Laserfiche WebLink
Bonn: So we actually consulted traffic engineering staff and this has been brought up in <br /> the past. It would need to get vetted a little more fully before we could realistically <br /> consider it as an option. So, there were a couple of issues that Mike Tassano had <br /> brought to our attention, one being parallel parking on the right side of the roadway <br /> tends to be problematic when you have a one-way system. So that's something to <br /> consider. They had heard in the past that businesses at the end of this segment; at the <br /> end of the one-way segment sometimes are concerned that they're "last" on the route <br /> as opposed to if you had a two-way system, they could just as easily be first as opposed <br /> to being last. And, with the residential element on Peters, a one-way design could <br /> reduce access to and from the homes. So those would all be things to consider. <br /> Weinstein: I think if I could highlight what Shweta said as well, I think cities in recent <br /> times have been relatively skittish about converting two-way streets to one-way as well. <br /> In addition to the reasons Shweta cited, traffic tends to go faster on one-way streets so <br /> there are safety issues involved. Shweta talked about economic vitality, navigation is <br /> also made more complicated when you have a one-way street. A lot of drivers get <br /> confused when they see a series of one-way streets they can't turn on, so people end <br /> up driving more and cities seeking to reduce congestion, for good reason, are skeptical <br /> or concerned about converting two-way streets to one-way streets. <br /> Chair Balch: I know Mr. Tassano's not here but is there an evolution of streets in small <br /> towns? For example, do streets in cities and towns start off one lane each way and <br /> then convert to one way? <br /> Weinstein: Cities have developed in lots of different ways in the U.S. over time and you <br /> have to remember that a lot of cities started without motor vehicles at all. People used <br /> to ride horses or carriages. I think the trend in sort of the immediate post-automobile <br /> era when automobiles first came on the scene, and especially starting in the 1940's, <br /> 50's and 60's was to really get traffic through cities as quickly as possible, and so I think <br /> in that period a lot of streets in major American cities converted to one-way patterns, at <br /> least in downtown areas, but the trend has been the opposite in recent past as cities <br /> have tried to become more pedestrian-accessible. <br /> Commissioner Ritter: I just wanted to add that I found a study done in 87 urban areas, <br /> by Arizona State University researchers, that shows that Uber reduces traffic <br /> congestion. It just shows that by introducing the Uber concept, it did reduce traffic <br /> congestion, and I just thought I could share this with everybody. It's an interesting report <br /> from 87 different urban areas. <br /> Balch: Okay. I attended a conference for Planning Commissioners in the State of <br /> California down in LA recently and parking was a hot topic, so I will disclose that I went <br /> to that conference and a couple of things I'll mention from that which I may be basing <br /> my decision on are, there was a presentation about parking meters. It was a heavily <br /> advocated-for presentation because the theory was that if you design them to be smart <br /> enough to be a supply-demand based system, so if there was strong demand, the price <br /> would go up and then it would cause people to go to auxiliary streets because they <br /> would be cheaper. I believe he mentioned that Palo Alto and San Francisco have <br /> implemented it and have seen drastic improvement. The way they do it is they adjust <br /> EXCPERT: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, March 8, 2017 Page 3 of 10 <br />