The unharmonious tenor of the public comments offered during Wednesday’s Fredericksburg Planning Commission meeting wasn’t lost on Chair David Durham.
“There seems to be a lot of dissonance in the comments,” Durham said. “There’s a lot of: ‘It’s X, it’s Y, it’s Z.’”
But there was one commonality: residents’ complaints centered on recommendations included in the downtown traffic study, and — in particular — the proposed conversion of William and Amelia Streets to two-way traffic.
On Wednesday, commissioners discussed final changes to the 180-page study, which is being conducted by the Timmons Group, an engineering firm hired by the city. The study, which began with data collection in April of last year, focused on four areas: north Princess Anne and Caroline streets; William and Amelia streets from Washington Avenue to Sophia Street.
Press the Issue
From 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center (601 Caroline St.), there will be a community meeting about the downtown traffic study.
Durham said that while there’s been much consternation over the cost of the various improvements — which together add up to more than $7 million — two-way conversion itself isn’t all that expensive. Rather, he said, it’s popular traffic calming measures like “chokers” and improved pedestrian crossings that can prove pricy.
“The things that everybody says they want, those are the things that cost a lot of money,” he said.
Several public commenters cited issues posed by delivery trucks servicing restaurants on William Street. Currently, drivers can simply navigate to the other lane to pass, an option that won’t be available with two-way traffic. To address this, the study (page 52) calls for introducing four loading zones along William Street, with the first located near Liberty Street and the last between Princess Anne and Caroline.
Commissioner Thomas Johnson noted that the study refers to two other Virginia localities that have converted similarly restaurant-laden streets to two-way traffic and suggested that the city learn from their experiences prior to implementing changes.
“There’s a lot of unknowns,” Johnson said. “I think it would be helpful getting examples of ‘they’ve tried this or that.’”
Anne Little, who ran unsuccessfully in the recent Ward 2 City Council election, questioned the need for additional bicycle infrastructure. Specifically, the study calls for the creation of a “bicycle boulevard” on Prince Edward Street.
“I only see on a given day, two or three bikes going past my house on a single day,” said Little, who lives on William Street just prior to the start of one-way traffic. “A couple of them are homeless guys, [City Councilor] Will Mackintosh rides by my house a couple of times a day, and then there’s nobody… We’re not Holland. Let’s get real here.”
In a social media post on Wednesday, Mackintosh wrote that the proposed bike lanes “aren’t for experienced urban cyclists like me. The bike infrastructure I am a passionate advocate for is for my kids and their schoolmates at FCPS, who need a way to get around town safely and independently.
“It’s for older Fredericksburgers who are looking to get out and get active while getting around town. It’s for the almost 10% of Fredericksburg households that don’t have a car, whether by choice or because they can’t afford it… Safe bike infrastructure is for all those folks, and I am proud to advocate for them. I hear from them all the time. There is a ton of interest in safe biking and walking in the community.”
In a phone interview on Thursday, Mackintosh added: “I just fundamentally disagree that because a person is unhoused, they don’t deserve safe bike infrastructure.”
While no one spoke out in favor of the study’s recommendations on Wednesday, public sentiment appears to be mixed, according to a survey administered last year. The survey received 142 responses, with 29% of respondents not supporting the two-way conversions, 18% supporting them and 53% not mentioning support or opposition.
The study also includes (on page 102), a “heat map” of crashes in the study areas. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 199 crashes at those intersections, with the most occurring at the intersection of William and Caroline streets. The exact amount was not specified.
For his part, Commissioner Douglas Caswell offered an observation about a common theme among those who spoke Wednesday.
“Every single comment that I heard really focused quite a bit on safety,” Caswell said. “I think that’s where we should all be aiming our focus.”
