The temporary traffic pattern on Frazier Avenue will stay in place through Thursday morning "to allow city engineers to continue their analysis under typical commuter patterns in the North Chattanooga area."
The city of Chattanooga announced the temporary traffic change on weekends in December as an immediate safety change throughout the duration of the holiday shopping season and extended that temporary pattern by one week to study traffic patterns through the weekday.
Just a few days after the holiday and with school out of session, city traffic engineers said they believe that further weekday data collection was necessary to inform the final decision around a permanent traffic pattern change in a pedestrian-heavy section of North Chattanooga.
Mayor Tim Kelly said, “We are committed to getting this right, which means we need to understand the impacts under various conditions. We’re not after an easy solution, we’re after one that’s analytical and intelligently designed. Extending the demonstration for a few more days to capture data as schools reopen and folks return from the holidays will allow our experts to get the most comprehensive view possible to help chart the best course forward.”
Throughout the remainder of the traffic analysis period, engineers will continue to monitor traffic speeds, traffic volumes, and travel times to determine the impact of a potential permanent change on volume, congestion, and speed in the area.
Once the temporary traffic pattern has been removed and traffic returns to its traditional pace, engineers will collect further data about normal traffic conditions and compare it to the pace during the temporary traffic pattern to determine its impact. Pursuant to city reporting policy, a public announcement will be made about the permanent traffic changes when they are decided. The permanent traffic pattern change will be a prioritized project for the City Department of Public Works’ Transportation team.