By Robert Else COAST is busy campaigning for a people-centered State Street! On April 4th, we hosted a successful “Reimagine State Street” event at the Impact Hub as part of the First Thursday celebration. We wanted to gather feedback on a future State Street pedestrian mall and talk to people about COAST and State Street in general. We put up three large Post-It sheets with the heading “Do You Favor A Pedestrian Mall on State Street?” and drew 3 vertical columns: Yes, No, and Maybe. We also provided markers and smaller Post-Its for comments. The Yes column filled up, so we put up an additional large sheet on the other side of the whiteboard, which also filled up. There was not a single No. Major themes were desires for musicians and other street performers and artists, street vendors, more benches and places to relax, outdoor dining, activities for kids, and more color, street art and murals. People also commented on opportunities for mixed-use buildings and affordable housing, and suggested more experimental street closures to motor vehicles. We estimate about 75 people attended; you can see their comments at bit.ly/2VU9HVU We also displayed photos and a continuous slide show of pedestrian malls from other cities; we got many “I’ve been there and it’s great!” comments on those malls. On April 19th—21st, COAST cosponsored the City’s Experiment Weekend on State Street. This novel event started on a Friday night with a light and music show in the State Street underpass. On Saturday, two blocks of State Street were opened to people having fun while being closed to auto traffic. People loved it and business in adjacent stores and restaurants was up by 15%. On Sunday, the weekend concluded with a pop-up showcase. What a great event! We should do this more often. As part of our involvement in important City transportation and infrastructure planning events, COAST members helped facilitate the Downtown Innovation Workshop on Thursday May 9 at the Carrillo Recreation Center. The hall was packed with community members ready to discuss issues and ideas on revitalizing State Street. After three excellent presentations by Nina Johnson (Assistant City Administrator), Keith Higbee, and Kosmont (the economic consultancy hired to gather info and prepare a strategic downtown plan), attendees grouped into seven working teams, each focused on a major theme: Retail Renewal & Business Retention, Design & Use of Public Spaces, City Planning & Permitting, Public Safety, Arts Events & Marketing, Housing, and Transportation & Mobility. Each team was facilitated by several volunteers, who gathered feedback in a structured “how do we get from here to there” exercise, and each team reported out at the end of the evening. COAST members Joanna Kaufman and Robert Else facilitated the Transportation & Mobility table, where the main themes were expanded bus and shuttle service, better use of car parking space. more bike lanes, bike parking, and bike/scooter/car share programs, One long-time State Street business owner in our group passionately emphasized that cars driving by his business, and the ability to load/unload at the curb, were fundamental to his livelihood, which led to a stimulating discussion about the need for more data and the possibility of hybrid solutions such as a cycle track comprised of a two-way bike lane and a single one-way lane for cars going up State Street. The overall event was a great success, as evidenced by the high spirits and applause at the end. Watch for a summary to be published soon by the City.
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