Officials Question Two-way Changes on State and High Streets
Members of Portland’s Public Safety Committee are questioning whether it is a good idea to return State and High Streets into two-way streets, as proposed in the City’s developing Peninsula Traffic Study.
City Councilor Cheryl Leeman, who represents the Deering section of the city, thinks that it is the clear intent of City planners to create frustration on two of the city’s main thoroughfares in order to divert traffic to the newly-built Portland Connector.
Portland’s Planning Director Alex Jaegerman said that it was not the policy of City planners to clog up the two streets, and that the recommendation to revert to two–way traffic would not have been made if it were not workable.
City Councilor Ed Suslovic asked if motorists who were backed up on the two streets would start using neighborhood streets to get to their destinations more quickly.
Councilor Will Gorham, who represents the East End of the city, feels that the plan being proposed would divert more traffic to that part of the city.
Members of Portland’s Public Safety Committee are questioning whether it is a good idea to return State and High Streets into two-way streets, as proposed in the City’s developing Peninsula Traffic Study.
City Councilor Cheryl Leeman, who represents the Deering section of the city, thinks that it is the clear intent of City planners to create frustration on two of the city’s main thoroughfares in order to divert traffic to the newly-built Portland Connector.
Portland’s Planning Director Alex Jaegerman said that it was not the policy of City planners to clog up the two streets, and that the recommendation to revert to two–way traffic would not have been made if it were not workable.
City Councilor Ed Suslovic asked if motorists who were backed up on the two streets would start using neighborhood streets to get to their destinations more quickly.
Councilor Will Gorham, who represents the East End of the city, feels that the plan being proposed would divert more traffic to that part of the city.
posted by The West End NEWS at Saturday, March 11, 2006
1 Comments:
I moved onto State Street last May, so I feel in a somewhat better spot to comment on this issue now than I was when I heard rumors of it in the past.
You know... I think that the State/High system works really well. Introducing two-way traffic onto those streets is going to create a nightmare.
With a one-way system, everyone knows which way the traffic is going. It flows about as well as it's going to, out of all possible configurations. It might be difficult to cross the streets in spots, but contending with two-way traffic would make it at least twice as bad.
I have a distinct feeling that if the City does this, there is going to be hell to pay, and the police are not going to thank them, and neither are any of the citizens affected by it.
I'd rather not live at the gates of Hell, thank you very much.
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