Design-development
The project design was developed by the City of Springfield and Fuss & O’Neill to improve safety and increase economic development opportunities for nearby businesses. Project goals include improvements in the following areas:
- Intersection safety
- Congestion and delays
- Cut through traffic
- Pedestrian facilities
- Bicycle Accommodations
- Traffic signals
The design includes the following specific elements:
Vehicular traffic improvements
- Additional turn lanes on Sumner Avenue.
- Reconfigure portions of Belmont Avenue to a one-way road.
- Reconfigure Cliftwood Street to a single left-turn lane and through-right lane.
Pedestrian and cyclist facility improvements
- Add 4 new crosswalks at Cliftwood Street and Sumner Avenue, Belmont Avenue and Burlington Street, and at Ormand Street.
- Add two pedestrian plazas at Sumner Avenue and Belmont Avenue.
- Reconfigure the existing sidewalk on the north side of Sumner Avenue to an 8-foot-wide shared use path between Cliftwood Street and Churchill Street, and on the South side of Sumner Avenue between Churchill Street and Parkwood Street.
- Signalize the Ormand Street intersection with signal-controlled pedestrian crossing.
- Add 5-foot wide, on-street, painted bike lanes on Sumner Avenue and Belmont Avenue.
Transit facility and landscape improvements
- Transit service enhancements with the addition of 13 new bus shelters.
- Increase landscaping vegetation and concrete median islands, including a pedestrian island at the intersection of Belmont Avenue and Burlington Street.
Project landscaping
The project landscaping and increasing public shade trees were key elements in the project design development. The project will result in a 34% total increase in trees within the project limits. The preferred design kept an additional 35 trees than originally proposed at the 25% design project milestone. The below table summarizes the location, existing trees, removed trees, tree planting, and the total gain and loss of trees by location:
| Roadway | Existing Trees within Project Limits | Removed Trees | Proposed Tree Plantings | Gain/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumner Avenue East | 23 | 8 | 15 | 7 |
| Sumner Avenue West | 66 | 17 | 29 | 12 |
| Belmont Avenue East | 24 | 13 | 21 | 8 |
| Belmont Avenue West | 14 | 9 | 23 | 14 |
| Dickinson Street North | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Dickinson Street South | 9 | 6 | 13 | 7 |
| Oakland Street | 8 | 7 | 12 | 5 |
| Ormond Street | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Commonwealth Avenue | 3 | 1 | 0 | -1 |
| Burlington Street | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cliftwood Street | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lenox Street | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 169 | 61 | 118 | 57 |