the project is part of the city's plan to eliminate a lot of the one-way streets in and around downtown Omaha.
Is the plan for this documented in the master plan? I personally am extremely excited and encouraged by this. One Way streets provide marginal traffic flow improvements on the downtown grid, yet are a documented detriment to stores and consumer focused businesses located on them.
I know that recently we've seen some marginal improvements (Farnam through MTC and now eventually through the newly named Blackstone District) as well as individual proposals like the Harney Cycle Way, and 24th St being mentioned along with the Highline improvements. But while encouraging I hadn't seen any serious mention of attempting to help downtown's revitalization with a more comprehensive effort.
I also saw this article over the holiday. I think it's a great effort, and a bit interesting that it's in a currently slow area of redevelopment compared to other proposed two-way conversions (Blackstone district, etc). Hopefully this is part of momentum for a more comprehensive effort.
Thats massively overstated. PW likes the one ways mostly, but has considered allowing a few changes in recent years that they had previously resisted.
I will say, however, that the benefit of the one ways is a lot of extra right of way and pavement that will provide for things like curb extensions, transit lanes and bike lanes.
mcarch wrote:Is this going to happen in downtown proper? If so, traffic will definitely be a disaster.
It shouldn't be. Road capacity would be about the same. Most of the one ways are two or four lanes across. Reversing the direction of half of the lanes on each street would just shift traffic patterns.
"Video game violence is not a new problem. Who could forget in the wake of SimCity how children everywhere took up urban planning." - Stephen Colbert
But it is not the same and intersection between two one-way streets than two two-way streets. In the second one the traffic is less fluent, adding congestion.
The main problem with converting the one-ways to two-ways downtown is it will be more difficult for cars to turn left across oncoming traffic lanes. Plus you need a turn signal and lane to "store" cars while they wait to turn left. The short blocks only have enough "storage" for about 5 or 6 cars in each direction to wait to turn left.
But the advantages of switching to two-way may outweigh the left turn problem, especially if the intersections can be made to be more pedestrian-friendly.
He said "They are some big, ugly red brick buildings" ...and then they were gone.
Dundeemaha wrote:
I know that recently we've seen some marginal improvements (Farnam through MTC and now eventually through the newly named Blackstone District).
Is there a timeline for this? I hope it happens sooner than later with all of the new momentum in the area.