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Staff raises concerns about converting downtown Wall Street to one-way for events
Summary
City staff and police expressed technical and liability concerns about making Wall Street a permanent one-way street for special-event traffic. Staff recommended phased or event-specific traffic controls and a signage study before pursuing a permanent conversion.
City staff and police briefed the council on a proposal to convert Wall Street to a one-way street to simplify traffic flows during special events. Staff cautioned that the right-of-way and current property lines may not allow adequate sign placement and that conforming to FDOT maintenance-of-traffic standards could require substantial new signage and design work.
Chief Carl Hogan warned that converting Wall Street without a proper traffic study could increase liability; he estimated the conversion would require roughly 22–24 new signs and might create delivery, access and emergency-response complications if not engineered. "If you don't do it properly and somebody gets killed or hurt, certainly there's an exposure or liability potential there," Chief Hogan said.
Staff recommendation: Take a phased approach—standardize event-time closures and detours now and revisit a permanent one-way conversion only after evaluating outcomes and engineering requirements.
Why it matters: Downtown circulation affects special events, local businesses, emergency access and public safety; inadequate signage or a rushed conversion could increase crash risk or operational costs.
What’s next: Staff will evaluate incremental measures for special events and may return with a more detailed road-geometry or traffic-control proposal if issues persist.
