Franklin Street Complete Streets

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Consultation has concluded


The Franklin Street Complete Streets Project will take place along Franklin in Midtown, connecting two of Kingston’s most traveled thoroughfares, Wall Street and Broadway. 

In order to improve this corridor and make it safer for all travelers, the City will plant new street trees and construct new sidewalks, ADA-accessible ramps, bicycle infrastructure, and crosswalks along the entire length of Franklin. 

This project is supported with $750,000 in funding from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's Climate Smart Communities Grant Program. It is part of Kingston's larger effort to focus on the revitalization of Franklin Street.

In 2019 Kingston hired design consultants MJ Engineering & Land Surveying of Clifton Park, NY to undertake this project. To date, MJ has completed the survey of existing features and convened initial meetings of the Project Advisory Committee in order to identify some of the community's key needs and concerns. 

The City and MJ presented the preliminary design concept on October 6, 2021 at the Everette Hodge Community Center from 5:00 to 7:00pm. You can find a PDF of the preliminary design concept on the right side of this page. 

The survey below was closed on November 8, 2021. Survey results can be found on the right side of this page. Please use the "Share Your Thoughts" tab below to leave any additional feedback for the City. With input from the Project Advisory Committee and the broader community, the City will move forward with design to be constructed in 2022.

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The Franklin Street Complete Streets Project will take place along Franklin in Midtown, connecting two of Kingston’s most traveled thoroughfares, Wall Street and Broadway. 

In order to improve this corridor and make it safer for all travelers, the City will plant new street trees and construct new sidewalks, ADA-accessible ramps, bicycle infrastructure, and crosswalks along the entire length of Franklin. 

This project is supported with $750,000 in funding from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's Climate Smart Communities Grant Program. It is part of Kingston's larger effort to focus on the revitalization of Franklin Street.

In 2019 Kingston hired design consultants MJ Engineering & Land Surveying of Clifton Park, NY to undertake this project. To date, MJ has completed the survey of existing features and convened initial meetings of the Project Advisory Committee in order to identify some of the community's key needs and concerns. 

The City and MJ presented the preliminary design concept on October 6, 2021 at the Everette Hodge Community Center from 5:00 to 7:00pm. You can find a PDF of the preliminary design concept on the right side of this page. 

The survey below was closed on November 8, 2021. Survey results can be found on the right side of this page. Please use the "Share Your Thoughts" tab below to leave any additional feedback for the City. With input from the Project Advisory Committee and the broader community, the City will move forward with design to be constructed in 2022.

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Consultation has concluded
  • Share In reference to this answer to a previous question about the maintenance of the new young trees that are proposed to be planted - "The responsibility for maintenance of trees is on the property owner, so the City will make an effort to inform those owners of proposed locations ahead of the project and get their feedback." How will the proposed Sidewalk Improvement District work with that statement? What is in the proposal for the SIDs? There has been mention of taxes to be levied on property owners - what will that tax money be used for? If in fact the SIDs are adopted, what will property owners on Franklin be responsible for in terms of this project's proposed sidewalk and grass strip and trees etc ? on Facebook Share In reference to this answer to a previous question about the maintenance of the new young trees that are proposed to be planted - "The responsibility for maintenance of trees is on the property owner, so the City will make an effort to inform those owners of proposed locations ahead of the project and get their feedback." How will the proposed Sidewalk Improvement District work with that statement? What is in the proposal for the SIDs? There has been mention of taxes to be levied on property owners - what will that tax money be used for? If in fact the SIDs are adopted, what will property owners on Franklin be responsible for in terms of this project's proposed sidewalk and grass strip and trees etc ? on Twitter Share In reference to this answer to a previous question about the maintenance of the new young trees that are proposed to be planted - "The responsibility for maintenance of trees is on the property owner, so the City will make an effort to inform those owners of proposed locations ahead of the project and get their feedback." How will the proposed Sidewalk Improvement District work with that statement? What is in the proposal for the SIDs? There has been mention of taxes to be levied on property owners - what will that tax money be used for? If in fact the SIDs are adopted, what will property owners on Franklin be responsible for in terms of this project's proposed sidewalk and grass strip and trees etc ? on Linkedin Email In reference to this answer to a previous question about the maintenance of the new young trees that are proposed to be planted - "The responsibility for maintenance of trees is on the property owner, so the City will make an effort to inform those owners of proposed locations ahead of the project and get their feedback." How will the proposed Sidewalk Improvement District work with that statement? What is in the proposal for the SIDs? There has been mention of taxes to be levied on property owners - what will that tax money be used for? If in fact the SIDs are adopted, what will property owners on Franklin be responsible for in terms of this project's proposed sidewalk and grass strip and trees etc ? link

