ICPI Issue 2 2019

Interlocking & Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavements Address Functional and Visual Concerns I nterlocking concrete pavement improved the redesign of Third Street in Davis, California (pop. 70,000) by clearer visual and functional connections with the century-old UC Davis campus’ main entrance. Directly adjacent to the university campus, downtown Davis projects a classic “college town” feel; compact, vibrant, and bicycle- friendly. The place is so simpatico with bicyclists that it was voted the top California city for cycling. Given this reputation, it’s no surprise that Davis supports the U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame and the California Bicycle Museum. Third Street is best known locally as the site for the year-round farmer’s market. Long envisioned as a gateway between UC Davis and downtown, plans to create a signature bicycle and pedestrian corridor have been planned for decades with public and incremental private improvements occurring throughout the years. “The Third Street segment has always been on our list as an important bridge between the university and our downtown area,” says Brian Abbanat, Senior Transportation Planner for the City of Davis. Prior to the redesign, the two-block area of Third Street leading to the campus entrance served as a pass-through for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. There wasn’t much character and sense of place, he explains. The combination of frayed concrete sidewalks and roadways plus flooding along the flat street due to poor drainage and tree roots blocking gutters and drains led to the city’s decision to reconstruct the area. The flatness of Davis’ terrain is a blessing and curse: a blessing to cyclists and a curse on stormwater drainage. Plans called for a comprehensive streetscape improvement addressing drainage problems while creating a gateway street

Reminiscent of The Netherlands, bicycles are a major means of transportation around the City of Davis and onto the UC Davis campus via Third Street.

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