I meant to post this awhile ago and just never got around to it. One of the things the Heart of Peoria Commission is focusing on these days is fixing the streets. That doesn’t just mean filling potholes. It means making the streets more balanced thoroughfares — streets that comfortably accommodate not just cars, but also pedestrians, bicycles, and mass transit.
Downtown, there are a few street changes that the Commission would like to see and that the Heart of Peoria Plan advocates. In the Warehouse District, the Commission would like to see the Washington Street corridor improved by widening the sidewalks, allowing on-street parking, planting street trees, lowering the speed limit, and narrowing it from five lanes to three. IDOT put the kibosh on that plan, but there are efforts underway to change their mind. The Heart of Peoria Plan advocates changing Adams and Jefferson streets to allow two-way traffic again.
All of this talk about changing the streets downtown has led Caterpillar to publish their position, which can be summed up thus: status quo. They like things just the way they are, thank you very much. Here’s their full statement:
Caterpillar Inc. supports maintaining the existing traffic patterns on Adams, Jefferson, and Washington Streets in downtown Peoria (specifically one-way traffic on Adams and Jefferson, and two-way traffic on Washington).
We oppose any change that would reconfigure Adams Street or Jefferson Street for two-way traffic.
We oppose any change that would result in shifting heavy truck volume through downtown Peoria from Washington Street to other streets.
We believe that one-way traffic flow on Adams and Jefferson is smoother, less disruptive and consistent than would be the case if the streets were changed to two-way traffic. This is particularly true in front of our world headquarters on Adams Street. In order to properly host Caterpillar visitors, VIP vans, buses, and cars must be able to park conveniently and safely in front of our headquarters. Adams Street accommodates this activity effectively and safely in a multiple lane, one-way configuration.
Moreover, the image of Adams Street is a valuable component of the overall image conveyed by Caterpillar’s headquarters. We consistently receive positive comments from dealers, customers and visitors on the pleasant qualities of this area, and we attribute this ambience, in part, to the smooth, one-way traffic flow on Adams Street.
The current street routing in downtown Peoria, coupled with new and efficient links to Interstate 74, allows heavy trucks serving ADM and other industries to use Washington St. This pattern results in lower truck traffic volume on Adams and Jefferson through the most congested downtown areas.
The safety of Caterpillar employees is of the utmost importance. A key concern of our workers in downtown Peoria is pedestrian safety. In addition to our numerous buildings, Caterpillar employees occupy office space in many downtown office buildings and generate a large amount of pedestrian traffic during the typical business day. Changing streets from one-way to two-way
would create more vehicle/pedestrian conflicts at intersections. This would be especially true at the intersection of Adams Street and Main Street, which is traversed by hundreds of Caterpillar people daily. Although one of the busiest in downtown Peoria, it is easier to navigate because Adams Street is one-way. Our employees are familiar with the traffic patterns as they exist today
and know what to expect.Caterpillar operates several parking lots for employees in downtown Peoria. In some cases the entrances and exits to these lots are located to accommodate current traffic patterns. For example, the exit from our parking lot in the 200 block of Northeast Adams allows for safe discharge in one direction on Adams Street, avoiding the safety issues associated with a left turn onto a two-way street.
We believe that any revisions to the current traffic patterns on Adams, Jefferson, and Washington Streets in the downtown Peoria area would be detrimental to our employees and visitors.
For a company that touts fact-based or measurement-based decision making (Six Sigma), this statement sure is full of a lot of conjecture. Who would have thought that the “pleasant qualities of this area” could be attributed to one-way streets? Or that cars and vans cannot park conveniently or safely in front of a business unless the street is one-way?
I agree that we don’t want heavy truck traffic diverted from Washington to Adams/Jefferson. Preferably, the truck traffic would be diverted instead to the Bob Michel bridge for I-74 access, bypassing the most congested part of downtown altogether.
But the paragraph about worker safety is the one that really takes the cake for me. “Our employees are familiar with the traffic patterns as they exist today and know what to expect.” So, if we were to change Adams to two-way, Caterpillar is telling us that their management employees — most if not all of whom have advanced degrees — will become confused or disoriented by the change, resulting in pedestrian accidents and casualties? If so, maybe traffic patterns outside shouldn’t be their biggest concern right now. Personally, I believe Cat employees are sharp enough to be able to navigate the crosswalk with little difficulty were traffic to change to two-way. I guess I just have high expectations.
The Cat lot in the 200 block of NE Adams is on the southeast side of the street, which means that traffic out of that lot can continue unchanged simply by making it a right-turn only exit, were the street to ever change to two-way.
Suffice it to say, I don’t find Cat’s objections compelling. I’d like to see them have an open mind as Councilman Sandberg works with them and other stakeholders regarding the possibilities for these downtown corridors (Washington, Adams, and Jefferson) and how they can be improved.
Not all truck traffic can be diverted as some of it uses Rt. 29 to and from the north. Diverting traffic onto the Bob Michel Bridge will mean crossing the river twice for I-74 traffic moving to and from the west (grain trucks, etc.).
