At first, it felt a little like wearing your watch on the opposite arm.
Not quite wrong, but definitely not right, either.
After a few more trips up and down the two-way Jules and Faraon streets, though, it felt perfectly natural and very convenient. The best part is one incapacitated stoplight, a black garbage bag draped over its unlit face, that means one less intersection where you have to stop and wait.
This is the most hopeful sign in a long time for Downtown.
It is not stuck at a perpetually red light. We can change.
The concept of downtown rehabilitation is so shopworn it’s hard for most of us to recall a time when there was not a scheme to bring back Downtown.
Just where has it been all these years? Downtown hasn’t moved, it’s people that we need to bring back to Downtown.
The latest round of improvements offers some mixed results in achieving objective No. 1: Getting people to Downtown.
The decision to convert portions of former one-way streets to two-way traffic is a terrific move. It took awhile and there was some apprehension, but the city showed some courage in being willing to change.
No doubt, a few confused drivers have taken wrong turns, but city staff report the transition has gone smoothly with few accidents.
A few ideas have been offered by fellow columnists for reviving Downtown. One is a designated entertainment district for bars and the Missouri Theater. I like the idea of a distinctive flavor for Downtown. I do, however, have concerns about any plan that relies on alcohol consumption to be successful.
Another suggestion was to ease up on parking rules. Comments posted online reveal that zealous parking enforcers have fueled a seething dislike of Downtown and City Hall.
A solid development plan cannot ignore lawbreakers and some parking rules are valid. But this stringent parking plan overlooks that Downtown’s greatest need is, once again, people. Fining shoppers for browsing too long or workers for staying at their jobs is not a productive process. You can park all day at the mall and not worry about getting a ticket — why not in Downtown?
The Felix Street landscaping roject used a lot of brick and some nice benches, but protruding sidewalk curbs make the street an obstacle course for drivers.
Parking tickets, an ugly parking garage that’s not even usable, streets that aren’t drivable and stoplights at every intersection, even where there is no traffic: These all create frustration and reasons not to venture Downtown.
But we’ve got proof now — Downtown can change. Traffic may be flowing soon.
