26 replies to this topic

[Urbndwlr]

Now that it has had some time to settle in, does anyone agree with me that the one-way street regime in the W. 7th "Core" District should be reversed back to two way streets?

This is the urbanized grid between Lancaster, 7th, Foch and University. 

 

The one way streets make the streets feel like a sewer for cars, designed to get them in and out as fast as possible with little or no regard for pedestrian comfort.  I noticed that somehow Crockett Street was spared from the disemboweling of the formerly improving pedestrian friendly district. 

 

I recall this was done under the guise of promoting greater "safety", as though we need to throw out all we have learned about how to design great neighborhoods when the word "safety" gets employed. 

 

Would love to hear people's thoughts. 

[JBB]

I haven't spent any appreciable amount of time in the area since they changed the street directions, but it always had the feel of being a means to untangle traffic rather than provide a safer environment. And it's not unusual for people to blur the lines between those two reasons.

What is the on-street parking situation in the area? Would switching to head in vs. parallel parking help at all? Would closing some of the more pedestrian heavy streets to car traffic help?

[John T Roberts]

Actually, I have not spent any time in the area since the streets were changed.

[Austin55]

Nor have I. Only passed through. Not worth it.

[Doohickie]

It makes little difference to me.  Doesn't matter one way or the other.

[rriojas71]

To someone who does spend quite a bit of time in the area and on occasions when it is busy I think it does help... although if you are not familiar with the area it can be a bit befuddling.  

[Doohickie]

if you are not familiar with the area it can be a bit befuddling.  

 

I don't go there frequently but when I do, if I can't go the direction I would like, I just go down another block... pretty much just like any other area with one-way streets.  It's not rocket surgery.

[Urbndwlr]

Are you all addressing the ease of driving into and through it or walking through and on those streets?

[Doohickie]

Both, actually.  I really don't think there's much difference.

[Urbndwlr]

Often there is an inverse relationship between ease/speed of traffic flow and comfort/quality of pedestrian comfort. 

 

Currently, Morton, Bledsoe, Foch, and Norwood are all two lane, one-way streets. 

Only Crockett and Currie are still two-way. 

 

So, traffic moves only one direction on Morton, Bledsoe, Foch and Norwood. 

 

In my experience, one problem is that drivers making right hand turns onto a one-way street only look toward traffic, they don't check the opposite direction, which can be dangerous for pedestrians crossing from the opposite direction.  I had a friend (who was walking across a crosswalk parallel to a one-way street) hit by a car several years ago in a situation like this.

 

Two other problems with one-way streets are that they A) limit the visibility of stores/shops/storefronts on streets because people in cars can only view them from one direction, and B ) two lane, one way streets increase the comfortable speed of car travel (so drivers naturally drive a little faster).  Two way streets naturally slow the speed of vehicular traffic. 

 

I know a lot of very involved people put a lot of time into discussing and considering this, but I personally feel it was a big mistake.  Unfortunately it will probably require several years of retail business failure to spur a change since it might appear to be wasteful spending for the City to quickly reverse the changes. 

[JBB]

Again, no direct experience for me, but it looked like it was a decision made to ease traffic issues in the evening and late at night and severely handicaps the area during the day.

[Austin55]

I've heard that emergency services pushed the changes through because in the evenings there was so many in Ubers/Taxis stopping in the street to pick up or drop off passengers, strangling the road network since there was only one lane per direction and impairing response times.

 

My suggestion - take away some street parking after 5 and use the curbs as loading zones with a 5 min max and make streets two way again.

[Urbndwlr]

You might be on to a good idea.  Large street frontage set aside for ride-sharing services, either 24/7 or limited after a certain hour (if towing could be enforced).

I get it.  Someone inside the bar orders an Uber/Lyft.  They get caught in a conversation.  Their ride hangs out in the drive lane (because no curb space) waiting for their customer. 

All it takes is a 30-second delay to really gum up traffic flow. 

 

Still, IMO, this is not a crisis but rather an inconvenience, and didnt warrant hurting the pedestiran environment by shifting to one-way streets. 

 

Austin you ought to suggest that idea to someone at the Cultural District Alliance to see what they think.

[Urbndwlr]

Just went to Colonel's bikes the other day, and was reminded of how awkward the one-way streets are.  Just bad design. 

[hannerhan]

There is no going back.  Follow the $$.

[Urbndwlr]

Not sure what you mean. 

