San Marcos Downtown Area Plan

CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS

Flexible/Festival streets are designed to be safe for multiple modes of transportation, look like a plaza, and be easily closed to cars to accommodate events and prioritize pedestrians, while allowing for more resiliency and flexibility over time than a permanent pedestrian mall. A flexible/festival street could allow events at the Courthouse Square to overflow into the street and toward the river. It should be easy to close these segments for block parties, community and cultural festivals, or pop-up events. Key design elements of flexible streets include: moveable furnishings and planters, retractable or removable safety bollards, enhanced paving materials, unique lighting, access to power, and in some cases, a curbless street with center drainage. Two sections of San Antonio Street would be a good location for this design given their proximity to the Square, adjacent active businesses, lighter vehicle traffic, and lack of transit routes. The two segments could be closed together or one at a time, depending on the duration and size of the event. SAN ANTONIO STREET FLEXIBLE/FESTIVAL STREETS (Recommendation D.4) PRIORITY STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS Examples of existing use of flexible street in San Marcos include but are not limited to the weekly Farmers Market, the Mermaid Festival, car shows, and the St. Patrick's Day Block Party.

FLEXIBLE STREET

FLEXIBLE STREET

Flexible street examples

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SAN MARCOS DOWNTOWN AREA PLAN

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