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2023/12/14 - Walter's Blog: Forward 50 Great Streets Initiative

Democracy on the Front Lines 
City Administrator’s Blog 
Walter Denton 
 

Forward 50 Greats Streets Initiative

In this holiday season, one of the things I am grateful for is the engagement of O’Fallon citizens. On December 5, we held an Open House on the Forward 50 Great Streets plan and more than 75 residents attended. Emerging concepts were presented that were the result of five public meetings over the last three months. Forward 50 is a comprehensive study of Hwy. 50 from I-64 Exit 14 to Scott-Troy Road. Here is the link to the presentation from the Open House that describes the emerging trends. 

The vision of the plan is that “The Highway 50 corridor provides an environment that serves user needs, builds community quality, and capitalizes on opportunities while minimizing functional distress.” This is done by designing changes to Hwy. 50 to make the road safer, more pedestrian friendly, and more attractive. 

Here are three concepts that generated a lot of conversation: 

1. State Street/Hwy. 50 “Spur”: This design removes the State Street “on-ramp” and cuts down the super-elevation on Hwy. 50 for a more traditional four-way intersection that connects to the property across from Hwy. 50 to a road that will eventually go down to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. 


State Street Hwy 50 Design Spur

2. Hwy. 50/Lincoln Intersection and Southview Plaza: This intersection is a choke point and frequently causes traffic back-ups and congestion. Due to the tight configuration at the corner, the Forward 50 plan proposes a roundabout that would move traffic along more smoothly and still retain the pedestrian nature of the area. In addition, it includes a concept plan for redeveloping the vacant Southview Plaza with a combination of commercial, retail, and multi-family residential developments.

Hwy 50 Lincoln Intersection Roundabout design concept

3. Hwy. 50 Pedestrian Refuges: One of the comments we have heard consistently through the Forward 50 process is the difficulty crossing the street around Community Park and the need to make the road more pedestrian-friendly. This design includes “pedestrian refuges,” where a median in the middle of the road protects walkers as they attempt to cross the road. There are two refuges designed below across from Blazier Field and at Hilgard.

Pedestrian Refuges Hwy 50 crossing

We are still collecting input on the Forward 50 plan, and we will receive the final report in May or June. You can view the Forward 50 website here and make additional comments here. We value your opinions and want to make Hwy. 50 a great street for everyone.