    In reference to this answer to a previous question about the maintenance of the new young trees that are proposed to be planted - "The responsibility for maintenance of trees is on the property owner, so the City will make an effort to inform those owners of proposed locations ahead of the project and get their feedback." How will the proposed Sidewalk Improvement District work with that statement? What is in the proposal for the SIDs? There has been mention of taxes to be levied on property owners - what will that tax money be used for? If in fact the SIDs are adopted, what will property owners on Franklin be responsible for in terms of this project's proposed sidewalk and grass strip and trees etc ?

    FranklinStreet asked about 3 years ago

    Please reach out to the Complete Streets Advisory Council for this question:

    Chair Bob Dennison: radennison3@gmail.com

    Vice Chair John Grossbohlin: grossboj@earthlink.net

  • Share Several times you post that property owners were mailed notifications. How can that be when many property owners have not received any notifications - flyer or any thing else? Certainly the tax department could provide the current list of property owners for Franklin Street? on Facebook Share Several times you post that property owners were mailed notifications. How can that be when many property owners have not received any notifications - flyer or any thing else? Certainly the tax department could provide the current list of property owners for Franklin Street? on Twitter Share Several times you post that property owners were mailed notifications. How can that be when many property owners have not received any notifications - flyer or any thing else? Certainly the tax department could provide the current list of property owners for Franklin Street? on Linkedin Email Several times you post that property owners were mailed notifications. How can that be when many property owners have not received any notifications - flyer or any thing else? Certainly the tax department could provide the current list of property owners for Franklin Street? link

    Several times you post that property owners were mailed notifications. How can that be when many property owners have not received any notifications - flyer or any thing else? Certainly the tax department could provide the current list of property owners for Franklin Street?

    FranklinStreet asked about 3 years ago

    Property owners NOT living on Franklin were mailed a flyer for the Public Information Meeting in late September. Property owners living on Franklin were hand-delivered that same flyer. If they were not received on the property owner end, then I have no answer for that, but the notification was delivered in some fashion. To date, the public meeting notice is the only "mailing" that was delivered.


    Going forward, we will use the list of property owner mailing addresses for any mailings. My explanation below on why hand-delivering on Franklin Street was done for the public meeting.


    The reason we handed out flyers on Franklin itself is because the mailing list is generated based on the property owner's mailing address, so all the apartments on Franklin St do not show up on our mailing list. As you know, that is a large amount of residences on Franklin Street. We reached out to USPS to generate a mailing list for all of Franklin St so we could capture all the renters in addition to property owners. They have 1,300+ addresses in their system for Franklin St. Clearly, there is an issue with their system and I cannot speculate as to why so many addresses are still active, but it renders an "Every Door Direct Mailer" useless for purposes of informing all residents on Franklin. We have been able to use EDDM in the past on other projects to send out mailers not only to property owners but renters as well. For the purposes of the public meeting, we wanted not only the property owners to attend but any renters as well, so we hand delivered the flyers to all residences on Franklin St. 

  • Share ADA compliance is very important. My husband uses a wheelchair and going over bumpy ground is difficult. That said, surely the historic and enduring city of Kingston, full of artists and concerned citizens, can come up with a solution that saves the beautiful bluestone for often maligned midtown area. We need to add to the beauty of Kingston-not take away from it! on Facebook Share ADA compliance is very important. My husband uses a wheelchair and going over bumpy ground is difficult. That said, surely the historic and enduring city of Kingston, full of artists and concerned citizens, can come up with a solution that saves the beautiful bluestone for often maligned midtown area. We need to add to the beauty of Kingston-not take away from it! on Twitter Share ADA compliance is very important. My husband uses a wheelchair and going over bumpy ground is difficult. That said, surely the historic and enduring city of Kingston, full of artists and concerned citizens, can come up with a solution that saves the beautiful bluestone for often maligned midtown area. We need to add to the beauty of Kingston-not take away from it! on Linkedin Email ADA compliance is very important. My husband uses a wheelchair and going over bumpy ground is difficult. That said, surely the historic and enduring city of Kingston, full of artists and concerned citizens, can come up with a solution that saves the beautiful bluestone for often maligned midtown area. We need to add to the beauty of Kingston-not take away from it! link

    ADA compliance is very important. My husband uses a wheelchair and going over bumpy ground is difficult. That said, surely the historic and enduring city of Kingston, full of artists and concerned citizens, can come up with a solution that saves the beautiful bluestone for often maligned midtown area. We need to add to the beauty of Kingston-not take away from it!

    a asked about 3 years ago

    Thank you for your comment.

