Streetscape Group Chats About Shumway and First Street

The Streetscape Committee and an architecture firm imagined a downtown connecting the west and east by stitching streets, sidewalks and bike trails together.

Committee members and Altamanu on Thursday discussed Wilson, River and First streets as well as Shumway Avenue in front of about 40 people in the .

This was the fifth in a series of meetings for the groups, each focused on talking about a specific part of downtown and its future potential.

A Better Downtown Experience

The campus should be the key public open space on the west side of downtown that connects to the city's main streets like Shumway and Batavia avenues and Wilson and Water streets, said John MacManus, design consultant for Altamanu.

The library sits on top of the hill at Wilson Street and Batavia Avenue with few connections to its surrounding streets. MacManus suggested creating a pedestrian path linking the library to the Tower Business Center on Water Street.

From the tower an access way to the steeple can be formally created. One option is to connect them through a colored crosswalk, marking it as a great historic entryway.

“The tower could become a gateway into new development and an event along a pedestrian and bike trail,” MacManus explained.

People already connect the tower to the library, MacManus said.

Big Dreams

For Batavia's long-term future, MacManus envisions a street connecting Wilson Street to Houston, First and Flinn streets. There’s already open space to create a street with a drive-thru and undeveloped areas.

Streetscape Committee member Britta McKenna loves the idea of creating a new street. She suggested creating a narrow street with a wall.

Improvements to First and River streets

Vehicles tend to fly around at the intersections along First and River streets since there’s no friction, no street trees or bump outs to slow them down, said Josie Bellalta, design consultant for Altamanu.

If and when the proposed bridge on First Street is built, MacManus suggested creating a speed table to slow down traffic in the area. This will allow for pedestrians and bikes to safely cross the street.

To slow down traffic more, MacManus recommended bringing in street trees and widening the sidewalks on First Street.

When crossing First Street intersections, people take their life into their own hands since there’s only tiny sidewalks on the opposite side of the street of the buildings, said Joi Cuartero, Main Street Executive Director.

She proposed sidewalks on the side with buildings and moving some of the parking on the side that has no buildings on it.  

Developing River and Shumway

When and if the bridge comes, the area around Shumway Avenue could be transformed into an open space where people walk and cycle the whole way down the river. Adding sidewalks, street trees and colored crosswalks will enhance the experience, MacManus said.

“Imagine it all coming together, river trail, new street, Shumway, (creating) a circle around downtown connecting out back to First Street,” MacManus said.

The Streetscape Committee will hold a series of working meetings before its formal presentation to the Community Development Committee on May 10.

A separate Open House presentation is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on April 28 in the City Council Chambers, 100 N Island Ave.

About Streetscape

The Streetscape Committee started to form last year to revitalize downtown’s image. The committee has reviewed specific sections of downtown over the past few months to see how to bring out the best of each area.