Committee says Lindsey Street pedestrian mall 'unlikely'

Dec. 1—Norman residents are unlikely to see a pedestrian mall materialize on Lindsey Street anytime soon after the City Council-led Community Planning and Transportation Committee said there is too much traffic on the thoroughfare.

The committee discussed the possibility of such a mall on Lindsey between Elm Street and Jenkins Avenue on Wednesday.

David Riesland, the city's transportation engineer, said it's been a topic of conversation for years.

"There's been a lot of local discussion before, during and since the (2019 Transportation) bond package regarding the conversion of Lindsey between Elm and Jenkins perhaps to a pedestrian mall," he said.

Committee chair and Ward 7 Councilor Stephen Holman shook his head no.

"Well I've heard that, but — and I would probably be more favorable to it if there was another street south of there or east-west," Holman said.

But there isn't an alternate route nearby, Holman noted. Imhoff Road is a mile away and Timberdell Road does not have enough capacity to alleviate traffic.

"I would find that to be very problematic," Holman said. "I like the idea for sure, the idea of pedestrian malls and what not, but that would seem to be very problematic for moving traffic in Norman."

The corridor carries 14,000 vehicles per day, much of which includes the University of Oklahoma traffic, the staff presentation stated.

Riesland noted that such a plan did not make its way into the city's 2014 Transportation Master Plan as a project recommendation.

Instead it identified Lindsey Street, along with other congested thoroughfares, for future projects to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety, the staff presentation indicated.

Those areas include Lindsey between Berry Road and Jenkins Avenue; Porter Avenue near Alameda Street; Flood Avenue between Main and Robinson streets; James Garner Avenue between Boyd Street and Robinson; and Berry between Imhoff and Robinson.

Redesigning Lindsey would need to include careful attention to "pedestrian movement," Holman said.

"Maybe additional funding can be identified where people are separated, pedestrian walkways over and under, I'm not sure," Holman said. "That scale of project I would think should be that the pedestrian does not even interact with it (street)."

The Lindsey corridor is part of the 2019 transportation bond's 19 projects and is scheduled for 2029, Riesland said. However, changes to the design could be necessary pending expansion plans of the University of Oklahoma campus.

Staff and committee expressed concern that expansion to the area is inevitable with the university's decision to join the Southern Athletic Conference (SEC). City leaders believe it will boost student population and tourism.

"With the discussion about moving to the SEC and possible campus expansion, and the demolition of dorm towers, rebuilding new housing, and the expansion of football facilities, I guess they're planning around Jenkins and Lindsey," Holman said.

Moving forward the council member hopes that the university tunes into the conversation as the city rethinks traffic strategies.

"Hopefully the university might be interested in joining us in some of those discussions," Holman said.