City staff members are recommending that Ninth Street between Illinois and Kentucky streets be reconfigured to three lanes from four.
The reconfiguration is part of the larger Jayhawk Watershed Middle Reach Project. The project will replace a stormwater tunnel, among other infrastructure improvements, while also aiming to incorporate safety and accessibility upgrades for all users of streets.
Lawrence city commissioners will be asked to weigh in on the proposed plans during their meeting Tuesday, according to the meeting agenda. They’ll also consider moving funds saved on a different project to be used instead on this project.
The move to three lanes from four aims to enhance safety and accessibility for all modes of transportation, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, according to the meeting agenda. Key features of the plan include:
- Wider bike lanes with buffers, located along the curb, to provide safer cycling routes;
- A wider parking lane to improve ease of parking and maintain traffic flow; and
- Zebra protective separators and delineators that will act as physical buffers in bike lanes where practical.
Additional changes are also proposed:
- Installing a pedestrian hybrid beacon, also known as a HAWK signal, at Ninth and Louisiana streets to improve pedestrian crossing safety;
- The intersections at Mississippi and Louisiana streets would adopt modified protected designs for north-south crossings; and
- Transit stops between Mississippi and Indiana streets would be modified “so the stops at least meet the basic standard with an accessible paved boarding area and (to reduce) conflict between buses and commercial driveway access.”
To ensure smooth traffic flow through the corridor, the city’s traffic engineering firm, Olsson Associates, evaluated current and future traffic volumes, according to the agenda. The firm recommended maintaining an eastbound right-turn lane at the intersection of Ninth and Tennessee streets and implementing protected/permissive left turns at both Tennessee and Kentucky streets.
If approved, $139,000 would be moved from the 2024 pavement marking rehab project to cover the bicycle and pedestrian pavement markings for the Ninth Street lane reconfiguration. The funds are available within the city’s budget because the previous pavement marking project costs came in lower than expected.
Construction is expected to start in spring 2025, focusing initially on the Old West Lawrence neighborhood, with major utility improvements along Ninth Street set to start in late 2025 and continue through most of 2026.
See the complete agenda item at this link.
As of Monday afternoon, the agenda item included only one submitted public comment. It’s from Bonnie Lowe, president and CEO of the Lawrence Chamber, raising concerns about the impacts the construction will have on local businesses on Ninth Street.
“Not only will the Watershed construction result in the potential failure of Ninth Street businesses to survive the closure, but impediments will also continue even beyond Watershed construction due to ongoing Gateway Project construction and enhancements for the area,” Lowe wrote.
The commission will also have an executive session, or closed-door meeting, starting at 5 p.m. “for approximately 30 minutes to discuss privileged legal communications from the City’s attorneys regarding pending litigation pursuant to K.S.A. 75-4319(b)(2),” according to the agenda.
Plans to renovate the Outdoor Aquatic Center, previously anticipated to be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, are now expected to return to the commission during the Oct. 15 meeting, according to a list of future agenda items.
The commission will begin its regular meeting at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. See the complete meeting agenda at this link.
Meetings are open to the public, broadcast on Midco channel 25 and livestreamed on the city’s YouTube page, youtube.com/@lawrenceksvideo.
The commission accepts written public comment until noon the day of the meeting emailed to ccagendas@lawrenceks.org. The commission also hears public comment in person during meetings as well as via Zoom. Register for Tuesday’s Zoom meeting at this link.
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