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Whatever Happened To: The Cooper-Poplar Connector to Overton Park

Credit: Bianca Phillips

Whatever happened to that project to add a pedestrian and bike entrance at Poplar and Cooper to Overton Park?

For the second installment of our occasional series, called “Whatever Happened To,” we’re checking in on a proposed street-improvement project intended to make Memphis more bike- and pedestrian-friendly. Announcements for the Cooper-Poplar Connector — the project to make a bike-and-pedestrian-friendly crossing from Cooper across Poplar and into Overton Park — came as early as 2014, nearly eight years ago.

In March 2016, the project won a $25,000 grant from the First Tennessee Foundation (the bank has changed hands twice since that announcement). The grant was set to help the project unlock federal funds, which it did.

Credit: Overton Park Conservancy

At the time, we reported that the Connector “was designed by Ritchie Smith Associates and calls for a second crosswalk on the west side of the intersection, a protected bike crossing at the traffic signal, a new landing pad on the park side for bikes and pedestrians, and a new path that will connect to the park’s trail system.” To get an update on the project, we talked to Nicholas Oyler, Bikeway and Pedestrian Manager for the city of Memphis. — Toby Sells

Memphis Flyer: Whatever happened with the Cooper-Poplar Connector at Overton Park?

Nicholas Oyler: Let me make sure we’re on the same page of what this project is. It’s targeting the intersection of Cooper and Poplar. We’d be building a new entrance plaza to Overton Park on the north side of Poplar. It would have a new, little paved area with some minimal landscaping. There would be a paved path that connects this plaza over to Veteran’s Plaza and other existing sidewalks that lead into the park.

It would also improve pedestrian and bicyclist crossings on Poplar so that you can be able to get across Poplar a lot safer and more comfortable than you can today. The city just installed bike lanes on Cooper leading up to Poplar. Then, they kind of stop abruptly. Once this plaza and that connection goes in, it will be made more seamless and it’ll feel a lot safer getting across.

Thank you for the refresher, sir. So, what happened with this project?

It’s received a federal grant to cover 80 percent of the costs. Anytime you have federal funds — and I am very grateful for the funding source; it really helps us out — it comes with a lot of hoops we have to jump through, a lot of paperwork.

On this project, we were caught off guard a little bit by the requirements we had to go through for the environmental review. The Tennessee Department of Transportation determined that we would need to do … more work on the environmental review than we had originally had anticipated, because it is in a park. So, that added to the scope a little bit and just another box we had to check. So that slowed it down.

But the good news is that we do now have the environmental clearance. We’ve received that in late 2018. Since then, the project has been in the design phase. At this point, we anticipate breaking ground in mid-2023.

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Work Begins on Highland Strip Walkability Upgrades

Credit: University Neighborhoods Development Corporation

The Highland Strip is getting a pedestrian-friendly facelift as work began last week on a $6 million project from Midland to Southern.  

The project will calm traffic along the strip, aiming to improve safety for all, especially pedestrians. Improvements will include a raised traffic table at the intersection of Midland and Highland. The device raises the entire wheelbase of a vehicle to reduce its traffic speed. A new mast arm traffic signal will direct traffic at the intersection. 

The project will bring two new signalized crosswalks on Highland, as well. It also includes raised medians with plantings, new street trees, new sidewalks, and landscaping along both the east and west sides of the roadway, asphalt paving, and new streetlights.

“This project will be totally transformational for the Highland Strip and the surrounding neighborhoods, creating a much safer, walkable, and enjoyable environment,” said Cody Fletcher, executive director of the University Neighborhoods Development Corporation (UNDC). “We expect these improvements will help transform the area from its current use as a high-speed cut-through artery to a more pedestrian-friendly and neighborhood-centric atmosphere.”

UNDC and MFA, the project manager, funded the project with proceeds from the Highland Revitalization Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program, with financing provided by FirstBanks. 

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Lanes Close on Poplar, as City Adds Crosswalk Near Central Library

CREDIT: Bike/Ped Memphis

Bike/Ped Memphis

Construction begins on an enhanced crosswalk on Poplar near the Central Library

As the city begins constructing an enhanced crosswalk near the Central Library, Poplar will see lane closures for the next three to four weeks.

The $98,107 project will be the first in recent years specifically geared toward pedestrian safety.

The crosswalk will sit on Poplar, south of the Central Library, a spot officials say is a “known high-risk spot.” The risk is compounded, as two of the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s most-used bus stops are near the library, but not in close proximity to a crosswalk.

“Many Memphians access the vital resources and information available at the Central Library by bus, and currently must either walk nearly a quarter-mile out of their way to use the nearest signalized crossing or risk an unprotected mid-block crossing,” officials said. “Over the years, multiple serious crashes have occurred as a people attempted the latter. As recently as March 2018, a driver struck and killed a gentleman attempting to cross the street at this location.”

Rendering of new crosswalk

The new crosswalk will be highly visible and include a median refuge island and a pedestrian-activated crossing light. The island is meant to narrow the crossing distance, reducing the chances of incident.

Officials said throughout the construction, there will be multiple lane closures on Poplar between Tillman and Lafayette. The closures will primarily take place on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. with limited closures on weekday nights.

At least two lanes of traffic will be open in each direction at all times. Depending on the weather, construction is expected to take no longer than four weeks.