CRA to Consider $5 Million in Funding for Southside Pedestrian & Street Safety Project

On October 23rd, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board will consider funding $5,000,000 for the Meridian Street Pedestrian and Street Safety (PASS) Project. The project will improve pedestrian connectivity and street safety from Orange Avenue to Magnolia Drive. The estimated costs include design and construction of a new sidewalk on the east side, a multiuse path on the west side, roadside ditch enclosures, and street trees.

The CRA Board consists of all city commissioners and the mayor.

The Project

The City of Tallahassee Underground Utilities and Public Infrastructure Department identified a potential CRA project in the Greater Frenchtown/Southside District for the design and construction of pedestrian improvements along Meridian Street from Orange Avenue to Magnolia Drive. Infrastructure improvements will include roadside ditch enclosures, a sidewalk, a multiuse path, new roadside curb and gutter, and new street tree plantings along the corridor.

The project extends almost 0.5 mile and will provide vital multimodal safety improvements along a key pedestrian corridor behind the Town South Shopping Center, and directly adjacent the City’s new Southside Transit Center located on the northwest corner of Orange Avenue and Meridian Street.

The Meridian Street PASS Project will support safe, non-vehicular connectivity to transit, as well as serve adjacent and nearby retail, food and convenience stores, multifamily residential, single-family residential, public medical centers, and other community-based establishments such as churches and daycares. It will also function as a safe, walkable and bikeable connection for public transit service users across the Southside.

The Meridian Street PASS Project will complement other projects occurring in the vicinity. The Orange Meridian Placemaking project, sponsored by the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, is currently underway and will create a neighborhood park and community gathering space at the southeast corner of Orange Avenue and Meridian Street, as well as provide improvements to the East Drainage Ditch (Orange-Meridian Park). These infrastructure enhancements, coupled with the new Southside Transit Center, will increase pedestrian activity within and to the area. If funded, the Meridian Street PASS Project will further enhance these adjacent improvements and contribute to a greater pedestrian network that serves the Southside.

The proposed design includes a 10’ multiuse path with 3.5’ buffer along the west side of the road, as well as 6’ sidewalk with 6’ buffer along the east side of the road. Roadside ditches will be enclosed with the construction of an underground drainage pipe network. Street trees will be planted along the roadway to provide shade for pedestrians, enhance roadway aesthetics, and contribute to the greater sense of place within the area.

Construction is slated to begin in the Fall of 2028.