Send City of Eau Claire is redirecting downtown traffic

Posted: 3:14 PM Jun 13, 2012
Reporter: Megan Lowry

City of Eau Claire is redirecting downtown traffic

If you're heading to downtown eau Claire, you'll see some orange construction barrels on the streets.
The city of Eau Claire started street repairs on Graham Avenue this week.
For the next three or four weeks the west side of the street will be closed to traffic leaving the street with just one lane.
Deputy city engineer Doug Derks says the city is repairing curbs, gutters, and sidewalks.
The work is part of the city's plan to redirect traffic through downtown.
The street will re-open as a two way street.

"We looked at one way streets and two way streets across the country and found that the trend is going back to two ways because one ways become high speed way through town while two ways are more lets drive and look on both side of the street so that we can find the store we are looking for,” says Dave Duax with eau Claire city council

But the decision is getting mixed reviews...
"I think it will be good for the downtown businesses" says Melissa Brenner
"I don't think it’s a good idea and I think it’s going to turn graham ave in to a ghost street because no one is going to have to come down this street, says Mark McCallaway

One of the main concerns with the change to graham is how the street will be able to accommodate delivery stops and through traffic with one lane.

" it’s a matter of working with delivers and say hey you can't park in the middle of the street were going to have to plan for parking and we are going to have drop off zones and so we are going to have to plan these things carefully. It’s going to be a transition." says Duax

A transition Duax says will hopefully bring more traffic to local businesses.

The work is expected to be finished by early august just in time for Eau Claire’s downtown summer fest.
The estimated cost for the work is $307,000

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