The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
REVITALIZING DOWNTOWN
A closer look at the Main Street Program, what is the 'ideal street'?
ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. >> Communities throughout Oneida County now have the opportunity to revitalize their downtown areas with the support of county government.
The Oneida County Main Street Program, unveiled by Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente last week, was developed to enhance municipalities’ ability to bolster their downtown corridors in the name of safety, accessibility, and a particular sense of community. Goals for the project include accommodating bicyclists, supporting climate-smart investments, and providing better access to local businesses.
The factors to be considered in creating the ideal streetscape are quite complex. One such component experts call “placemaking.” This turns a place that’s not so special into a place of gathering. Placemaking can draw people into an area in a few ways—through functional elements, like traffic flow and infrastructure, as well as creative elements, like murals and youth cultural arts programs. Small changes can also be made with limited resources. When utilizing this model of planning, an old dusty street can become a meaningful destination.
Though there is a set standard for the redesigns, municipalities’ project plans don’t need to look the same, Picente says; each design should be catered to each community’s specific needs.
The Oneida County Main Street Guidebook outlines the necessary design elements participating communities should consider. These elements, including green space, lighting, signage, and walking enhancements, are based on expert studies. Some design elements relating to bicycling and traffic control are optional, along with public amenities such as bus shelters and electric vehicle charging stations.
Goals for the project include accommodating bicyclists, supporting climate-smart investments, and providing better access to local businesses.
A 2-D model of the “ideal main street” is available for municipalities to refer to in their planning. The provided graphic depicts strategically placed bike lanes, trees, lamp posts, and outdoor dining areas. Altogether, the streetscape should “invite people to visit businesses and create both a physical and societal center of the community,” according to the guidebook.
Reducing/narrowing the size of the roadway, which includes driving and parking lanes, could also improve overall street function and appeal. The guide says this can lower the future maintenance cost and increases the safety of the main street. The inclusion of a center turn lane to increase the flow and safety of the street is another provided example of improvement.
“This cross-section shows the main street in its final form as not just a place to accommodate drivers, but to comfortably allow passage of the street by all people, regardless of their mode. Businesses will see increased commerce and people will want to stay in this space,” the guide said of some of the changes shown.
Streets are ecosystems, according to one of the program’s guiding principles. “Streets should be designed as ecosystems where man-made systems interface with natural systems. From pervious pavements and bioswales that manage storm-water run-off to street trees that provide shade and are critical to the health of urban areas, street ecology can act as a driver for long-term, sustainable communities.” Along these same lines, experts add that the incorporation of green spaces throughout a main street has the potential to improve the recreational, safety, economic, traffic safety, and operational performance within all communities.
The county has already received interest from multiple municipalities, including the City of Sherrill, which plans to utilize the program to help fund new pedestrian-accessibility enhancements along the State Route 5 corridor between Sherrill Road and Betsinger Road.
“I am happy that County Executive Picente has developed this program to aid communities like Sherrill to develop their main streets and downtowns,” said Sherrill Mayor William Vineall. “Without the county’s assistance we would not be able to bring our enhancement project to fruition, and I look forward to partnering in this endeavor which will greatly benefit our residents.”
Applying to the program is not competitive; all Oneida County municipalities are eligible and will receive funding and/or technical assistance, contingent on the availability of funding, after the application has been reviewed by the county planning department, officials say.
The program will have two phases: planning assistance and capital project funding.
A $500,000 fund for planning assistance, with a 50-50 match between the municipalities and the county, will be available to develop unique main street programs in participating communities, Picente said. Once the main street planning is completed, the projects included within will be funded through a $5 million fund that will be capitalized over two years.
An Application and Information Packet and the Program Guidebook are available on the county website.
Want to see the main street beautified in your Oneida County neighborhood? Contact your local government representatives to express your interest, or share your ideas via a letter to the editor at newsroom@ oneidadispatch.com. Letters should be no longer than 500 words and include your name and place of residence.