FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana’s NewsCenter) – In his State of the City, Mayor Tom Henry (D) proposed changes to a handful of Fort Wayne’s main arteries into town.
The mayor is proposing a roundabout where Ewing, Fairfield, Wells and Superior Streets meet at the St. Marys River. Ewing Street and Fairfield Avenue would also become two-way streets as part of the move. The mayor says this traffic change will benefit business.
“These simple solutions will improve visibility and access to business, provide traffic calming and encourage economic development.”
The second change Fort Wayne residents could encounter is the reduction in the number of lanes on Jefferson and Washington Boulevards. In a four to five block area, the mayor says increased foot traffic around Parkview Field, the library and the Grand Wayne Center deserves wider sidewalks and car drop off areas.
“As our downtown activity grows, we must keep traffic flowing smoothly and make our core as pedestrian friendly as possible.”
The mayor says drivers can expect an additional 60 seconds of travel time.
Indiana’s NewsCenter wanted to see what some residents thought about the proposed changes. Here is some of what they thought.
Cory Kausch says, “I think it’s a really good idea. I think it’ll help give a lot more business to places that are downtown tying to make it rather than constantly having Fort Wayne drive all over the place.”
Tina Perry was not as keen to the idea. She says, “No I do not for the simple fact that I think it would be congested and it seems like a dangerous area for people to walk.”
Susan Fabina hopes the mayor will reconsider his position. She says, “I think with the amount of traffic that goes through there, it would be a bad idea.”
Jeanine Dunn thinks drivers might have trouble when the changes begin but says it should work out for that area of downtown. She says, “It might cause a little bit of a headache at first because everybody's used to the wider lanes, but I think it'll be all right.”
Leave your comments at the bottom of this page if you care to weigh in on the road changes for the City of Fort Wayne.
What are your thoughts CLICK HERE to leave us a "Your2Cents” comment.
TextCaster alerts from Indiana's NewsCenter are your defining source for instant information delivered right to your cell phone and email. It's free, easy and instant. Sign-Up Now!
Powered by Summit City Chevrolet
© Copyright 2013 A Granite Broadcasting Station. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Textcaster
Facebook
Twitter