click to enlarge Thomas R Machnitzki, Wikimedia

Kyle Wagenshutz, the bicycle/pedestrian coordinator for the City of Memphis Division of Engineering, said the state grant covers a half-mile stretch of Union between Marshall and Pauline and likely won't get under construction for two or three years.The project will total $1 million once the city kicks in its $50,000 match to draw the grant funds.Most of that money will be spent on upgrades for pedestrians and those with disabilities, he said, including sidewalk repairs, crosswalks, new transit stops, curb and gutter replacements, and more access ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.A left turn lane and the striping for bike lanes will be added later in the project and will only total 5 percent of the total project cost.The bike lanes in the Union project will complement those to be striped at major intersections in The Edge and the Medical District, he said. In the next 18 months, new lanes will be striped around Marshall, Pauline, Manassas, and Dunlap.Bicycle traffic largely avoids car-dominant Union Avenue. Wagenshutz said. But Union has been in the sights of planners since 2011, he said, and there has “been a lot of consensus around making it more bike friendly.”“The Union corridor needs a re-do from top to bottom.” Wagenshutz said. “We’ll probably do this in these small, half-mile chunks for the foreseeable future.”The turn lane in the project will be striped there because stakeholders in the area saw the success of the lane on Union close to Methodist University Hospital and requested it.Union Avenue will get a makeover that includes bike lanes and left turn lanes thanks to a $950,000 grant from the state.The city won a Multimodal Access Grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation [TDOT] for a Complete Streets project along one of the city’s busiest corridors.Here’s how state officials described the Union Avenue project in a news release:“The project includes the reconfiguration of roadway striping to add bike lanes and a two-way left turn lane, repair and replacement of sidewalk panels, upgrades to pedestrian crossings, and relocation of transit shelters.The improvements will allow safe access to a number of commercial, medical, and educational destinations, including Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Regional One Health hospital, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Sun Studios.”Full details of the plan were not immediately released from the state Tuesday. Check back here later for more information.Here's what TDOT Commissioner John Schroer said about the multimodal grants:“Our responsibilities as a transportation agency go far beyond building roads and bridges,” Schroer said in a statement. “Providing safe access for different modes of transportation ultimately creates a more complete and diverse network for our users. These projects are also extremely cost effective, which allows TDOT to make improvements in more areas across the state.”Union Avenue will get a makeover that includes bike lanes and left turn lanes thanks to a $950,000 grant from the state.The city won a Multimodal Access Grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation [TDOT] for a Complete Streets project along one of the city’s busiest corridors.“The project includes the reconfiguration of roadway striping to add bike lanes and a two-way left turn lane, repair and replacement of sidewalk panels, upgrades to pedestrian crossings, and relocation of transit shelters.The improvements will allow safe access to a number of commercial, medical, and educational destinations, including Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Regional One Health hospital, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Sun Studios.”Full details of the plan were not immediately released from the state Tuesday. Check back here later for more information.“Our responsibilities as a transportation agency go far beyond building roads and bridges,” Schroer said in a statement. “Providing safe access for different modes of transportation ultimately creates a more complete and diverse network for our users. These projects are also extremely cost effective, which allows TDOT to make improvements in more areas across the state.”