I also back the status quo. Don’t fix what isn’t broken.
I think there are more pressing concerns to improving downtown than traffic patterns at the moment. The museum, for one. Let’s get that done. Build more residential housing, the only way to increase general pedestrian traffic at all hours. Downtown traffic is only a problem 8-5 M-F. Evenings and weekends, you could take a nap in the middle of Adams or Washington. Well, not really, but a darn slow stroll and plenty of jaywalking is an easy task.
I’m with Dave, it’s not that broken.
Downtown traffic is really only a “problem” from 7:45-8:15 and 4:30-5:30.
The biggest problem downtown isn’t traffic, it’s delivery trucks parked in driving lanes. Every other City in the world requires deliveries to occur during off hours or in between rush hours. THat is not the case in Peoria and it is more disruptive to traffic than anyhthing else presently is.
Don’t fix what isn’t broken is a great policy to follow if the current dismal pedestrian experience in downtown is satisfactory. To me, it is not satisfactory. Let’s experiment, see if it works better. It may not.
Apparently “the guy” has never been in Chicago’s loop during the day, anytime. Nothing but delivery trucks parked everywhere.
I agree, screw the streets. Fix the dirt hole first, then get something downtown for traffic to be there in the first place.
CJ
You may not be old enough to remember two way on Jeff and Adams. I am. It was a mess. Caterpiller’s statement is correct and well written.
John, you mean back when Bergner’s and Carson’s were downtown on Adams and there was a lot higher traffic volume because downtown was hopping? No, regrettably I don’t remember that. Wish I did.
I was kind of under the assumption that there’s a desire to see downtown revitalized. If everyone is happy with downtown the way it is — if we all think that it’s “not broken” — then by all means, let’s do nothing at all. Status quo is good!
On the other hand, if you’d like to see more people living downtown, more people shopping downtown, a downtown that’s active 24/7, then there are going to have to be some changes. Some of those changes involve private investment, and some of those changes involve public improvements.
Public improvements affect the rights-of-way in the city. If you want pedestrian traffic, those rights-of-way are going to have to be designed to be pedestrian-friendly. And in order for that to happen traffic is going to have to be slowed, and some traffic — where reasonable and logical — will need to be diverted. Sidewalks will have to be widened. On-street parking will need to be allowed.
I think that part of the problem is that there are competing visions for downtown. Some people like downtown the way it is — a place to hole up for eight hours of work and flee at 5 p.m. except for the occasional “event” — and other people like downtown for what it can be — an urban community; an attractive place not only to visit and do business, but to live.
Traffic is slow, there is a traffic light every block. How fast can it go?
Sidewalks are wide. How much wider can they go?
There is on street parking. What other kind is there?
When Bergner’s, Carson’s, K-Mart, Madison, Palace, and all the other businesses were there, they had the exact same sidewalks and street parking with less parking decks then we have now.
Why must we change things like one way streets? To justify some committee’s worth?
I actually have to a) agree with the guy — delivery trucks are SO much worse in Peoria than Chicago. I don’t know why, unless it’s that basically all the streets in the loop are 4 or 5 lanes one-way so even when they double-park it’s less of a blockage and b) say how is downtown not pedestrian friendly? Sure, up the hill on Main traffic moves pretty fast, but in the actual downtown, it’s very easy and pleasant to walk around.
I really don’t understand what making traffic two-way is supposed to do, except make traffic two way. Help out-of-towners get lost less often? I’m not trying to be snarky, I truly don’t understand how this brings any lifestyle improvement.
AntiPundit, iBrows — Yes, there’s a light at every block. But if you go about 5-10 mph over the speed limit on Washington, you can make every light without having to stop, and the semi drivers know it.
Sidewalks are wide in some places, but along Washington in the warehouse district isn’t one of them. Ever been to Builder’s Warehouse?
There is no on-street parking on Washington street.
As for the benefits of changing back to two-way streets, I’ll let the HOP Plan speak for itself:
Thanks, CJ. I guess I’ll have to read more about it; I’m still not really sure I understand.
Although in South Bend if you drove 29 miles per hour — no faster, no slower — you could make it all the way through the downtown on 31/33 (I think it’s 933 now) without ever stopping. Sweeeeeeet. 🙂 But we only did that at 3 a.m. I’ll have to peel my eyes next time I”m downtown and look at what trucks do.
Timed traffic lights in Peoria? Surely you jest. Yes you can make the lights on Adams if you drive slowly enough but I dispute the Washington Street comment. I can never ever make the light at Persimmon. It changes for no rhythm or reason. Still, if you are correct and you probably are as you measure and time and inspect all your info, then maybe the police need to do a little radar and make some extra money. Besides, Washington is the truck route through Peoria and that will be hard to change as it is also a state highway. Unless something wonderful happens to that business district down there, what is the point of having on street parking on Washington? The whoopee do museum is supposed to have a underground deck
The existing one-way streets are the only way to go (pun intended). The need for a “downtown” is an unfortunate attempt to hold on to the past in small cities like Peoria. It is not going to happen.