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Des Moines Register
02/19/06
D.M. vote may make Court Ave. a two-way
street
Des Moines can attract more people to an entertainment area by
allowing two-way traffic, supporters say.
By JASON CLAYWORTH
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
A stretch of Court Avenue from East Seventh Street to the Polk County
Courthouse would open to two-way traffic under a proposal the Des Moines City
Council will consider Monday.
The change is expected to cost $275,000. If approved, the conversion will
happen later this year.
A section of Court Avenue between East 14th and East Seventh streets was
converted to two-way traffic last summer as part of a state road construction
project.
City officials say the change would slow traffic and help customers reach the
Court Avenue entertainment district.
"I think it will make it a more lively place to go," Councilman Chris Coleman said.
"One-way streets are desired to get through quickly. We want Court Avenue to
be a place where people enjoy the environ- ment."
Heavy development has changed traffic patterns along the avenue. Hundreds of
condominiums and apartments have been added in the past four years, and
millions of dollars of improvements are planned in the area.
Barbara Kirk lives in the Plaza, which is about a block from Court Avenue and the
heart of the entertainment district. Kirk, president of the Downtown Neighborhood
Association, said the conversion could make Court Avenue safer, which would
help business.
"I just think it's obvious that it's better for the community," she said.
Representatives from the Downtown Community Alliance business group,
residents, and the Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa
State University helped make the Court Avenue recommendation.
The groups generally concluded that two-way traffic would improve traffic flow in
the area and reduce confusion, particularly for out-of-town visitors. People who
use Court Avenue as a quick way to get out of town would likely switch to other
major streets, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway or Grand Avenue, city
officials said.
Scott Carlson, managing partner of Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewery, said
he believes two-way traffic could make the area more pedestrian-friendly as well.
He said many visitors skip downtown to avoid one-way streets. "A lot of people,
instead of trying to figure it out, just go home," he said.
Des Moines converted Locust Street on the east side of downtown to two-way
traffic in 2003. The move has been embraced by East Village-area merchants,
said Gary Fox, the city's transportation director.
The City Council on Monday will also vote on whether to convert Fourth Street to
two-way traffic from Walnut Street to Court Avenue. There are no plans to
convert other one-way streets, Fox said.