A proposed road right-sizing project for M.L. King Boulevard and Bailey Avenue would slow traffic on the streets and encourage people to stop, shop, dine and walk along the road that once funneled motorists away from a decaying urban core.
At its core, the Bailey-M.L. King plan is designed to “calm” traffic by reducing traffic from four lanes to three – one in each direction and a center-turn lane.
One iteration of the proposal also includes separated bicycle lanes. Another iteration features no bike lanes but wider driving lines that would conceivably be safer for cyclists.
“For us, we’re really interested in slowing down traffic and making the whole area more pedestrian- and bike-friendly,” said Camp House Director Matt Busby, who represents a group of business owners on the M.L. King corridor called the Big9 Merchants Association. “We see that as a way to grow things residentially and commercially.”
Busby and others with a vested interest in the area have been compiling petition signatures, attending meetings with city officials and rallying support for the proposal.