Yesterday the city council approved the Wood Partners development on the Maas Bros. site, by a 6-1 vote. I hate to think any councilman would vote against this project, since demolition on the block is now nearly complete. If the project voted down, I suspect the developer would leave us with an oh-so-scenic pile of rubble in the heart of downtown.
The one vote against was from councilman John Dingfelder, who wanted the developer to contribute money to help the city convert Zack Street from one-way traffic to two-way. This conversion, which is ongoing at Madison Street, is said to be more “pedestrian friendly.”
I ride my bicycle and walk downtown on a near-daily basis and can tell you there is no value to changing the streets downtown from one-way into two-way streets. The mayor and council argue that two-way streets slow down traffic and are more pedestrian friendly.
Slower traffic is code for “more congestion.”
Congestion and air quality were two major factors that prompted conversion of downtown grids nationwide to one-way streets in the 1950’s and 1970’s. More congestion means worse air quality and more road rage, which is bad for us pedestrians. Two-way streets in downtown grids generally have higher accident rates, mostly from drivers waiting at left-turn signals, as they encourage drivers to jump yellow lights and take more chances, all things that put pedestrians at greater risk.
If the city wanted to do anything to help pedestrians, they’d repair downtown’s sidewalks, which are a jumble of misaligned concrete squares. They would also force advertising boxes to butt up against building fronts instead of sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Both these things would cost much less than realigning the streets, and developers can pay for both.
Normally the city expects developers to take steps to mitigate traffic congestion; here we have a councilman arguing a developer should pay to create more of it. At least the project won approval.
Editengine
3 years ago
they have argued that they want stop the use of downtown as a throughway, in effect they are not opposed to congestion. I think we have a few stories in the archives about it too although I can’t find them. Also it looks like they are starting the work on Zack to do the same thing.
Editengine
3 years ago
ok I did find what Iorio said about it , “At the same time, the city is embarking on a five-year plan to turn Tampa’s east-west one-way streets into two-way streets, enhancing each roadway for pedestrian safety. Many cities accomplished this years ago, successfully adding to the vibrancy of their downtowns.
This year’s budget contains funding for Madison Street. Crosswalks will be redone. Signage, landscaping and safety features will be added so that traffic through everybody’s neighborhood will slow down, helping retailers, downtown workers, residents and visitors. “
Bob Smith
3 years ago
Slowing down traffic helps nobody. It increases pollution, decreases fuel economy, and is generally aggravating. Two-way streets also increase accidents and make retail less accessible, not more. Of course, the city council is like most, a bunch of new urbanist anti-car zealots. Congestion isn’t a side effect of the plan, it is the plan.
Fred
3 years ago
Slowing down traffic helps noboby? In the city that perenially has the highest or second highest pedestrian fatality rate in the country?
Smitty
3 years ago
Yeah, but those fatalaties occur at intersections like Dale Mabry at Gandy (the worst one in the metro area most years), not in downtown. Traffic downtown with one-way streets is very predictable, and predictability increases pedestrian safety.
Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog » pedestrians beware!
3 years ago
[...] As a downtown resident and frequent cyclist/pedestrian in the neighborhood I continue to be utterly mystified by the city’s determination to convert one-way streets in the CBD to two-way streets; I know I’ve blathered on about this before. This week I was amused to read in the Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Monday Morning Memo that the good folks at TDP may feel the same way. [...]