Massachusetts St. Multimodal Improvements Study – 14th St. to 23rd St.

Design Considerations

Potential Road Reconfiguration: 4-Lane to 3-Lane Conversion

A roadway reconfiguration can improve safety, calm traffic, provide better mobility and access for all road users, and enhance overall quality of life. A road reconfiguration typically involves converting an existing four-lane undivided roadway, like Massachusetts Street, to a three-lane roadway consisting of two through lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL).

Safety benefits of a potential road reconfiguration include:

• Reduction of rear-end and left-turn crashes due to the dedicated left turn lane.
• Reduced right-angle crashes as side street motorists cross three versus four travel lanes.
• Shorter distances for pedestrians to cross traffic.
• Opportunity to install pedestrian refuge islands, bicycle lanes, on-street parking, and transit stops.
• Traffic calming and more consistent speeds.
• A more community-focused, Complete Streets environment that better accommodates the needs of all road uses.

The final approved Design Study is located here: Mass. St. Approved Design Study (PDF)

• Mass St. Design Study – Smaller Pages Only (PDF)
• Mass St. Design Study – Larger Pages Only (PDF)

Community Engagement

This project is also listed on the City of Lawrence Community Engagement Portal, which offers a deeper look at active projects with ongoing community engagement.

Community Presentation – Liberty Memorial Central Middle School (Library) – May 22, 2024 – 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM

The Lawrence community was invited to a Community Presentation for the Massachusetts St. Multimodal Improvements project from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM on May 22 at the Liberty Memorial Central Middle School Library, 15th St. and Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS.

City staff presented the preferred alternative concept design and design report developed with input from the community, traffic analysis, guidelines from the master plans, and Commission Input.

• Massachusetts Street 14th Street to 23rd Street Multimodal Improvements Community Presentation (.ppt)

Open House – Liberty Memorial Central Middle School (Library) – March 27, 2024 – 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

The Lawrence community was invited to a final open house for the Massachusetts St. Multimodal Improvements project from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM on March 27 at the Liberty Memorial Central Middle School Library, 15th St. and Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS.

The final draft concept design report and preferred concept design were presented to inform the community. The report and preferred design were formed with a combination of traffic engineering study and community input.

The report and preferred design will be reviewed by the Multi-Modal Transportation Commission for recommendation and City Commission for approval. Part of the approval will be to recommend the project for application in the 2024 KDOT Transportation Alternatives Grant for construction funding.

• Massachusetts Street 14th Street to 23rd Street Multimodal Improvements Study (PDF)
• 3rd Public House Informational Boards (PDF)

Mass St. Multimodal Improvements Online Comment Form #2 [CLOSED] – February 7, 2024

The online comment form was live from Feb. 7 to Feb. 16 and is now closed. The intent of the second comment form was to gather the pros and cons of the three concept design options from the community.

• 2nd Survey Results 2nd Public Open House Questionnaire (PDF)
• February 2024 Second Questionnaire Results (PDF)

Open House – Liberty Memorial Central Middle School (Library) – February 7, 2024 – 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

The City of Lawrence was thrilled to host our second open house for the Massachusetts St. Multimodal Improvements project from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM on February 7, 2024 at the Liberty Memorial Central Middle School Library, 15th St. and Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS.

Our team was able to speak with over 43 participants during this time. At this open-house style of meeting, residents were free to come and go as they please to best accommodate their busy schedules. The project team was available to review project information, answer questions, and receive feedback from community members via our project survey. The closing date

• • 2nd Public House Informational Boards (PDF)

Mass St. Multimodal Improvements Online Survey [CLOSED] – October 25 – November 8

• 1st Public Open House Questionnaire (PDF)
• October 2023 First Community Survey Results (PDF)

The online survey for the project was available from October 25 through November 8 and is now closed. The survey was intended to gather information on community values, preferences, and vision as it related to the projects.

Open House – Liberty Memorial Central Middle School (Library) – October 25, 2023 – 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM

The Lawrence community was invited to an open house for the Massachusetts St. Multimodal Improvements project from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM on October 25 at the Liberty Memorial Central Middle School Library, 15th St. and Massachusetts St., Lawrence, KS.

Over 72 attendees came to the event to add their comments and feedback. At this open-house style of meeting, people were free to come and go as they please to best accommodate their busy schedules. The project team was available to review project information, answer questions, and receive feedback from community members.

• 1st Public Open House Informational Boards (PDF)