AKRON, Ohio — For decades, Akron’s one-way streets shot commuters in and out of downtown at rush hour while confounding newcomers to the city.
Now, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan plans to convert four major one-way streets: the parallel pairs of Exchange (which runs northwest) and Cedar (which runs southeast), and Broadway (northeast) and High (southeast). Horrigan’s goal is to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly and create new opportunities for storefront businesses.
Read more: Akron plans to make 4 downtown one-way roads two-way: See where and why
Converting streets from one-way to two is a trend across the country, with cities like Denver, Dallas, Tampa and Kansas City, Missouri, switching over in recent years.
What does the conversion do, and how does it work? Cleveland.com asked experts to explain the science of traffic patterns.
Isn’t slowing down traffic bad?
One-way streets can make traffic flow faster, since there are fewer conflicts at intersections. (Think of the thrill of being able to turn left on a red light!)
But one-way streets can confuse drivers who aren’t familiar with the street grid.
Besides, the goal of a traffic pattern isn’t always to increase the volume of cars, said Jacqueline Jenkins, an associate professor in Cleveland State’s civil engineering department.
She said that by converting a one-way street to a two-way street often slows down traffic, which could make an area more friendly to pedestrians.
Horrigan said he hopes slowing down traffic will make storefronts along the street easier to get to, which could encourage more street-level businesses to open. That follows Horrigan’s push for economic development and more residential options downtown.
Why are cities switching?
Although she doesn’t feel there’s a “movement” per se, Jenkins said appealing to pedestrians and cyclists could make cities consider converting.
“It’s just one tool in the toolbox a transportation engineer can use,” she said.
Vikash Gayah, a civil engineer at Penn State University, said streets are changing because two-way streets and slower-flowing traffic are more friendly to alternative forms of transportation, such as bicycles.
Gayah also said one-way streets can be confusing to people who take buses, as pick-up and drop-off spots for certain routes wouldn’t necessarily be on opposite sides of the same street.
How much would it cost?
Once again, it varies from situation to situation. Costs can include:
- Re-striping the streets
- Revamping traffic lights at intersections
- Redoing signage along the roads
New traffic signals can cost up to $50,000, Gayah said.
“It’s a pretty expensive thing to do,” he said.
The city would also have to consider how to make sure people know the roads are switching, and that some Akron drivers and pedestrians might be confused when navigating the new downtown streets.
How would it really affect business?
Slowing down traffic could increase visibility for storefronts. It could also reduce risk to pedestrians. Some cities use increasing walkability as a method to spur economic development.
In terms of research, there have been mixed results on the economic impact of these conversions. A study completed by researchers at California Polytechnic State University and San Diego examined six different cities who made the switch.
At the end of the day, research showed two-way streets weren’t a “single fix” to urban problems, it could spur growth in areas such as arts and entertainment and food and accommodation. Read the full study here.
For more information on Akron’s changing downtown traffic flow:
- Check out this video which shows what’s happening.
- Take a look at the reasoning behind Akron’s switch, and what the potential cost and timeline could be.
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