The East 23rd Street Corridor in Lawrence, Kansas, is poised for a significant transformation. The East 23rd Street Corridor Study is an initiative focused on developing a comprehensive vision and implementation strategy to revitalize this vital thoroughfare. This study is not just about infrastructure; it’s an opportunity for the Lawrence community to collectively reimagine East 23rd Street, ensuring it meets the needs of residents and businesses for years to come. This project will lay the groundwork for the redesign of East 23rd Street, specifically the section stretching from the Haskell Bridge eastward to 600 feet past Anderson Avenue, slated for reconstruction in 2021-22.
This ambitious study encompasses a thorough evaluation of existing conditions and seeks public input to shape a future vision for East 23rd Street. Key components of the study include analyzing current and projected land use, conducting multimodal traffic counts, assessing access management strategies, reviewing crash history, and identifying diverse transportation needs. The ultimate goal is to develop a concept-level multimodal transportation plan that caters to automobiles, public transit, bicycles, pedestrians, and freight movement.
Public Visioning and Next Steps
Community engagement has been central to the East 23rd Street Corridor Study. A series of public visioning sessions, including a survey and an open house held in late June, were instrumental in gathering community insights for the future of East 23rd Street, from the Haskell Bridge to O’Connell Road. These sessions successfully generated a conceptual plan reflecting the community’s aspirations. Consultants have meticulously documented this collaborative process and prepared a plan for official approval. Upon approval, the City of Lawrence will advance to the design phase in 2020, with construction anticipated in 2021.
The draft plan was presented at several public meetings to facilitate feedback and public commentary. These meetings included sessions with the Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Advisory Committee, the Transportation Commission, the Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board, and the Lawrence City Commission. These meetings ensured that stakeholders and the public had ample opportunity to contribute to the plan’s development.
The Planning Process: Collaborative and Inclusive
The East 23rd Street Corridor Study is committed to a robust public participation process. Adhering to the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Public Participation Plan, the study incorporates both in-person and online engagement strategies. A three-day visioning and planning charrette, along with a two-hour public open house, were key events designed to gather community input. A survey was also deployed to collect data on existing conditions and community priorities. To ensure broad awareness, mailers were distributed to property owners along East 23rd Street, from Learnard Avenue to the city limits, announcing the open house and survey. Public input opportunities were also promoted through notifications to relevant MPO committees, the Lawrence Transportation Commission, and media outlets. Before being presented to the Lawrence City Commission for consideration, the drafted plan underwent review by the Technical Advisory Committee, MPO Policy Board, and the Transportation Commission.
The MPO Policy Board established both a Steering Committee and a Project Advisory Committee for this study in April. These committees play a crucial role in guiding the project and ensuring its alignment with community needs and city objectives.
Project Advisory and Steering Committee Meetings: Developing the Vision
A significant three-day visioning and planning charrette took place at the Douglas County Fairgrounds Flory Meeting Hall during the week of June 24th. On the first day, consultants collaborated with the Steering Committee and the Project Advisory Committee to define a clear vision for the East 23rd Street plan and to establish guiding principles for the broader planning process and charrette. Days two and three were dedicated to exploring potential solutions to realize this vision through interactive charrette sessions. These sessions utilized preference exercises, individual discussions, group dialogues, and other engagement activities. Leveraging preliminary data and maps, the consultant team worked to solidify the project vision, gather immediate feedback, and sketch initial concepts in real-time. This highly interactive approach allowed public participants to witness firsthand how their input was being integrated into the planning process. By the third day, the Steering Committee reviewed the collective public input, preferred concepts, and emerging ideas to formulate a conceptual plan for the East 23rd Street corridor.
Key Meeting Dates:
Tuesday, June 25th
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Visioning Session Meeting Download
Wednesday, June 26th
8:00 am – 9:00 am: Review of Initial Concepts Meeting
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Review of Narrowed Concepts Meeting
Thursday, June 27th
10:30 am – 12:00 pm: Open House Download / Final Concept Review Meeting
Note: Project Advisory Committee and Steering Committee meetings were open for public observation; however, they were not structured for public comment.
Public Engagement Opportunities: Visioning Session & Open House
The Douglas County Fairgrounds Flory Meeting Hall hosted both the Visioning Session and Open House, providing key avenues for public participation.
Tuesday, June 25th
- 8:00 am – 12:00 pm: Visioning Session – An open forum for the public to engage in discussions about: Existing Conditions, Access Management (traffic flow, driveway placements, turn lanes, medians), Bicycle and Pedestrian infrastructure, Transit Amenities, Street Aesthetics (gateways, landscaping, lighting), and Economic Development opportunities (redevelopment, land use strategies).
Wednesday, June 26th
- 5:00 – 7:00 pm: Open House – An opportunity for the public to review the progress of the charrette and share their feedback on the developing outcomes and proposed directions.
Project Survey: Share Your Input
A project survey was made available on Lawrence Listens, providing another channel for community members to contribute their perspectives and priorities for the East 23rd Street Corridor Study. This survey ensured that those unable to attend in-person sessions could still have their voices heard and influence the future of East 23rd Street.
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