Proposed action illustration for the preferred street cross section for Federal in the study area.

Late last year the “Federal Boulevard 5th Ave to Howard Place (W. 14th Ave) Planning Environmental Linkage (PEL) Study” was released. Little known within the Federal Boulevard community or much discussed publicly by the City since that time, the PEL Study came to the attention of the Partnership upon recent discussions with City officials updating recent Boulevard activities. The PEL Study evaluates and recommends on transportation improvements for Federal within the study area.

Crash rates on Federal in study area compared to State averages.

There are several challenges within the study area the PEL Study addresses. In particular, portions of the right-of-way (ROW) vary in width where three traffic lanes exist in one direction and two exist in the other. ROW both south and north of the study area along Federal is wider, translating to the study area acting as a “traffic pincher”, creating unsafe conditions and congestion for both vehicle and pedestrian alike. Sidewalks average only 3 feet wide and most are adjacent to the Boulevard with no buffer space between pedestrian and traffic. There is also a preponderance of curb cuts and lack of traffic controls at non-signalized intersections. The result of these conditions and others result in the study area experiencing three to four times higher average vehicle crash rates than statewide rates.While several significant improvements are recommended, no funding exists to implement the improvements. Example suggested improvements include adding enough ROW to accommodate three traffic lanes in each direction, a raised 18 foot wide median, 8 feet pedestrian zones on both sides, minimizing curb cuts, and construction of new curb and gutter.

No estimated costs for improvements are included in the PEL Study. The full study, supporting documents including preliminary designs can be found on the Web. While it may be disheartening no funds exist for these badly needed improvements, it is significant the PEL Study is complete. In future years as the Federal Highway Administration and State Department of Highways mades money available for local projects, the PEL Study helps make this project “shovel ready”, an important consideration in the prioritization of projects that receive funding.