The South Anthony project was identified as a priority for future roadway improvements in the Transportation & Infrastructure section of the Southeast Strategy Update adopted in 2021.
Project Overview
South Anthony Boulevard is a north-south through street that bisects much of Southeast Fort Wayne connecting neighborhoods, parks, schools, and businesses. The street, in its current form, is prone to vehicles traveling at high speeds with wider than necessary lane widths, no bicycle facilities, and very few places for pedestrians to safely and comfortably cross. Many of these concerns were expressed in the community engagement process that was used to develop the Southeast Strategy Update. Residents and businesses expressed that South Anthony can often feel like a freeway that does not match the needs of the adjacent neighborhoods.
The South Anthony Boulevard project is focused on redesigning and rebuilding the street in order to support the needs of the community.
Project Goals
- Address current vehicular, pedestrian, and transit needs (including safety & access for all abilities, and walkability)
- Enhance the quality of life for adjacent neighborhoods and land uses
- Enhance aesthetics
- Increase property values
- Foster economic development
- Adopt complete streets and sustainable design concepts
- Reduce Urban Heat Island effect
- Create on-site stormwater treatment (green infrastructure) to reduce flooding and run-off
- Decrease noise level
- Discourage racing
Project Location
Project Community Input
To ensure that this project best reflects the needs of the neighborhoods on South Anthony Boulevard, we are encouraging residents and businesses to share their input at in-person open house events or online.
OPEN HOUSE EVENTS
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ON-LINE SURVEY AND MAP TOOL
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| Share your input on the future of South Anthony Boulevard by filling out a short 5-minute survey. Information gathered from this survey will guide us in the design and development process for South Anthony. | Use this new interactive map to tell us what is most important for you and the future of South Anthony Boulevard. It's easy to use, just drop the pin on the map and share your input. |
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| Nos gustaría conocer su opinión. Por favor complete esta breve encuesta para hacernos saber sus ideas y cómo podemos ser de ayuda. |
Project Objectives
- Partner with residents and businesses to prioritize improvements and make design decisions
- Calm traffic and improve travel for all users
- Right-size the vehicle travel lanes for an 'Urban Street'
- Enhance safety for pedestrians and bicyclists (especially youth and kids who cross South Anthony to access parks and schools)
Project Research
How can a redesigned South Anthony Boulevard be safer for residents?
According to the Federal Highway Administration, when redesigning a street much like South Anthony, it can have the potential to improve safety, convenience, and the overall quality of life for all road users. Through redesigning the street, we will likely see a reduction in vehicle-to-vehicle conflicts that contribute to rear-end, left-turn, and sideswipe crashes. Improvements could also reduce the overall speed differential, which reduces the number and severity of crashes as well as interactions with pedestrians.
Based on South Anthony's current conditions, nearly 70% of all drivers will likely travel faster than the posted legal speed limit. This behavior of disregarding the posted speed limit often makes other users (including those in an automobile) feel the street is unsafe and highly unlivable which has a direct impact on the surrounding neighborhoods. The current speed limit on South Anthony Boulevard between US 27 and Paulding Road is 40 MPH. The current speed limit on South Anthony Boulevard north of Paulding Road is 35 MPH.
A study by Brian Tefft, a Senior Research Associate at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that the "average risk of severe injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle reaches 10% at an impact speed of 16 mph, 25% at 23 mph, 50% at 31 mph, 75% at 39 mph, and 90% at 46 mph. The average risk of death for a pedestrian reaches 10% at an impact speed of 23 mph, 25% at 32 mph, 50% at 42 mph, 75% at 50 mph, and 90% at 58 mph" (2011, p.1).
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How can a redesigned South Anthony Boulevard be better for businesses?
According to the Federal Highway Administration, roadway improvements that enhance travel for all users (pedestrians, bicyclists, automobiles) can have a positive impact on business sales by changing the corridor from a place where people 'drive through' to a place where people 'drive to.' Often it is argued that implementing street design projects can have a negative impact on the surrounding local economy, however, there is little substantial proof to support such a concern. Corridors that facilitate high speeds allow a motorist to drive faster and pay less attention to their surroundings (pedestrians, bicyclists, and stores), while a corridor that is calmer, slower, safer, and more attractive is likely to require motorists to be more attentive to their surroundings.
In San Diego, a section of a busy street, similar to South Anthony was redesigned using the same goals. Once enhancements were included for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users, retail sales on the street climbed to much higher levels, while reducing overall street noise. An economic study, which featured a similar-sized street to South Anthony Boulevard was completed in Los Angeles and found that sales tax revenues were higher on the redesigned section, versus the section that remained as-is. While an increase in sales is never guaranteed, several economic impact studies from various cities across the country show slight to moderate growth.
Won't a redesigned South Anthony Boulevard just lead to more congestion?
Congestion is often an argument that is made against redesigning streets, especially at business and neighborhood entrances. However, studies continue to show that projects, such as a redesigned South Anthony Boulevard, which experiences less than 23,000 daily auto trips, will generally not worsen traffic congestion (Huang, Stewart, and Zegeer, 2004). This is due to efficiencies made in the overall street redesign, such as a left-only turn lane removing the turning vehicle from the through traffic lane; and allowing residents to use alternative modes of travel for short trips.
Project Timeline
2022
- Gather community input for the future of South Anthony Boulevard
2023
- Create a plan for the future of South Anthony Boulevard
- Apply for Safe Streets and Roads for All and/or RAISE grant through JOBS Act for 2023
2024 or 2025
- Possible start of construction in late 2024 or 2025 pending grant approval and environmental documentation and permitting
Project Team
Public Works
- Shan Gunawardena, Director - Public Works
- Matt Gray, Manager of Transportation Engineering Services - Public Works
- Nick Jarrell, Manager of Right of Way - Public Works
- Dan Shaw, Project Manager - Public Works
- Kyle Winling, Traffic Engineer - Public Works
- Patrick Zaharako, City Engineer - Public Works
Community Development
- Nancy Townsend, Director - Community Development
- Dan Baisden, Neighborhood Planner - Community Development
- Réna Bradley, Neighborhood Planner - Community Development
- Josh Campbell, Neighborhood Planner - Community Development
- Bernadette Fellows, Community Engagement Planner - Community Development
Plan Alignment
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Southeast Strategy Update Transportation & Infrastructure One: Build and maintain high-quality and aesthetically pleasing public infrastructure Two: A variety of transportation options should be available to all residents |
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All In Allen Comprehensive Plan (DRAFT) Transportation & Mobility Goal Three: Increase safe, attractive, multimodal transportation opportunities across the entire Allen County area |
Project Metrics
- Vehicle speeds before and after improvements
- Number of vehicle-related accidents before and after improvements
- Surveys on level of comfortability in crossing South Anthony before and after improvements
- Private investment on South Anthony Boulevard both before and after improvements
Project Budget
To Be Determined
Project Funding
To Be Determined