One-way street sections under study for conversion:
› Eighth Street between Chestnut Street and Houston Street› Seventh Street between Pine Street and Georgia Avenue› Sixth Street between Chestnut Street and Lookout Street› Fifth Street between Market Street and Georgia Avenue› Walnut Street between Fifth Street and Georgia Avenue› Lindsay Street between Vine Street and Houston Street› Houston Street between Vine Street and Market Street
The Chattanooga City Council has authorized a study on whether to convert several downtown one-way streets into two-way streets, but not without a few bumps along the way.
The $69,500 study, proposed by Chattanooga engineering firm Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon Inc., calls for reviewing one-way sections of Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Houston, Lindsay and Walnut streets.
In all, these amount to 2.66 miles in linear road surface and contain approximately 19 traffic signals. The study is expected to take six months.
Chattanooga City Council Chairman Jerry Mitchell
Chattanooga City Council Vice Chairman Ken SmithChattanooga's last big two-way thoroughfare conversion took place in 2004, when the city did away with decades of one-way travel on McCallie and Bailey avenues and M.L. King Boulevard, ending their use as downtown freeways.
In a recent meeting, the nine-member council fell two votes shy of unanimous approval of the study plan, with Chairman Jerry Mitchell and Councilman Darrin Ledford casting "no" votes.
"I just felt we have plenty of engineers within the Chattanooga Department of Transportation to handle this project and didn't see a need to hire someone from the outside," Mitchell said after the vote.
Vice Chairman Ken Smith said he had strong reservations about the study's objectives until they were revised before the council vote. The issue? Bike lanes.
"The agreement's original objectives called for the consultants to make recommendations about traffic flow and the possible incorporation of bike lanes," Smith said. "I believe the study should stick to the primary goal of determining safe traffic flow."
The original draft said the consultants would make preliminary recommendations for "bicycle facilities, additional parking or wider sidewalks." The amended version passed by the council replaces that language with "other considerations for how to use the street width from existing curb to curb."
Council members had a chance to voice concerns they had about the legislation with Mayor Andy Berke's administration before voting, Smith said.
Blythe Bailey, administrator of the city's transportation department, has described the case for going two-way on the seven targeted streets as "multifold." Two-way thoroughfares offer improved navigability, calm traffic and are better for business, he said.
One-way streets sometimes require drivers to make multiple trips around the block to find a business, Bailey said.
The study will include public input, he said.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com.
Follow him on Twitter @pleach_tfp.