Planted with grass and trees c. 1840

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1800 – 1850

• 1850s – First Planned Paths• 1873 – Paths Paved• 1873 – Saint John’s Church• 1893 – Financial Collapse, Demonstrations on Green

1850 – 1900

• End of War celebrations• Demonstrations during the Depression• 1945 Proposal to pave the Green• c. 1906 Streets paved• 1912 City Hall Burned • 1894 Library moved • 1902 Fire• Dutch Elm Disease• 1936 Public Notice Pillar • 1946 Bus Stop• 1913/14 24 Elms Replaced

Elton Hotel 1904YMCA 1924Masonic Temple (Mattatuck Museum) 1912

1900 – 1950

• 1960s Visited by all 3 Kennedy brothers• Vietnam War Protests• c. 1980 Bituminous paths replace with concrete • 1980 Flagpole Refurbished• 1984 New electrical works for the clock

1950 – 2012

1851

1865

1850-1890

1890

1906

Olmsted Brothers plan - 1906

1900

1907

1922

1954

1961

1961

1983

A

Now it’s your turn!– How did we do?– Please rotate to each of the four tables.

Table Topics Include:• Circulation• Historic Elements• Uses• Planting and amenities

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Master Plan

Amphitheatre

East Plaza

Pavement Mosaic

Cooley’s Clock

Leavenworth Street Promenade

Leavenworth Street Promenade

Park Building

Transit Zone & Canopy

New Haven Green

Memorial Plaza

North Promenade

Potential Complete Streets Improvements