Background: Residents of the 13th Street approached the city of Tempe with concerns about increasing traffic volumes and speeds in their neighborhood. 13th Street is the only continuous east-west collector street in the area. Theneighbors wanted to improve the environment for bicyclists and pedestrians on 13th Street and reduce high-speed, cut-through traffic in their neighborhood.
 

Goals of Project: One of the goals of Tempe’s transit program is to provide a livable community with a balanced transportation system that is environmentally sustainable and helps preserve neighborhoods. In order to enhance and preserve the physical character of Tempe and promote accessible transportation options, the city of Tempe instituted the 13th Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvement Project. The ¾ mile long project area includes 13th Street between
Mill Avenue and Hardy Drive . The overall goal of the traffic-calming project is to make 13th Street a better place for bicyclists and pedestrians by providing improved facilities while reducing the speeds and volumes of vehicular traffic. Neighborhood Input: Design consultant AMEC Infrastructure and a Neighborhood Design Task Force consisting of 20 volunteers from the neighborhood collaborated on the design process. The city conducted numerous neighborhood meetings to obtain neighborhood input regarding the project. The 13th Street Project demonstrates the commitment and dedication between Tempe and its residents in promoting aesthetically-pleasing, environmentally-friendly transportation alternatives while making Tempe a more livable community.
 

Traffic Features: Construction for the project began in August 2003. (The construction contractor was Archon.) Traffic features of the project include:
• replacing 4 foot sidewalks with 6 foot sidewalks,
• replacing rounded (roll)curbs with vertical curbs,
• providing ADA-compliant ramps,
• adding sidewalk bulbouts at side streets,
• adding 6 foot bike lanes,
• moving overhead utility lines underground,
• adding landscaping to the existing vegetation along the street,
• constructing an artist-designed entry monument, and
• constructing traffic calming measures including four-way stops, speed tables and medians.
 

Funding: Funding sources for the project include Federal CMAQ funds totaling $705,000. The remainder of the funding was obtained from the Tempe Capital Improvements fund. The approximate total cost for design and construction is $2 million. The project was completed in 2006.