It’s been a while since the last public meeting, but the city is still interested in hearing your thoughts on reverting downtown streets back to two-way traffic. Another public meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, September 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Gateway Building on the riverfront.
I’ve been an advocate of this plan for some time, but especially since the reconfiguration of I-74. I contend one of the benefits would be easier access to downtown from the new interstate ramps and vice versa if the streets were converted to two-way. If you’re leaving, say, O’Brien Field by going north on Adams and you want to go east on I-74, you currently have to drive over 74, turn left on Spalding, left on Jefferson, left on Fayette, and finally left onto the entrance ramp. If Jefferson were two-way, you could avoid the run-around-the-block.
Overall, there’s simply not enough traffic volume downtown to warrant one-way streets, as the Heart of Peoria Plan and other feasibility studies have observed.
Sorry, but you are incorrect. “If you’re leaving, say, O’Brien Field by going north on Adams and you want to go east on I-74, you currently have to drive over 74, turn left on Spalding, left on Jefferson, left on Fayette, and finally left onto the entrance ramp. If Jefferson were two-way, you could avoid the run-around-the-block.”
You simply go North on Adams, cross over I74 and turn RIGHT in the next block to the NEW RAMP that gets you onto the interstate. It is very easy and quick. These streets need to be kept one-way. I travel to big cities all over the country on a routine basis and those without at least a couple of one-way streets running thru the downtown areas have one heck of a mess with traffic.
I think you’re thinking of the west-bound 74 ramp. I’m talking about east-bound (over the bridge).
Obviously, in a big city one-way streets make sense because of traffic volume. Compare the traffic volume in your “big cities all over the country” with Peoria’s traffic volume, and I think you’ll see that our traffic load doesn’t justify the one-way streets.
Have you looked at the new exit ramps downtown? Most are configured and built with the one-way streets in mind. Also, I assume this two-way street will mean the whole street from the northend to the southend. A lot of business’ will need new signs facing the opposite direction. The traffic lights will all have to be turned around and then you will need to determine if left turn lanes are needed for Main and every other cross street. Sounds like a lot of money to fix something thats not broken. I suppose we can raise the Garbage Fee to cover the additional costs. No wait. Lets drop this one-way issue, save the money for something we as a city really need, like police or fire, and do away with the Garbage Fee. The horrors!