What’s Your Vision for Broad Street?

From the Hands-on Design Session on January 10th, coupled with community input received from the online survey earlier in the fall and the engineering survey performed on Broad Street, three common themes emerged to guide the Dover, Kohl & Partners team as they worked to sketch and test ideas for the future of Broad Street.

SAFER - GREENER - LIVELIER

Overwhelmingly, these were the three main ideas that came up over and over again in the survey and at the Hands-On Workshop. Thank you for your continued feedback about Reimagining Broad Street. Stay tuned for updates in 2024.

(click on images below to view full sized pictures)

DRAFT OPTION C:
A Park Street

DRAFT OPTION B:
Broad(er) Sidewalks

DRAFT OPTION A:
Promenade

Draft Option A features include:

Much of the walking space is in the center of the street with a shaded path of trees, similar to Las Ramblas in Barcelona.
Both sides of the street will have wider sidewalks, but most activity would take place in the center.
The travel lanes would be right-sized, with the ability to still accommodate deliveries, fire trucks, and larger vehicles.
The street is curbless. Bollards and trees would help to define the space, but allow for flexibility to repurpose the street for events.

Draft Option B features include:

Right sizing the number of vehicle travel lanes and parking spaces to provide opportunity to recapture space for pedestrians.
The sidewalks are wider on both sides, providing room for activity and shared public spaces.
The center median is slightly wider to create a signature linear green of trees and urban landscaping.
Bike lanes are moved to above the curb, integrated with the sidewalk instead of below the curb along the street.

Draft Option C features include:

All cars are shifted to one side of the street, allowing for the super-sizing of the sidewalk on one side of the street. The opposite sidewalk will also be wider.
Existing trees are preserved along with additional rows of trees added.
Bike lanes are located alongside the street trees, providing a natural delineation for walking, biking and running.
The reconfiguration creates countless opportunities to incorporate events, meeting spaces, and cafes. Broad Street will feel like a street within a park.

Existing - Broad & MLK Blvd.

View of Broad Street from intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard, looking north
Broad(er) Sidewalk - Broad & MLK Blvd.

The number of travel lanes are reduced, allowing for wider sidewalks and an expanded center median. The physical design of the space shifts the focus to walking along Broad Street, activating the street space and creating a series of great addresses.
A Park Street - Broad & MLK Blvd

Imagine walking down Broad Street from the Read House to the Tivoli Theatre, stopping for a bite to eat or a chat with friends. With the travel lanes consolidated to the east and a super-sized sidewalk on the west, the possibilities are endless to experience a livelier, park-like setting along a transformed Broad Street.
Tivoli Theatre Before (trees removed in sketch to show surface details)

The design team studied existing conditions and identified opportunities for street improvements.
Tivoli Theatre After

A wider sidewalk adjacent to the Tivoli Theatre would allow for additional outdoor experiences and events, emphasizing this unique cultural center of Downtown Chattanooga.
Existing - Broad & Aquarium Way

Looking south towards 3rd street, the blocks closest to the Tennessee Aquarium are often used for special events and gatherings.
Promenade - Broad & Aquarium Way

A wide promenade is the focus of this design concept, with a central space to gather, dine, ride bikes, or take a stroll down Broad Street. Imagine if Broad Street could be closed for community events and transformed into an urban plaza? This curbless configuration would allow for a variety of opportunities to use the space in creative ways.
Existing - Broad & 4th Street

The intersection of 4th Street and Broad is often seen as a rushing river of cars, difficult to cross and often a physical divide to those walking further south along Broad.
Promenade - Broad & 4th Street

In the Promenade option, the busy intersection is transformed into a safer, more walkable space with medians to provide refuge while crossing both 4th and Broad. The travel lanes on Broad are reduced and narrowed, resulting in the wide expanse of pavement at the intersection to be right-size to allow for vehicles to pass through while also providing a physical setting that is more conducive to safe crossings for pedestrians.
A Park Street - Broad & 4th Street

Similar to the Promenade option, the intersection becomes much smaller, and more cross-able, as travel lanes are reduced. Medians along with well-marked crosswalks provide for safer crossings and a more visible and present space for pedestrians.