The change was driven by police freaking out about needing to rapidly bring in emergency vehicles between midnight and 2:30 AM three nights per week (Thurs, Fri, Sat nights).  That's it.

 

I'm not some government-doubter/conspiracy theorist, but this was treated like a police-state / war time issue (how are we going to get the tanks in?).   It was designed to move cars quickly through a neighborhood where we should want cars to move SLOWLY.   Further, if i owned a business on one of those one-way streets, I'd be furious since it makes 1) businesses less visible 2) harder to reach b/c have to go around blocks, and 3) less comfortable for pedestrians. 

 

The City has been reversing one-way streets, changing to two-way streets Downtown, because DFWI and Downtown property and business owners have realized that two-way streets make street level retail more successful and a better pedestrian environment.  It boggles the mind that we allowed this to happen in the West 7th Core area. 

[rriojas71]

I think it was due to emergency service and vehicles as you said but it was also to prevent terrible gridlock that was occurring during the weekends...  mainly Fri and Sat night (Thurs nights never seemed busy enough to warrant the change) so it is essentially 2 nights.  I do think that the one way streets have helped on those nights but keeping them as one way streets during the week and weeknights (M-Th) is silly.

 

If they want to make the streets one way during the Major 2 nights then they would be better off putting up temporary signs that can be removed at the end of the night.

[Fort Worthology]

I agree w/ Urbndwlr

 

traffic exists because people want to be there

 

trying to speed up traffic in an area where people like being because it's comfortable to walk is backwards as heck

[renamerusk]

1..... Further, if i owned a business on one of those one-way streets, I'd be furious since it makes 1) businesses less visible 2) harder to reach b/c have to go around blocks, and 3) less comfortable for pedestrians.....because DFWI and Downtown property and business owners have realized that two-way streets make street level retail more successful and a better pedestrian environment....... 

 

 

2.....I do think that the one way streets have helped on those nights but keeping them as one way streets during the week and weeknights (M-Th) is silly.....If they want to make the streets one way during the Major 2 nights then they would be better off putting up temporary signs that can be removed at the end of the night.

 1. Is there conclusive data to support that two way streets make street level retail more successful; IDK?

 

 2. Imagine the confusion and also the increase in motor accidents when the direction of traffic is reversed then reversed again.  It seem unimaginable, but it does happen very frequent and with 100% fatality that vehicles enter the freeways in the wrong direction.  Maybe its DUI or maybe it is confusion.  As for the comfort and confidence of pedestrian, I think it exponentially more stressful for both those on foot and those driving to navigate among people crossing traffic that is coming at it in two directions or turning into the flow of traffic at an intersection.

[hannerhan]

I meant that the one-way change facilitated the introduction of on-street parking on both sides of the street.  More meters = more money for the city.  

[renamerusk]

Got it.  It could mean more money in the till.

[Urbndwlr]

I meant that the one-way change facilitated the introduction of on-street parking on both sides of the street.  More meters = more money for the city.  

Think it was purely the police officers.  Every time i pass through the core streets south of 7th, north of Lancaster, I think the same thing: the well intended people focused 100% on providing emergency services really do not understand how best to design a pedestrian-friendly environment.  Not their focus or background.  Leadership above them should have recognized that perspective/agenda bias and overridden IMO.    I'd think the property owners in there would greatly prefer a return to 2-way streets. 

[Crestline]

I visited the Movie Tavern this week and found the one-way streets annoying! 

[rriojas71]

I think they should switch the streets to one way during the evenings but during the day just keep them as 2 way streets.

[Urbndwlr]

I think they should switch the streets to one way during the evenings but during the day just keep them as 2 way streets.

Can that be done? 

 

The idea thrown out before was to install bollards and make certain streets pedestrian-only during peak pedestrian periods (Fri/Sat evenings-nights).

Think "dirty sixth" in Austin does this.  Is also an annoying one-way street. 

[johnfwd]

I drove through Sunday afternoon to have lunch with a friend in the Pho District restaurant, which was crowded.  I noticed an outdoor event on one of the inside streets.  Anyone know what that was?

 

Traffic flow is not good, as everyone knows.  I'm not sure having alternate one-way streets is the solution.

[Jeriat]

I drove through Sunday afternoon to have lunch with a friend in the Pho District restaurant, which was crowded.  I noticed an outdoor event on one of the inside streets.  Anyone know what that was?

 

Traffic flow is not good, as everyone knows.  I'm not sure having alternate one-way streets is the solution.

 

This guy?