Inner Loop North Transformation Project
About the Inner Loop North Transformation Project
Following the successful completion of the Inner Loop East project, the City of Rochester is now moving forward with a plan to address the remaining northern section of the Inner Loop.
The transformation of the Inner Loop North will reconnect Downtown Rochester with several Rochester neighborhoods, the Public Market, and High Falls; restore a more pedestrian- and bike-friendly street grid; create new active and passive green spaces; and foster opportunities for equitable economic and community development.
Together with Rochester’s ROC the Riverway program and Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the vision for true transformation of Rochester’s downtown and neighborhoods is coming to fruition.
Engineering Design
Preliminary engineering design is underway for the project, which will replace the remaining segment of the Inner Loop Expressway with a city street network and reclaim land for equitable redevelopment and green space.
The current phase will develop an implementable, construction-ready design for the new transportation system and infrastructure throughout the project area. For information on the infrastructure design project, including project documents and upcoming public engagement activities, please click the button below:
Mobility and Development Strategy
Parallel to the design of the new transportation system, the City will create a strategy for land use and development on lands created by the Transformation Project and develop transportation recommendations related to various land use scenarios.
Specifically, the Mobility and Development Strategy team will:
- Conduct public and stakeholder engagement specific to future land use along the Inner Loop North corridor;
- Review previous City and neighborhood planning efforts related to land use in the Inner Loop North project area;
- Develop concepts for various land uses, densities, development typologies, parking infrastructure and green space along the Inner Loop North corridor;
- Aid the City in developing a strategic approach to facilitating future development in the corridor;
- Develop recommendations on how the new transportation system can best serve various land use scenarios; and
- Finalize a Mobility and Development Strategy after gathering public and stakeholder input on potential land use scenarios and transportation recommendations.
This study is funded through the Genesee Transportation Council’s Unified Planning Work Program.
Background
The Inner Loop East Transformation Project, completed in 2017, removed two-thirds of a mile of the Inner Loop Expressway and replaced it with an urban street. The project created about six acres for redevelopment, including more than 500 units of mixed-income housing. In 2022, the City of Rochester completed the Inner Loop North Transformation Planning Study, which identified a preferred design concept to replace the remaining segment of the Inner Loop Expressway with a city street grid. This concept would reclaim approximately 22 acres, including about 14 identified in the Planning Study for potential redevelopment and eight for green space. The study included high-level recommendations for land use, but a more detailed land use strategy is needed to inform development planning and the design of the new transportation system.
Project Team
For information on the project team for the infrastructure design project, please visit www.innerloopnorth.com. The project team for the Mobility and Development Strategy is:
- City of Rochester Department of Neighborhood and Business Development – Project Management
- Genesee Transportation Council – Contract Management
- MKSK – Project Lead
- Nelson\Nygaard – Mobility Analysis
- Highland Planning – Public Engagement
Project Timeline
The Mobility and Development Strategy began in Summer 2024 and is tentatively expected to be completed in Summer 2025. For a more detailed schedule for the overall Inner Loop North project, please visit www.innerloopnorth.com/resources.
Public Engagement
- A public open house for the Inner Loop North Mobility and Development Strategy was held Thursday, November 7, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the World of Inquiry School No. 58 gymnasium, 200 University Avenue.
Check back for information on upcoming public engagement activities and meetings for the Mobility and Development Strategy. For a community calendar for the transportation project, please visit www.innerloopnorth.com.
Project Documents
- Public Open House #1 presentation, 11/7/2024
- Public Open House #1 display boards, 11/7/2024
- Public Open House #1 meeting summary, 11/7/2024
- Project Advisory Committee #1 presentation, 10/2/2024
- Project Advisory Committee #1 poll results, 10/2/2024
For documents related to the transportation project, please visit www.innerloopnorth.com.
Contact
For the infrastructure design project, please contact David Riley, AICP, Principal Transportation Specialist, at David.Riley@CityofRochester.gov.
For the Mobility and Land Use Strategy, please contact Anne DaSilva Tella, Director of Development, at Anne.DaSilvaTella@CityofRochester.Gov.