Student Corner: The State of the Debate: Two-Way Street Conversion

<p>In recent years, cities across the country have chosen to convert their one-way street networks into traditional two-way streets. This blog post will explore the roots of this widespread planning trend, its potential impacts on city streetscapes, as well as some common counterarguments to this movement.</p> <p>The History of One-Way Streets</p> <p>An original movement from two-way traffic patterns towards one-way streets stemmed from a unique combination of political considerations and urban spatial patterns. In the latter half of the 20th century, many streets were converted to one-way with the intention of improving the street network’s efficiency by increasing vehicle speeds. This in turn would allow vehicles to travel out of downtown areas more quickly. The effort was reflective of planning trends at the time. In the midst of the Cold War, civil defense planners designed one-way street networks to facilitate quick evacuations in case of a nuclear threat. Additionally, transportation planning prioritized connecting central city employment with the suburban living, which could be achieved more quickly with a one-way arterial street network. </p> <p>In more recent years, cities have begun the process of converting their one-way thoroughfares back into two-way streets, compelled by a growing body of research to suggest that there are economic development, safety, and efficiency benefits to be realized by doing so. Conversions began as early as the early 1990’s, but the trend gained momentum by the 2000s with larger cities (including Berkeley, CA; Charleston, SC; Dallas, TX; Des Moines, IA; Denver, CO; Louisville, KY; and Minneapolis, MN) opting to make the conversions in their downtown [...]</p>