FAQs
How will converting Front and Main Streets back two-way streets improve Downtown?
Converting Front and Main back to two-way streets will make downtown easier to navigate, safer, and more comfortable for all users.
The current one-way configuration forces drivers to make unnecessary turns to reach nearby destinations. This creates unnecessary traffic, confusion, and higher vehicle speeds. Because these streets were originally designed to move traffic quickly, they also lack built-in features that naturally slow vehicles down, which increases safety risks for people walking, rolling, biking, and driving.
Two-way streets will simplify travel by allowing people to go directly where they need to go, reducing unnecessary circling. They also improve pedestrian safety by eliminating the “double threat” of vehicles approaching from multiple directions at once. In addition, two-way traffic naturally slows vehicles, creating a calmer, more downtown-appropriate street environment Together, these changes will help create a downtown that is safer, easier to get around, and more inviting for residents, visitors, and users of downtown.
Will there be parking on-street Front and Main Streets?
Yes, there will be on-street parking available as well as access to the parking garages and lots.
Why are there bike lanes on Front Street and not Main Street?
The Front and Main Two-Way conversion of the Downtown SAM project will implement a dedicated bike facility on Front Street while Main Street largely remains as is today, preserving the existing conditions as best as possible. The reason the bike facility was selected for Front Steet are due to lower projected traffic volumes, direct connectivity to the Riverfront Trail system.
Why are two-way street better than one-way streets?
One-way streets were most popular and widely implemented across the United States during the 1940’s through the 1960s. Following WWII, this model increased, driven primarily by a dominant car-centric culture, rising suburbanization, and the need for faster commutes into/out of downtown areas. Over the years, many cities are reverting their one-way streets back to two-way to improve business, safety, and community connectivity.
The conversion of Front Street and Main Street to two-way streets will reduce out-of-direction travel, slow vehicle speeds, and provide greater connectivity to various amenities downtown.