Rethink the Boulevard as a Public Space

**Existing Condition:** Two very wide, fast vehicular lanes northbound and southbound, armored raised medians with Australian Paperbark trees, no on-street parking, and sidewalks in most cases either obstructed and lifted by very large Ficus trees or lacking street trees entirely.

Oxnard Boulevard has always been much more a highway than an urban boulevard. From the beginning, Oxnard Boulevard and First Street were primary roads connecting Oxnard to the region, built parallel to the railroad as was the common pattern in California railroad towns. As State routes were established to connect California’s growing communities, Oxnard Boulevard was designated as State Route 1, connecting southward toward the coast and Santa Monica.

At Five Points – originally six points – South Oxnard Boulevard curved northward into the south end of A Street, Downtown’s original and enduring “main street”, with the boulevard itself dedicated to through traffic and truck traffic, managed and operated by Caltrans. Accordingly, previous plans for the revitalization of the town’s historic core saw little hope of its contributing much to the character and quality of Downtown.

**Phase 1: Street Reconfiguration:** Narrower vehicular lanes support slower speeds and, counter-intuitively higher volumes ,of traffic.

With Caltrans’ decommissioning of the Boulevard, as the Route 1 designation shifted eastward to Rice Avenue, the City for the first time has the authority to rethink its central artery, and with a multi-million dollar lawsuit settlement City has some resources to begin to implement improvements.

**Phase 2: Potential Mixed-Use Infill Development:** Ground floor retail has a much better chance of success, with on-street parking and wider, more comfortable pedestrian spaces on the sidewalks.

The OCCTIP Study commissioned by the City in 2015 has identified a range of possibilities for the Boulevard, and the Charrette team has developed the OCCTIP recommendations for its Downtown stretch – at least 3rd Street to 7th and perhaps on to 9th or Wooley – to propose:

Narrower, more attractive medians replacing the current armored “anti-tank” medians;
On-street parking for businesses and to provide a buffer between traffic and pedestrians;
New street trees in parking lane planters, freeing up the entire 10 foot sidewalks for pedestrians;
Retain the existing two vehicular lanes northbound and southbound, as vehicular volumes are two high for one lane each way;
Yet narrowing the travel lanes to 11 feet, which should help moderate traffic speeds and allow the right-hand lane to be shared with fast, skilful bike riders, and with A Street improved for less adventurous riders.