Public Square jersey barriers removed
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Bye bye, barriers! Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
It's the end of an era. In a ceremony Monday afternoon, crews removed the unsightly jersey barriers along Superior Avenue through Public Square.
Why it matters: Transit advocates have lobbied against the concrete barriers since they were installed in 2017, and their removal comes two weeks before the NCAA Women's Final Four and the solar eclipse.
What's next: On April 9, the day after the eclipse, the installation of bollards along Superior and at the corners of the Square, plus retractable barriers known as Raptors, will begin, with estimated completion in July.
Flashback: When former Mayor Frank Jackson installed the jersey barriers, it was widely regarded as a vindictive measure against transit activists, who had pushed for Superior to reopen to buses after its being closed during the Republican National Convention.
- They were "ugly by design," one activist said at the time.
Between the lines: The removal of the barriers was low-hanging fruit for Mayor Justin Bibb on the campaign trail in 2021.
- Yesterday he said he thought he'd be able to remove them "on day one," but it took time and money to coordinate a solution.
By the numbers: The city has contributed $1.5 million to the Public Square improvements, with the county kicking in $1 million, $500,000 from RTA and unspecified private contributions from KeyBank, Rocket Mortgage, Bedrock, the Gund Foundation, the Sherwin Williams Foundation and K&D Group.
The intrigue: Bibb and RTA general manager India Birdsong Terry alluded to potential long-term street closings downtown to enhance the safety and vibrancy of Public Square, in light of new and ongoing developments.
- "Everything is on the table," Bibb said.