A recent proposal to eliminate one-way streets in Centretown is quite a reversal from the plan a few years ago which converted the very same streets from two-way to one-way.
This idea was presented among other proposals on Jan. 29 at the Downtown Revitalization Summit as a way to slow traffic and make driving less complicated. Two-way traffic was presented as a “traffic calming” measure to make it easier and safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to get around.
If this recommendation is approved, one-way streets could be eliminated within a year.
But, perhaps, that’s easier said than done.
The cost of converting one-way streets to two-way would be very high. It would involve new traffic lights and the widening of some streets to accommodate the two-way flow. With the widening of streets comes the elimination of parking, which carries its cost for drivers, in terms of stress. Especially in residential areas of Centretown, motorists should not have to park three blocks or more away from their home.
In addition, the effect of drastically changing the flow of traffic will have to be closely examined to see whether this proposal is actually feasible and if it would have any benefits whatsoever. We can’t just keep changing the direction and flow of traffic in our city every few years with no in-depth studies and public consultation. Those who live or operate a business on the affected streets must be consulted before any changes take place.
We need to know which streets will be affected and we also must make a decision and stick with it, instead of changing the flow of traffic again, a few years from now.
One-way traffic flows better — it’s faster and more efficient — whereas two-way traffic would really slow down the general flow of Centretown, especially during rush hour.
A one-way street is safer for pedestrians crossing the street since all the cars are going the same way.
Part of the reasoning behind the proposal is that people tend to drive slower when facing oncoming traffic. If this is the case, then traffic jams are sure to follow once the streets are converted from one-way to two-way.
The Federation of Citizen’s Associations sees two-way streets as safer for pedestrians and cyclists, but in reality, this slower traffic will just cause congestion, especially during rush hour. This, by extension, could lengthen rush hour, making Centretown streets congested and noisy for a longer part of the day, causing pedestrians and cyclists more harm than good.
—Julia Ziolkowski