As part of the public meeting for the Pleasant Street Corridor Project conducted by the City of Noblesville in December 2016, city officials committed to holding an additional information meeting earlier this year to update the public. While an additional public meeting is being planned for July, the city has created a new web page, cityofnoblesville.org/pleasantstreet, to update residents on the project’s progress.
“Creating an east-west corridor by extending Pleasant Street is a top priority for the city to allow traffic to flow easier in Noblesville,” said Mayor John Ditslear. “While the city is still evaluating alternatives with the alignment, we wanted to share information and answer questions we’ve heard about the project over the past year.”
The website includes frequently asked questions, background on the project, the east-west travel study, a visual preference survey (open through Friday, June 29) and a project timeline. Throughout the project, this website will serve as a portal for information, updates and public meeting announcements.
Last summer, the city began evaluating the impacts that an improvement and extension of Pleasant Street would have from State Road 37 to Hague Road. The series of activities since then includes:
- A topographic and property survey to obtain physical data along the corridor and locates utilities in order to assess impacts of various alignments and cross section alignments.
- The design of preliminary alignment alternatives and configurations to assess impacts from Mercantile Boulevard to 11th Street; 11th Street through Eighth Street and over White River; and Cicero Creek to State Road 32.
- A Central Hub Sub-Area Plan to evaluate the economic, demographic and housing opportunities and analyze the potential impacts of any corridor project in relation to the Noblesville Comprehensive Master Plan. The Central Hub Sub-Area Plan, incorporated into the city’s master plan, will help guide growth and (re)development along the Pleasant Street Corridor over the next 10 to 20 years.
- A Traffic Analysis and Travel Model and Mobility Model for affected east-west corridors.
- An Environmental Assessment is being completed from the corridor west of 16th Street that includes a review for the presence of historical properties; wetlands, floodplain and floodway and other naturally sensitive areas; evaluation of options; and other issues related to any potential affects the project may have in relation to the National Environmental Protection Act.
The data obtained by these surveys will be a valuable part of the public meeting. Additionally, they are necessary for potential federal or state funding for any portion of the project. The work conducted since the last public meeting also has provided the city with data that affirms the necessary of the Pleasant Street project:
- Recent traffic counts completed earlier this year by the city indicate that traffic on State Roads 32 and 38 (Conner Street) through town ranges from 10 percent to more than double the daily current traffic numbers posted on INDOT’s traffic data website.
- The corridor study has shown that by design year 2045, intersection traffic along State Road 32 will be reduced by 5 to 30 percent, depending on location, with Pleasant Street and a new White River crossing fully built.
- Based on the results of the preliminary analysis, travel time along State Road 32 from Hague Road to State Road 37 would be reduced by up to 40 percent.
- The preliminary study indicates that by constructing Pleasant Street, intersection delay along State Road 32 will be reduced by approximately 20 percent in the morning peak and 35 percent during the afternoon peak.
- Aside from a “no-build” option, the only other feasible alternative to relieve congestion is to reconstruct Conner Street (SR 32) with added travel lanes, considering growth trends and the type of development occurring in the community.