Connect Downtown: Des Moines streets master plan creates more two-way streets
The city of Des Moines is continuing on with its master plan to make the downtown area safer, which in some areas includes converting one-way streets into two-way streets.
This year, the city is targeting two areas to change into two-way streets: a stretch of Grand Avenue between 3rd Street and 5th Avenue and a section of 5th Avenue between Mulberry Street and Grand Avenue. It's a $2.2. million project that's part of the Connect Downtown master plan.
"The ultimate goal of Connect Downtown is to make the streets safer for all users and wider streets do tend to be prone to excessive speeding," said Steven Naber, Des Moines's city engineer.
This fall, Naber says the city will be conducting a new study that could eventually bring about a change to two heavily used downtown streets.
"We'll be collecting data and measurements and actually looking at what are the impacts of considering Grand Avenue and Locust Street from a one-way street to a two-way street," Naber said.
The city will be using traffic data equipment along Grand Avenue and Locust Street. The equipment will not be noticeable, nor will interrupt day-to-day travel. The study will take about a year, which means the bulk of Grand Avenue and Locust Street shouldn't see change for a while. Naber says there is a lot to be considered, such as how making the conversion would impact parking. It's why a full year of study will be considered.
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