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Resident urges council to reopen West 2nd Street to two-way traffic; petitions planned
Summary
A West 2nd Street resident told the council that a prior one-way conversion is creating safety and access problems and said he is gathering a petition to restore two-way traffic; council members acknowledged the concern and said the issue will be studied.
Randy Byrd (306 West 2nd Street) addressed the council to request that the one-way conversion at the end of West 2nd Street be reversed to a two-lane configuration. Byrd said the one-way setup forces residents to exit onto busier streets, creates difficult left-turn conditions when the interstate backs up, and requires some drivers to wait for long periods at a sensor-equipped red light that ‘‘doesn’t sense the car’’ when no other vehicles are present. “It forces me to either run the red light or make a right then go down, turn around, and come back,” Byrd said, adding he has a petition with roughly 15–20 signers now and expects more by the next council meeting.
Council members explained the one-way conversion was intended to reduce crashes and improve sight lines near parked vehicles, and some members suggested a targeted study that could consider options such as restoring two-way traffic or designating compact-car parking where large vehicles obstruct sight lines. The chair said staff will take the petition and study the safety implications before returning with recommendations.
Next steps: resident to present signed petition at the next council meeting; staff directed to examine traffic-safety data, sight-line issues, and potential parking restrictions as part of a study.