  • Share To Lynn W's point: . A complete street should have a street-scape that is consistent with the context within which it exists and it should enhance the surroundings. Not sure how removing existing, mature trees comports with this aspect of "complete streets" or for that matter, Kingston's compliance with it's Tree City USA designation. I am certainly in favor of planting more trees along Franklin Street but I do not see the need to remove existing, healthy trees. Not to mention the impact on property values the removal of mature trees will have. Again, have property owners been notified by mail (the same manner that their tax statements are sent out)? on Facebook Share To Lynn W's point: . A complete street should have a street-scape that is consistent with the context within which it exists and it should enhance the surroundings. Not sure how removing existing, mature trees comports with this aspect of "complete streets" or for that matter, Kingston's compliance with it's Tree City USA designation. I am certainly in favor of planting more trees along Franklin Street but I do not see the need to remove existing, healthy trees. Not to mention the impact on property values the removal of mature trees will have. Again, have property owners been notified by mail (the same manner that their tax statements are sent out)? on Twitter Share To Lynn W's point: . A complete street should have a street-scape that is consistent with the context within which it exists and it should enhance the surroundings. Not sure how removing existing, mature trees comports with this aspect of "complete streets" or for that matter, Kingston's compliance with it's Tree City USA designation. I am certainly in favor of planting more trees along Franklin Street but I do not see the need to remove existing, healthy trees. Not to mention the impact on property values the removal of mature trees will have. Again, have property owners been notified by mail (the same manner that their tax statements are sent out)? on Linkedin Email To Lynn W's point: . A complete street should have a street-scape that is consistent with the context within which it exists and it should enhance the surroundings. Not sure how removing existing, mature trees comports with this aspect of "complete streets" or for that matter, Kingston's compliance with it's Tree City USA designation. I am certainly in favor of planting more trees along Franklin Street but I do not see the need to remove existing, healthy trees. Not to mention the impact on property values the removal of mature trees will have. Again, have property owners been notified by mail (the same manner that their tax statements are sent out)? link

    To Lynn W's point: . A complete street should have a street-scape that is consistent with the context within which it exists and it should enhance the surroundings. Not sure how removing existing, mature trees comports with this aspect of "complete streets" or for that matter, Kingston's compliance with it's Tree City USA designation. I am certainly in favor of planting more trees along Franklin Street but I do not see the need to remove existing, healthy trees. Not to mention the impact on property values the removal of mature trees will have. Again, have property owners been notified by mail (the same manner that their tax statements are sent out)?

    Clarity asked about 3 years ago

    Yes, property owners have been notified of this project by mail.

    Thank you for your comment. We are assessing which trees can remain based on ADA compliance. We understand the importance of the existing mature trees to the streetscape.

  • Share I attended the "open house" a few weeks back. One of the questions I asked the engineers was whether or not the required and filed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) disclosed that there WOULD be impact to historic features were this work to go forward. I have not heard back. Obviously, the historic bluestone would be disturbed, coincidently in one of the poorest census tracts. This is particularly tragic given it is this and other low income census tract that position Kingston to be awarded grants, It doesn't seem fair that this defining and valuable resource be removed from vulnerable neighborhoods. I would appreciate the city posting a copy of the filed EIS. Also, have the property owners been advised of this removal of bluestone? Since the flyers were hand delivered to the Franklin St addresses, I'm wondering if the property owners, many of whom live outside the neighborhood and city, might not also be interested in retaining the bluestone. on Facebook Share I attended the "open house" a few weeks back. One of the questions I asked the engineers was whether or not the required and filed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) disclosed that there WOULD be impact to historic features were this work to go forward. I have not heard back. Obviously, the historic bluestone would be disturbed, coincidently in one of the poorest census tracts. This is particularly tragic given it is this and other low income census tract that position Kingston to be awarded grants, It doesn't seem fair that this defining and valuable resource be removed from vulnerable neighborhoods. I would appreciate the city posting a copy of the filed EIS. Also, have the property owners been advised of this removal of bluestone? Since the flyers were hand delivered to the Franklin St addresses, I'm wondering if the property owners, many of whom live outside the neighborhood and city, might not also be interested in retaining the bluestone. on Twitter Share I attended the "open house" a few weeks back. One of the questions I asked the engineers was whether or not the required and filed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) disclosed that there WOULD be impact to historic features were this work to go forward. I have not heard back. Obviously, the historic bluestone would be disturbed, coincidently in one of the poorest census tracts. This is particularly tragic given it is this and other low income census tract that position Kingston to be awarded grants, It doesn't seem fair that this defining and valuable resource be removed from vulnerable neighborhoods. I would appreciate the city posting a copy of the filed EIS. Also, have the property owners been advised of this removal of bluestone? Since the flyers were hand delivered to the Franklin St addresses, I'm wondering if the property owners, many of whom live outside the neighborhood and city, might not also be interested in retaining the bluestone. on Linkedin Email I attended the "open house" a few weeks back. One of the questions I asked the engineers was whether or not the required and filed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) disclosed that there WOULD be impact to historic features were this work to go forward. I have not heard back. Obviously, the historic bluestone would be disturbed, coincidently in one of the poorest census tracts. This is particularly tragic given it is this and other low income census tract that position Kingston to be awarded grants, It doesn't seem fair that this defining and valuable resource be removed from vulnerable neighborhoods. I would appreciate the city posting a copy of the filed EIS. Also, have the property owners been advised of this removal of bluestone? Since the flyers were hand delivered to the Franklin St addresses, I'm wondering if the property owners, many of whom live outside the neighborhood and city, might not also be interested in retaining the bluestone. link

