Are downtown two-way streets better?
From the Strib: Are downtown two-way streets better?
"On Tuesday, the brass at Minneapolis City Hall declared last fall's conversion of Hennepin and 1st Avenues back to two-way traffic a success.
Crashes are down for both motor vehicles and bikes, despite a slight increase in volume, and the number of traffic-clogged intersections is down. But out on the avenues, opinion is decidedly more mixed."
It seems people feel less safe. What they don't recognize is that feeling less safe may make them more safe if they are then more cautious. Bike traffic is down on Hennepin, but up overall on parallel routes.
Net Density was not happy with the design, and I don't think this is fully resolved despite installation of seemingly temporary and not attractive bollards/delineators .
I think the problem is they are doing this on the cheap. I am all for inexpensive, but a bit more investment in paint/pavement coloring would help. A slightly more serious attempt could much more clearly delineate which people/vehicles are supposed to be where, with somewhat less confusion. The signs don't help, probably because the regulations are too complex about lane usage.