STREETSCAPE
STREETSCAPE KEY MAP
The map below highlights the location of streetscape improvements along the East 140th Street corridor. These improvements are focused on pedestrian safety, connectivity, and branding. In addition to tree planting and new streetscape amenities (benches, bike racks, trash receptacles, stamped concrete/hardscape, etc.), the improvements below represent the most visible physical changes along the corridor.
BRANDING THE CORRIDOR
Monument signs at each gateway location, shown in the image below, will be built of red brick to reflect the character of some of the historic buildings that line the East 140th corridor. Affixed to the walls will be metal plates with a cutout graphic—developed by Robert Gatewood for the Greater Collinwood Development Corporation—in a nod to the Cleveland “selfie” signs found throughout the city. The walls are sized to fit site and sightline constraints; the longer, lower walls are at a height appropriate for seating at these locations.
TREE CANOPY
Three deciduous street trees were selected for the corridor: the American hophornbeam (left image below), the Japanese tree lilac (center image below), and the Miyabe maple (right image below). These trees will be planted within tree lawns and curbed planters, where they will provide softness and cooling shade over the roadway and streetscape zones. The tree species were selected for their tolerance to urban conditions as well as their growth rate and low height, with the knowledge that many will be placed below overhead powerlines and therefore should allow adequate clearance.
SPECIALTY PAVING
Certain zones within the streetscape call for differentiated paving beyond the plain gray concrete of the sidewalks. The use of a “seamless” stamped concrete, shown in the image below, will highlight key areas by adding texture and color reminiscent of paving stone at enhanced transit stops, business storefronts, and amenity strips.
SITE FURNITURE/AMENITIES
The corridor will likewise be outfitted with new site furnishings to enhance the multi-modal experience. The project will provide RTA riders and pedestrians with seating (center image below) and trash receptacles (left image below) at each enhanced bus stop location, as well as bicycle racks (right image below) for cyclists who may opt to leave their bikes during local trips. The benches and trash receptacles are simple in style and will be powder-coated black for a classic look. The bike racks are more sculptural in nature, in a silver color that will complement that of the RTA shelters and buses.
