Seth Johnson
Redesigning University Avenue and 13th Street remains a top priority for Gainesville, and the city looks to collect community input through six corridor walks next week on Jan. 24, 25 and 26.
Each walk concentrates on a different segment of the roadway and will feature multiple stops to discuss the context of that area and safety options. Gainesville transportation officials will lead the walks, and the city asks participants to register ahead of time.
You can register online here.
The corridor walks will pass the scenes of pedestrian fatalities like UF student Maggie Paxton
near Emerson Alumni Hall in December 2020 and four-year-old Dylan Roberts near Fred Cone Park in October 2021.
New commissioners Bryan Eastman and Casey Willits both referenced Vision Zero goals, reducing pedestrian deaths to zero, during their swearing-in speeches. Mayor Harvey Ward also listed the road redesign in his top 15 priorities.
The following are details for each walk:
Segment One: W. 13th Street from SW Ninth Ave. to NW Eighth Ave.
- When: Tues., Jan. 24, 1-3 p.m.
- Meet at: Southwest corner of University Avenue and W. 13th Street
Segment Two: W. 13th Street from SW 16th Ave. to SW 9th Ave.
- When: Tues., Jan. 24, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Meet at: Southwest corner of SW 13th Street and SW 14th Ave.
Segment Three: University Avenue from W. Sixth Street to Waldo Road
- When: Wed., Jan. 25, 1-3 p.m.
- Meet at: Northeast corner of University Avenue and W. Sixth Street
Segment Four: University Avenue from Waldo Road to SE 31st Street
- When: Wed., Jan. 25, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Meet at: Fred Cone Park parking lot
Segment Five: University Avenue from NW 22nd Street to W. 12th Street
- When: Thurs., Jan. 26, 1-3 p.m.
- Meet at: Southwest corner of University Avenue and W. 13th Street
Segment Six: University Avenue from W. 12th Street to W. Sixth Street
- When: Thurs., Jan. 26, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Meet at: Northwest corner of University Avenue and W. Sixth Street
A Gainesville press release said the walks are the first of several engagement opportunities for feedback as the city moves forward with a Project Development and Environmental study.
Along with the corridor walks, neighbors can also give input about downtown parking at a community forum at 5 p.m. on Feb. 8. Parking management firm SP+, hired by the city, will host the forum and collect feedback for a study.
Physical and electronic surveys will also be sent for citizens to complete.
The city changed downtown parking requirements last year and reversed course after input from downtown tenants.