In 2008, Penny Parrish collected the oral history of former City Councilor Howard Gregory, who led the conversion of downtown streets from two-way to one-way. She revisits their conversation.
PLEASE leave the streets the way they are! With delivery trucks all during the day, it would be impossible to get around and traffic would be much worse with two-way streets. I go out to lunch and run errands a few days a week and William Street, Princess Anne Street, and Caroline Street all have deliveries between 12 and 2. With one-way streets, I can change lanes and get around the trucks if there is an opening in traffic. With two-way traffic, that would be nearly impossible to do.
These one way streets have helped greatly into making the town a suburban sprawl where few can and do walk or bike anywhere. This is not a pleasant or healthy way to live. Let's think about ways to change. Just because a few restaurants need daily resupply should not be the only factor in determining how we live. One small improvement might be to add painted crosswalks throughout the city, not just downtown, to encourage walking. They cost little and might help slow down traffic.
I might have no problem w conversion if they incorporate Aashto intersection safety standards. No city staff will to make tough unpopular safety decisions.
PLEASE leave the streets the way they are! With delivery trucks all during the day, it would be impossible to get around and traffic would be much worse with two-way streets. I go out to lunch and run errands a few days a week and William Street, Princess Anne Street, and Caroline Street all have deliveries between 12 and 2. With one-way streets, I can change lanes and get around the trucks if there is an opening in traffic. With two-way traffic, that would be nearly impossible to do.
These one way streets have helped greatly into making the town a suburban sprawl where few can and do walk or bike anywhere. This is not a pleasant or healthy way to live. Let's think about ways to change. Just because a few restaurants need daily resupply should not be the only factor in determining how we live. One small improvement might be to add painted crosswalks throughout the city, not just downtown, to encourage walking. They cost little and might help slow down traffic.
No one is smarter than Penny. What she says is how it should be. Truly.
Just try to navigate intersections w an mgb.
I might have no problem w conversion if they incorporate Aashto intersection safety standards. No city staff will to make tough unpopular safety decisions.