To slow downtown traffic, the City of New Albany decided to redesign the area’s transportation infrastructure while also focusing on increasing options for pedestrian and bike traffic. Thanks to the redesign, New Albany increased roadway and pedestrian safety, added new sidewalks and bike lanes to diversify transportation options, and created a whole new downtown atmosphere that benefitted local businesses.
| Action | Applicable Resources |
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Commissioned a downtown street network proposal
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Tested potential options
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Reduced lanes and added bike and pedestrian options
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New Albany is a historic city on the north shore of the Ohio River, four miles from downtown Louisville, KY. Prior to 1960, the only way to get to Louisville was to go around New Albany. However, throughout the 1960s and 1970s, interstate and bridge construction created a transportation system that increased through traffic in New Albany. During this time, New Albany's downtown grid was converted to one-way street pairs to accommodate the traffic. Then in 2015, the introduction of nearby interstate tolls increased through traffic even more with commuters able to avoid the tolls by driving through downtown New Albany. The four-lane system in New Albany sent drivers directly from the interstate to downtown, an area with 35 – 40 miles per hour speed limits that were often exceeded.
After the construction of the interstate systems through and around New Albany, which carried several hundred thousand vehicles per day, New Albany decided to restore their downtown grid to perform better for residents and the downtown rather than exclusively for traffic. To accomplish their goal, New Albany began to investigate a street redesign to reduce the number of people using the downtown as a high-speed thoroughfare, increase walkability and bike-friendliness, and improve the livability of the downtown.
The City brought in an urban planning consultant to begin the comprehensive downtown redesign. The City first wanted to look at increasing the number of lanes to prevent traffic congestion. The City and the consultant considered this option and realized it would result in more downtown traffic as more cars would use the roads. The additional traffic would further characterize the downtown as a thoroughfare, be more dangerous for cars and pedestrians, and be damaging to the atmosphere of residential streets and the downtown area.
Working with the consultant, the City began to look at other options. The consultant, embracing a concept called “New Urbanism,” began looking at ways to return the downtown to a vibrant, walkable space instead of a sprawling road system. One concept the consultant looked at was a road diet, which involves reducing the number of lanes to slow traffic, provide multiple route options for existing traffic, and improve access for pedestrians and bikes. The consultant developed a plan for the downtown that included recommendations to revert nine one-way roads to two-ways, replace some driving lanes with bike lanes and street parking, convert traffic signals into four-way stops, and increase the sidewalk infrastructure. The recommendations also included adding various vegetation options to spruce up the area.
The report concluded reducing the driving lanes would reduce the number of drivers using the downtown as a thoroughfare while not increasing congestion, but the City wanted to test it first. The City analyzed traffic flows during road construction lane closures and determined that traffic levels were generally acceptable. The consultant provided additional modeling that concluded the grid system with lane reductions would be able to handle traffic volumes at peak times. The modeling demonstrated there would be more than 100,000 ways to get through the grid system, which would help reduce the congestion.
Having confirmed that a road diet would produce the desired results, the City began its first project. When the Indiana Department of Transportation relinquished control of one of the streets they owned and gave New Albany maintenance funds, the City extended the curbs, improved street lighting, and built a median lined with trees. With these changes, the roadway was reduced by two lanes, improving visibility and livability.
Continuing with the rest of the downtown, the City began to implement the road diet on remaining streets. They reduced driving lanes from four to two and added new bike lanes and street parking in their place. Construction crews restructured the lanes while repaving and repainting the streets to make it an easier transition and provide the City options if they decided to make changes in the future. During the construction, the City also added decorative sidewalks, which made walking more inviting, comfortable, and accessible. All these changes increased the livability of the New Albany’s downtown.
The E. Main Street project was built for $3.09 million with approximately $2.1 million from Indiana Department of Transportation relinquishment funds and the remainder from local funds.
The one-way, two-way conversion project in the downtown grid cost $4.3 million with $2.0 million from federal transportation funding, approximately $650,000 in State of Indiana paving funding, and $1.65 million in local funds.
The Road Diet Project was built for $1.0 million with just under $200,000 in local funding.
The project took five years to complete from the initial discussion to the completion of the roadway reconstruction projects.
While equity and justice were not a major consideration of the planning process, more accessible transportation options and improved walkability benefit people who may not have access to personal transportation.
In total, seven downtown roads were reconstructed with fewer car lanes, more bike lanes, more parking, and safer and more inviting sidewalks. The road diet and one-way, two-way conversions increased transportation options downtown and helped make businesses more visible. In addition, the atmosphere in New Albany’s urban district feels more like a downtown area instead of a thoroughfare. To date, there has not been an increase in traffic and residents have commented on how the roads have a smoother flow.
The New Albany Chief of Police has documented multiple benefits to public safety resulting from the redesign. The police department recorded fewer incidents involving pedestrians and motorists, and a reduction in speeding violations, car crashes, and injury crashes. The new system has also helped facilitate a better response from police and fire. According to the Chief of Police, the redesign has fundamentally increased resident safety.
With the changes making a more livable atmosphere downtown, New Albany has started to see an increase in economic development. A new apartment building, an assisted living center, and the installation of new green space have created jobs and increased downtown living options. Additionally, more local businesses have started to open downtown, which was driven in part by the new redesign. Overall, the atmosphere of New Albany’s urban district has changed from a drive-through area for commuters to a more traditional downtown area.
The City will continue to monitor the one-way, two-way conversions and road diet redesigns and make improvements as needed. The streets are relatively changeable since they are repaved every five to seven years, so the City will have an opportunity to make updates.
The main challenge was the community’s general sentiment towards changing roadways. Some New Albany residents were opposed to changing commutes and roadway designs. Local opposition prevented one recommendation – parking-protected bike lanes – from coming to fruition. Some bike lanes would have had a physical barrier creating added safety from car lanes in the plan, but local opposition prevented it. The City decided to go with the more conventional painted stripes. The City also had to adapt the design in some areas to accommodate trucking companies that needed a wide turning lane to access their property. Lastly, there were some concerns with switching from stoplights to stop signs as people were worried it would make New Albany feel too much like a small town. To alleviate those concerns, the City decided to keep the stoplights.
John Rosenbarger, the Public Works Project Supervisor for New Albany said, "these street projects reduced the number of travel lanes in key segments of our downtown grid. A projected peak hour delay at a key major intersection has been limited to only portions of a peak hour. A projected increase in traffic volumes due to tolling on the new bridges actually resulted in reductions of previous volumes, reduced speeds, and improved comfort and safety for pedestrians. The loss in traffic volume plus the increased livability was easily worth the investment."
The Mayor of New Albany, Jeff Gahan, had the following to say about the project:
"Our planners and engineers were confident in the changes. The city-wide improvements brought by the road diet and the directional changes to our street grid are remarkable. New businesses and residential growth, slowed and safer traffic, and additional pedestrian and bike use has energized our downtown. New Albany has a whole new look and a whole new direction."
John Rosenbarger
Public Works Project Supervisor
City of New Albany
jrosenbarger@cityofnewalbany.com
812-948-5333
