Back when downtown had lots of retail shopping and there were lots of people converging on downtown every day, it made sense to increase capacity along Adams and Jefferson streets by converting them to one-way. But today, this configuration is unnecessary. And with the I-74 redesign, this configuration makes even less sense.
It used to be that you could enter I-74 east or west from Adams. This made sense because Adams was one way heading out of the central business district. You could hop on Adams and zip down to the expressway. However, the entrance ramp to 74 east was too short and, thus, dangerous.
So now the entrance ramp to 74 east is on Fayette between Jefferson and Adams. So, if you’re leaving downtown, you now have to loop around to hit it. If you’re going north on Adams, that means you have to go left on Bryan, left on Jefferson, left on Fayette, and voila! you’ve found the on-ramp. Not very efficient traffic flow.
It’s just one more reason why we should change these streets to two-way.
At-large councilman Chuck Grayeb suggested that very thing back in October, but the idea was pooh-poohed by Public Works Director Steve Van Winkle. But check out his reasoning:
Public works director Steve Van Winkle says a conversion could actually hurt one of the Heart of Peoria Plan’s principles of a “pedestrian†downtown. “There is a desire whenever possible to make streets narrower. You virtually give up that option if you go two-way. It’s much easier to narrow a one-way street because you usually have excess capacity.”
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Sounds like he’s really bought in to the Heart of Peoria Plan principles, right? One problem: the Heart of Peoria Plan actually recommends — specifically — converting Adams and Jefferson to two-way streets. On page III.14, they have a whole project called “Conversion of One-Way Streets,” complete with discussion. Here’s an exerpt:
According to the transportation consultant, the typical 60 foot wide street section in downtown Peoria is far too wide for one way traffic, given either the existing or the proposed travel demand. Traffic flow, at the levels indicated by the available data, is simply not a sufficient justification for continuing the one way pattern.
Recommendation: Reconfigure Jefferson and Adams Streets for two-way traffic, with on-street parking.
This makes me question whether Van Winkle has even read the Heart of Peoria Plan. But, seriously, this isn’t a difficult decision that needs lots of justification from consultants and traffic experts. Just go downtown sometime and tell me whether, based on your experience alone, you think it’s really necessary to have four lanes of one-way traffic, and whether the traffic flow to enter the interstate heading out of downtown makes sense to you.
It’s time to make Adams and Jefferson two-way.
Amen.
I love the Heart of Peoria plan. The Public Works department doesn’t seem to like it much, though. Or…they just don’t want to have to do any more work than they have to.
It’s the same with recommendations to make Main Street a two-lane road and add on-street parking. Good luck getting that one through, even though it’s a critical aspect of the whole med-tech plan, as well as the HP plan.
Couldn’t agree more. I was really disappointed when Van Winkle came out in the pjstar opposed to converting adams and jeff.
The “superhighway” nature of adams and jefferson is accented by the really long lights in that direction. Is it any wonder that jaywalking across adams and jeff is a pandemic? Who wants to stand there and wait once all the traffic has flown by?
Homer,
Actually, the “jaywalking” is present because of the lack of traffic. Other than 1/2 hour – 3/4 hour period at 8 in the morning and 5 at night, the onee way street carry very modest levels of traffic volumn. After the “slug” of traffic that was condensed at at traffic signal passes, the one way streets are three or four lanes wide and empty. I must get the latest traffic counts for Jefferson and Adams, but I suspect they are in the order of 12,000 per day. By comparision, Knoxville and University are nearly twice that and War Memorial more than three times it.
Hell, no! Adams and Jefferson are the only streets with timed lights that actually help you to get where you’re going! Travel on any other street in the city and you’ll likely end up waiting at every light.
Travel to Davenport sometime. They have two one-way streets that are the heart of the town – Brady and Harrison. In between the two is prime commercial property. Traffic isn’t slowed so much because you aren’t waiting at every light for the left-turners. You can get most anywhere in the town on these two thoroughfares because of this.
Adding more congestion to downtown Peoria will not render it more pedestrian-friendly.