City considers fixes for heavy traffic times

Under-bridge route considered for civic center pedestrians

By Scott Aust, Journal staff | Saturday, November 15, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

In the future, people using the New York Street parking lots might have to walk under the Fifth Street bridge instead of using the crosswalk to get to and from events at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

That's one option being discussed by a committee reviewing parking and pedestrian traffic patterns around the civic center.

Mayor Alan Hanks formed the committee in September to answer questions about the long-range plan for parking in the area from the Journey Museum along New York Street to Rapid City Central High School.

Committee member Lt. James Johns of the Rapid City Police Department said having pedestrians walk beneath Fifth Street instead of over it would reduce the chance of a pedestrian being injured by a vehicle exiting the civic center after an event.

"It's completely safe, completely natural. It's just going to be can we train the public to walk an extra 200 yards required to use the crossing underneath the bridge?" Johns said.

He understands most people won't like walking the extra distance but said the goal is to keep people safe while moving vehicles out of the parking lots. He said the area under the bridge could be cleaned up, lighting increased and maybe a diagonal sidewalk built to make it more palatable to the public.

Some of the potential improvements being discussed for the west side of the civic center included building a tunnel or an overpass, closing the Eighth Street access to Central High after events to force traffic onto North Street, and installing flashing pedestrian signals or embedding strobe lights in the crosswalk.

Another idea is to use cones, signs and barricades after large events to force traffic leaving either lot to make right turns only onto Eighth Street, and to force cars leaving via the southernmost civic-center entrance to only make left turns south onto Eighth Street.

"We're here to discuss parking, but really, it's pedestrian movement that causes a good portion of the parking problem. It's that mad dash across Eighth Street that causes the lack of egress we have," committee member Dave Davis said.

When the new Fifth and New York lot is completed, the civic center will have 4,132 parking spaces available for civic center events in lots at Central High, the civic center, New York Street and The Journey Museum.

Paid parking in some form also is being considered. Committee member John Herr of the civic center board talked to skybox lease holders and hockey season-ticket holders about paying a fee to park closest to the new facility. Herr said there appears to be a demand for it.

Davis said paid reserved parking shouldn't necessarily be limited to only hockey fans. He said there may be an interest from people who go to other events to pay for the privilege of parking close to the doors.

Committee chairman Tom Hennies said it may take a couple more meetings before recommendations are ready for the city council. The parking committee's next meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Dec. 2.

Contact Scott Aust at 394-8415 or scott.aust@rapidcityjournal.com