The Bismarck City Commission is expecting a report from the Washington Street working group by July 12 so it can take the next step to improve the level of service the street provides in an area two blocks on either side of Avenue C.

It's a project the city has debated, some say, for 50 years. As the city has grown, traffic has increased on the only north-south street that travels the entire length of the city, becoming bottlenecked at Avenue C, where a four-way stop regulates two-lane traffic.

The area is in the midst of the city's only historic district, and residents are fighting against a widening of Washington that they say will disrupt the look of the Cathedral District and pose increased safety problems for pedestrians.

The city plans to fund reconstruction of the four-block length itself, forgoing application for federal funding. This will bypass a couple of issues: meeting federal standards for a "level of service," which currently is at an "F," and avoiding the National Environmental Policy Act, which could call for an extensive Environmental Impact Statement.

The working group meeting Monday raised questions on why the city is avoiding federal funding and what they can expect in the form of special assessments. Connie Sprynczynatyk, a city commissioner, said that should the Federal Highway Administration get involved through funding, it's likely a five-lane section would be required to raise the level of service grade to a "C," allowing federal funds to be used.

Jerry Woodcox, Burleigh County Commission chair and well-known Washington Street resident, summed up the study group's progress over the last six months.

"Here's what I feel we've come to a consensus on," Woodcox said. "We want to maintain the street's historic character. We want to maintain the trees. We're very concerned about safety involved with speed and volume of traffic. We want the narrowest possible width of road, in the area of 36-feet, that can do the job. The cost should be spread out the same as any other project, we don't want to be singled out as paying any more or any less. We know the Northern Corridor and Memorial Bridge projects won't have any effect. And when it comes to utility replacement, we're going to pay for what needs to be done."

FHA administrator Mark Johnson said that the area might be eligible for Transportation Enhancement funds to provide for some of the special features sought to preserve the area's historical appeal.

But these funds probably won't be available for at least three years, and there are a number of state projects vying for a limited amount of money.

Until a project is designed, it is difficult to determine how much it will cost and how the city will attempt to pay for it or how special assessments will be spread out, Sprynczynatyk said. When the city commission receives the report in July, it then may determine whether to proceed and have city engineering design a project.

Another meeting of the working group is scheduled for June 23, at which time Sprynczynatyk expects to have a draft report ready for review.

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)