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Notice of Public Meeting:

June 14, 2024 

RE: PUBLIC MEETING FOR MT. VERNON AVENUE BIKEWAY PROJECT- PHASE 1 FRA-SRTS Mt. Vernon Ave, ODOT PID 120251 

Dear Neighbor, 

The City of Columbus (in partnership with ODOT) would like to invite you to participate in a public open  house meeting. Public input is an important part of the project development process  and provides valuable feedback that helps guide decision-making through all phases of  development. The City of Columbus is developing improvements for Mt. Vernon  Avenue. The purpose of the improvements is to address and improve safety issues,  specifically for bicyclists and pedestrians. The proposed project will add on-street  separated bike lanes, incorporating bus islands, sidewalk bump-outs, and sidewalk and  curb repairs on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Mt. Vernon Avenue from Hamilton  Avenue to Champion Avenue.  

The city is seeking public input regarding the design of these proposed improvements.  We hope you can join us for the upcoming public meeting where the project team will explain  the overall project, present potential impacts, answer your questions, and receive  your input. All residents, visitors, and those who frequent the area are invited to  attend. 

MT. VERNON AVENUE BIKEWAY PROJECT – PHASE 1 

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE MEETING 

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 

Ohio State African American & African Studies  

Community Extension Center  

905 Mt. Vernon Ave, Columbus, OH 43203 

No formal presentation will be made at the meeting so feel free to stop by anytime  between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to view displays of the proposed project,  ask questions, and leave comments. If you can’t make the meeting on July 17, don’t  worry! All materials presented during the meeting will be available on the website,  www.bronzevillemoves.com.

Comments may also be submitted via email, phone or mail to: 

Karin Ely 

Project Manager 

City of Columbus 

Department of Public Service 

111 N. Front Street, 6th Floor 

Columbus, OH 43215 

Phone: 614.645.5671 

Email: kmely@columbus.gov 

We ask that comments be submitted by 30 days after  the public meeting. If you do not have internet access and would like these materials mailed to you,  please contact me through my contact information listed above. Individuals who require  interpretation services or a reasonable accommodation to participate in this meeting  should contact me at 614.645.5671, no later than July 3, 2024. Public  participation is solicited without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, or  disability. 

We sincerely appreciate your involvement! 

Respectfully, 

Karin Ely, PE 

Project Manager 

City of Columbus

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal  environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by ODOT pursuant to 23  U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 14, 2020, and executed by FHWA  and ODOT.

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Project Updates

The preferred transportation alternative is currently in the design process. HDR, Inc. was selected as the consultant to aid the City of Columbus in designing the on-road side path for the Mt. Vernon Avenue Corridor. 

Preferred Transportation Alternative

A preferred alternative was identified for the Mt. Vernon Avenue corridor following community outreach and engagement of the three transportation alternatives. The on-road side path has been selected to move forward into the design and funding process. The on-road side path meets the project goals, including reducing crashes, improving safety for all roadway users, increasing mobility options, and enhancing aesthetics.

The on-road side path alternative will contribute to traffic calming by narrowing vehicular lanes, reducing crossing distances for pedestrians, providing dedicated space for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized transportation users. This alternative also provides opportunities to incorporate beautification elements.

Click here to view the Preferred Alternative Slides, presented to the Advisory Coalition on June 7, 2022. 

Photo: Example of preferred alternative. Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/page/protected-bike-lanes

 

Public Engagement

View the final engagement report for the Bronzeville/Mt. Vernon Avenue Mobility and Safety Action Plan:

Final Public Engagement Report 2022

Transportation Options Survey

The Transportation Options Survey has closed as of March 21, 2022. View the results of the Transportation Options Survey.

Public Meetings

Two virtual public meetings were held on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The same information was presented at both meetings. The meeting slides are available here for review: Public Meeting Slides.

 

Bronzeville/Mt. Vernon Mobility and Safety Action Plan Overview

The Bronzeville/Mt. Vernon Avenue Mobility and Safety Action Plan was completed in 2022.  A public survey was distributed in early 2021 to get input from residents on perceptions of transportation safety on Mt. Vernon Avenue. The project team developed three transportation options based on public feedback in order to reach a preferred option to improve Mt. Vernon Avenue.

The goal of the plan is to improve traffic safety on Mt. Vernon Avenue by reducing speeding and crashes, providing more mobility options for residents to get around, and enhancing neighborhood aesthetics. 

Tactical Urbanism Installation

The Department of Public Service placed an interim safety treatment on Mt. Vernon Avenue from 20th Street to Phillips Street in September 2021. Read more about the installation and results here: Tactical Urbanism Results.

This treatment includes the following:

 

Before & After Installation

Before (Mt. Vernon at 22nd)

After (Mt. Vernon at 22nd)

Before (Mt. Vernon at Champion)

After (Mt. Vernon at Champion)

Updates made by City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, last updated March 2024.