Page 6 - July-Aug2020 Vol38 No2

JOHNSON CITY by Jason Elliott, P.E., Reuben Robertson and Phil Pindzola
Making West Walnut Street
a “Place” for All to Be

Stronger, happier communities are The large, multi-
rich with “places” that people love to visit discipline project
because they are inviting, safe, fun, vibrant, consists of the
recreational, relaxing, social, multimodal, removal and
and did we mention fun. If you plan for replacement of
cars and traffic, then you will get just about 1-mile of
that…more cars and traffic. The City of total streetscape
Johnson City has a grander vision for the cross-section, a
West Walnut Street corridor located in an stormwater and
ideal area to connect a quaint residential gateway park,
community and thriving East Tennessee 9,200 feet of water
State University to a revitalized downtown lines, 7,000 feet of
area with bustling businesses and markets, sewer main, 9,000
entertainment, art, green space, and trails. feet of storm-water
collection, and the
The City of Johnson City has partnered relocation of all
with LDA Engineering to begin above ground power
engineering the vision for the Walnut and communications
Street place. to underground.
A word from Phil Pindzola, Public Works
Director of The City of Johnson City The new streetscape includes wide sidewalks, greenspace, a two-way bike lane (cycle track) separated from
traffic with a raised median, two travel lanes, and a parking aisle
Up through the 1970s, downtown
Johnson City was bustling with commercial Proposed Walnut
activity. The issues of the day were Street looking
increased parking needs and an accessible West. LDA utilized
transportation system. Then in 1980-81, 3D renderings
the area was hit with three impediments, throughout the
including opening of the interstate that design process
runs through the community which to assist the City
diverted traffic from the downtown area, and Community in
opening of the second half of the mall in design development
north Johnson City which moved retail discussions.
establishments from the downtown core, The cycle-track
and the relocation of the 300 bed hospital extends across the
to the western edge of the city, thus loss raised intersection
of jobs in the area. As a result, downtown below.
economic activity declined rapidly, and
struggled for 30 or so years, regardless of
what program was pursued.

In 2003, downtown was hit with
another major flood and the remaining
business owners turned their ire to
the flood issue. Recognizing that
drainage issues were underfunded, the
City implemented a community-wide
stormwater management fee and noted
with the new fee that the highest priority
would be to address the downtown flood
issue. A master plan was developed and
then LDA Engineering was hired to
design the first of three flood detention
areas. Over 1,000 feet of an encapsulated

6 TPW July/August 2020