As part of the Complete Streets Ordinance recently adopted by the City of Chattanooga, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guide, NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares Manual, were established as the official design standards for use in designing transportation projects.  These and other established City standards will govern the design decisions for this project.

The resulting 3rd and 4th Street Improvements Masterplan, developed in conjunction with a broader economic development study, identified transportation improvements to support and encourage economic development and provide enhanced connections among the various community assets. Based on extensive public and stakeholder engagement, the concepts outlined in the masterplan were developed to support the planning, engineering and economic analysis for the corridor. The combined planning efforts focused on the creation of a vibrant zone of economic growth defined by an active business community, with an emphasis on health, wellness, and education, good neighborhoods, and a strong sense of place.

Phase I includes Riverfront Parkway improvements, including on-street parking, landscaping/street-trees, re-striping, and sidewalks, from the western terminus of the full project (west of Lindsay) to just east of Mabel Street off-ramp.  The phase 1 work does include the grading of Riverfront Parkway to an at-grade intersection with Mabel including removal of the Mabel street off-ramp and removal of the 3rd street flyover.  With the 3rd street flyover removal, the scope also includes re-striping of 4th street down the hill for full 2-way traffic from Siskin Dr to Mabel.  Phase 1 work includes new signal at Mabel and permanent signal modifications at Lindsay and Houston at Riverfront Parkway and 3rd Street.