Consultants and city staff presented concepts for reimagining 6th Avenue and restoring north–south bicycle connectivity in downtown Rochester at the council’s Nov. 10 study session, and council members directed staff to produce additional analysis — including a targeted study of 2nd Avenue — before taking final action.

“Streets are so much more than just infrastructure and transportation,” said David Gamble, an architect and urban planner with Gamble Associates, arguing that protected bikeways and expanded streetscape can increase safety and public‑realm activity. Consultants presented a two‑part project: a reimagined 6th Avenue streetscape from 2nd Street Southwest to Civic Center Drive and a separate effort to reconnect the downtown bike network that was disrupted when 3rd and 4th Avenues were vacated as part of the Mayo development agreement.

Mitzi Alex of TOOL Design described outreach (more than 15 engagement activities including open houses and door‑knocking) and the design concept the team brought forward: within the existing 75‑foot right‑of‑way, keep two vehicle travel lanes but reallocate space for sidewalks, double boulevards and a two‑way bikeway, using buffers and raised crosswalks to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians. “Within the existing right of way, which is only 75 feet, … you can actually create enough space to have a sidewalk, a boulevard … and a 2‑way bikeway,” Alex said.

Council members pressed staff and consultants for data and trade‑offs. Council member Palmer pointed to U.S. Census commuting data and said bike commuting has declined; staff cautioned that commuting figures are an incomplete measure of overall cycling and noted sample‑size limitations. Staff said prior traffic counts put daily vehicle volumes on 6th Avenue in the mid‑thousands (about 4,200–4,300 cars per day on average in prior studies) and that counts were taken during the summer and the tail end of the COVID period.

A central debate at the session focused on interim options and whether to study 2nd Avenue (Discovery Walk/Annenberg Plaza) as an alternate north–south route. City staff explained 2nd Avenue was excluded from the consultant scope because the street‑vacation agreement established a pedestrian easement for Annenberg Plaza and Mayo Clinic plans to restore that area as a pedestrian plaza; staff said 1st Avenue offers stronger business activation opportunities for an interim build. Multiple council members nevertheless asked staff to add a targeted study of 2nd Avenue and to provide the cost and an appraisal of trade‑offs. Staff estimated a targeted study could be done for under $20,000 but warned that adding new work could require reprioritizing items in the $38 million Unbound allocation.

Council discussion also covered freight and deliveries tied to a planned West Logistics Center. Staff said most trucks will be box trucks and that building access was revised so larger turning movements occur onto 1st Street rather than mid‑block on 6th Avenue; staff also offered to compile data on semi‑truck frequency and typical delivery hours. Council member Palmer said neighborhood meetings heard estimates of up to 60 trips associated with the logistics building but staff said a more likely pattern was a few semis per week with box trucks more frequent.

On interim implementation, staff described a reversible “interim” or “pilot” approach that uses paint, delineators and planters rather than concrete curb changes so the city can prototype and then refine or remove elements quickly. Several council members endorsed an interim pilot in the near term to establish connectivity before spring while others urged caution and additional analysis of freight, parking and business impacts.

Next steps and staff direction: council members generally expressed support for continuing the 6th Avenue design work and asked staff to bring back a refined recommendation in January. They also asked staff to return estimates for adding 2nd Avenue to the study, compile additional freight/delivery counts, and document the engineering assumptions behind proposed intersection turn lanes and loading accommodations.

The study session did not adopt final designs or striping; staff emphasized that the January deliverable will be a more detailed recommendation at roughly 10% design completion and that interim striping would not proceed as a final action until council provides clearer direction.