    I attended the "open house" a few weeks back. One of the questions I asked the engineers was whether or not the required and filed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) disclosed that there WOULD be impact to historic features were this work to go forward. I have not heard back. Obviously, the historic bluestone would be disturbed, coincidently in one of the poorest census tracts. This is particularly tragic given it is this and other low income census tract that position Kingston to be awarded grants, It doesn't seem fair that this defining and valuable resource be removed from vulnerable neighborhoods. I would appreciate the city posting a copy of the filed EIS. Also, have the property owners been advised of this removal of bluestone? Since the flyers were hand delivered to the Franklin St addresses, I'm wondering if the property owners, many of whom live outside the neighborhood and city, might not also be interested in retaining the bluestone.

    Clarity asked about 3 years ago

    We currently do not have an EIS, but are beginning the SEQR determination process this month (November 2021).

    The property owners not living on Franklin St were mailed out the same flyer that was hand delivered to Franklin St residences.

  • Share Thank you for providing the plan with a key .. however there is a element on the plan that is not on the key . If you look at the two properties on the north corners of Franklin and Pine there are a series of zig zag lines. This element is not indicated on the key. An assumption could be made but it would be beneficial to have that element described on the key by the creators of the plan. Also the box in which to write a question only shows two lines of text - would it be possible to increase the height /size of this box? Thank you on Facebook Share Thank you for providing the plan with a key .. however there is a element on the plan that is not on the key . If you look at the two properties on the north corners of Franklin and Pine there are a series of zig zag lines. This element is not indicated on the key. An assumption could be made but it would be beneficial to have that element described on the key by the creators of the plan. Also the box in which to write a question only shows two lines of text - would it be possible to increase the height /size of this box? Thank you on Twitter Share Thank you for providing the plan with a key .. however there is a element on the plan that is not on the key . If you look at the two properties on the north corners of Franklin and Pine there are a series of zig zag lines. This element is not indicated on the key. An assumption could be made but it would be beneficial to have that element described on the key by the creators of the plan. Also the box in which to write a question only shows two lines of text - would it be possible to increase the height /size of this box? Thank you on Linkedin Email Thank you for providing the plan with a key .. however there is a element on the plan that is not on the key . If you look at the two properties on the north corners of Franklin and Pine there are a series of zig zag lines. This element is not indicated on the key. An assumption could be made but it would be beneficial to have that element described on the key by the creators of the plan. Also the box in which to write a question only shows two lines of text - would it be possible to increase the height /size of this box? Thank you link

    Thank you for providing the plan with a key .. however there is a element on the plan that is not on the key . If you look at the two properties on the north corners of Franklin and Pine there are a series of zig zag lines. This element is not indicated on the key. An assumption could be made but it would be beneficial to have that element described on the key by the creators of the plan. Also the box in which to write a question only shows two lines of text - would it be possible to increase the height /size of this box? Thank you

    SouthernGal asked about 3 years ago

    The zig zag lines are hedges. We will look into the formatting of the question box.

