Mansell Streetscape Improvements Project

Mansell Street was conceived in the 1950s as part of a never-completed cross-town freeway. By design, Mansell Street primarily serves motorized vehicles. The width of the traffic lanes and three different speed limits posted encourage speeding. Pedestrians have to walk on the street or climb over a guard rail and walk along an informal path to access different park facilities or to commute between neighborhoods. Bicyclists currently share the road with vehicles travelling at speeds up to 45 MPH, and public transit users have to wait on the street for a bus.

The Mansell Streetscape Improvement Project will address pedestrian safety and bicycle access issues by reducing the number of vehicular lanes from four to two (one lane each way), reducing the speed limit, separating vehicular traffic and moving it to the south side of the median between Visitacion Avenue and Brazil Avenue, and creating a class I bike path and separate pedestrian path on the north side of the median. The proposed project includes the construction of a sidewalk along the south side of Mansell from the intersection of Mansell and Brazil Avenue to the intersection of Mansell and Shelley Drive West, and the construction of class II and III bicycle facilities on Persia Avenue between Brazil Avenue and Dublin Street. A class I bike path will be painted onto the existing closed road on Brazil Avenue from Mansell north to where Brazil Avenue is opened to traffic. Safety improvements include raised crosswalks and flashing beacons at all unimproved intersections and a corner bulb-out at the intersection of Mansell and Sunnydale Avenue. Street-level lighting, trees and landscaping, and site furnishings are also included to make this a complete streets project.