- Traffic flow.What are the traffic flow patterns? Is it one-way or two-way? Does this design seem appropriate for the area? Does the traffic speed seem safe? Do drivers appear to be adhering to traffic speed limits? What are some ways traffic flow could be improved?
Traffic in these areas are highly congested. Whether it be in the University Area, North High Street, or just off of campus on Norwich, there is high traffic densities and constant pedestrian traffic that slows the natural flow of vehicle movement. North High Street is a two-way street, busy with retail, food, and apartment buildings. The street design is consistent to the feel of the area, being that it is busy and often crowded. The traffic speeds seem safe for vehicles; however, with the amount of pedestrian traffic, it would benefit pedestrians to slow the vehicle traffic down. North High Street at rush hours is a hectic area, and drivers may not always yield to pedestrians or follow traffic laws. This makes the area unsafe for nearly anyone in the area. It could be improved by implementing traffic calming measures, such as bright yellow pedestrian walkways or even speed bumps to slow down the area. Woodruff and Neil Avenue are both two-way streets in the university. The road looks well-kept and drivers know not to drive the area too quickly with the copious amounts of pedestrian traffic and stop signs. These avenues are comfortable for pedestrians and drivers, and the design is appropriate for the area. W. Norwich is an off-campus residential street. With experience in the area, we feel that a lot of the traffic is local and the street is fitting for its use.
- Sidewalks.How do the sidewalks in the area feel? What sort of condition are the sidewalks in? Are there missing sidewalks or sidewalk gaps? What are some ways the sidewalks could be improved?
North High Street sidewalks in this area are comfortable as a pedestrian, although, sidewalks are very congested. We feel that because the North High Street area is so prominent for pedestrians, the sidewalk should be wider and in top-condition. The sidewalk is somewhat uneven in places and may not be the best option for anyone with physical barriers. This is somewhat similar to sidewalks throughout the area defined for the blog. Sidewalks in campus areas, such as Neil Avenue and W. Woodruff should be accessible and kept-up. This is not a huge problem we see in these areas, but it could always be improved to make people safer and make areas more inclusive to anyone with physical barriers.
- Street width.Do streets appear to be an appropriate width? How does the street width affect traffic flow? Would it be better if the street were wider? How does the street width impact the existing character of the street?
The area we looked at does a good job of allowing for lots of space on the roadways. As seen in the pictures, there is more than enough room for cars to fit in their lanes without coming uncomfortably close to other vehicles. Street width affects traffic flow by allowing drivers to feel safer and allows traffic to flow more efficiently. Narrow streets will cause a driver more anxiety and make them more prone to getting in an accident. A wide street can allow for parking and in turn will make an area more accessible and popular. The only downside of a wide street means that it takes longer for pedestrians to cross and takes up more valuable space.
- Street safety.Do streets feel safe for pedestrian use? Are there sufficient,safe street crossing opportunities? Is signal timing appropriate for pedestrian crossing phases? What are some ways street safety could be improved?
High street utilizes many crosswalks in order to keep pedestrians safe. There are some flaws (the crosswalk next to the Target is only marked by a sign and is not very visible) but for the most part crosswalks work in tune with the traffic lights in order to let people know when to walk. As long as pedestrians and drivers pay attention to lights and signals, then all will be safe. Street safety could be improved by marking crosswalks more clearly. In many cases, crosswalks are not visible until you are very close to it. Roads that are smaller could utilize signs that flash lights when a pedestrian walks across where there are no traffic lights. Dangerous driving is what makes many crosswalks more dangerous than they should be.
- Accessibility. How is the city designed in terms of accessibility for persons with disabilities? Are there sufficient curb ramps? Can you identify ways that the area can be more inclusive of diverse needs?
The city is really great with accessibility and provides many safety features to help out the people with disabilities of Columbus and the university area. First of all, most of the sidewalks are really smooth and well kept, only one of the sidewalks has issues and that is the W. Norwich Ave. Some of the sidewalk on that road is all cracked, uneven and has weeds and grass growing out of the cracks. However, most of that sidewalk is great and looks like it is in the process of being fixed. Columbus has a number of curbside ramps at all the crosswalks, and even have a system where some of the crosswalk signs make sounds to help people that are blind to know when the walk symbol on the sign will end. However, the crosswalk sounds are not at every crosswalk and when they do they are very difficult to hear over all of the cars and traffic and all the other sounds that a city makes, so to improve this issue the city should implement more crosswalk signs with sounds and make them louder, so it will be easier to hear.