  • Share This project seems ill-advised. I don’t understand how ripping up bluestone sidewalks to replace them with cement ones - and removing beautiful old-growth trees for that matter - addresses climate change or helps prepare Kingston for climate changes in the future. A better solution would be to make traffic on Franklin ONE-WAY as driving on this street is chaotic to say the least, on Facebook Share This project seems ill-advised. I don’t understand how ripping up bluestone sidewalks to replace them with cement ones - and removing beautiful old-growth trees for that matter - addresses climate change or helps prepare Kingston for climate changes in the future. A better solution would be to make traffic on Franklin ONE-WAY as driving on this street is chaotic to say the least, on Twitter Share This project seems ill-advised. I don’t understand how ripping up bluestone sidewalks to replace them with cement ones - and removing beautiful old-growth trees for that matter - addresses climate change or helps prepare Kingston for climate changes in the future. A better solution would be to make traffic on Franklin ONE-WAY as driving on this street is chaotic to say the least, on Linkedin Email This project seems ill-advised. I don’t understand how ripping up bluestone sidewalks to replace them with cement ones - and removing beautiful old-growth trees for that matter - addresses climate change or helps prepare Kingston for climate changes in the future. A better solution would be to make traffic on Franklin ONE-WAY as driving on this street is chaotic to say the least, link

    This project seems ill-advised. I don’t understand how ripping up bluestone sidewalks to replace them with cement ones - and removing beautiful old-growth trees for that matter - addresses climate change or helps prepare Kingston for climate changes in the future. A better solution would be to make traffic on Franklin ONE-WAY as driving on this street is chaotic to say the least,

    Perplexed asked about 3 years ago

    Thank you for your comment.

  • Share Would you please ask the consultant to provide the key to the plan? (As you mentioned in a previous comment they have to provide it to you) And then post it. Thank you for your help on Facebook Share Would you please ask the consultant to provide the key to the plan? (As you mentioned in a previous comment they have to provide it to you) And then post it. Thank you for your help on Twitter Share Would you please ask the consultant to provide the key to the plan? (As you mentioned in a previous comment they have to provide it to you) And then post it. Thank you for your help on Linkedin Email Would you please ask the consultant to provide the key to the plan? (As you mentioned in a previous comment they have to provide it to you) And then post it. Thank you for your help link

    Would you please ask the consultant to provide the key to the plan? (As you mentioned in a previous comment they have to provide it to you) And then post it. Thank you for your help

    SouthernGal asked about 3 years ago

    Plan is updated with key.

  • Share Are any traffic calming measures being considered for incorporation into this design? I'm particularly interested in the possibility of raised intersections being used for this purpose. on Facebook Share Are any traffic calming measures being considered for incorporation into this design? I'm particularly interested in the possibility of raised intersections being used for this purpose. on Twitter Share Are any traffic calming measures being considered for incorporation into this design? I'm particularly interested in the possibility of raised intersections being used for this purpose. on Linkedin Email Are any traffic calming measures being considered for incorporation into this design? I'm particularly interested in the possibility of raised intersections being used for this purpose. link

    Are any traffic calming measures being considered for incorporation into this design? I'm particularly interested in the possibility of raised intersections being used for this purpose.

    Margie Menard asked about 3 years ago

    We currently have painted bump-outs in the preliminary design, but can look into raised intersections and/or speed tables. Thank you for your comment.

  • Share Regarding your answer of approval to the previous post.. "The plan will be approved jointly by the Mayor, the project team, and the project advisory committee." There is no indication of the Project Team on the website nor their names. Could that be added on the website and/or answered here? Thank you on Facebook Share Regarding your answer of approval to the previous post.. "The plan will be approved jointly by the Mayor, the project team, and the project advisory committee." There is no indication of the Project Team on the website nor their names. Could that be added on the website and/or answered here? Thank you on Twitter Share Regarding your answer of approval to the previous post.. "The plan will be approved jointly by the Mayor, the project team, and the project advisory committee." There is no indication of the Project Team on the website nor their names. Could that be added on the website and/or answered here? Thank you on Linkedin Email Regarding your answer of approval to the previous post.. "The plan will be approved jointly by the Mayor, the project team, and the project advisory committee." There is no indication of the Project Team on the website nor their names. Could that be added on the website and/or answered here? Thank you link

    Regarding your answer of approval to the previous post.. "The plan will be approved jointly by the Mayor, the project team, and the project advisory committee." There is no indication of the Project Team on the website nor their names. Could that be added on the website and/or answered here? Thank you

    SouthernGal asked about 3 years ago

    The project team I mentioned refers to the City staff (Engineering Department, Department of Public Works, Kingston Water Department) and engineering consultants (MJ Engineering & Land Surveying).