"The Case Against One-Way Streets."

Looking for reasons to support a two-way street grid? Here are four.

Livability.

Navigation.

Safety.

Economics.

To this list, can we now add "traffic flow"?

Traffic engineers tend to disagree, but then again:

For many years, traffic engineers were mandated to “move as much traffic as possible, as quickly as possible,” often resulting in degradation of movement for other modes of travel. (Walker/Kulash/McHugh)

Is it time for a rethink?

The Case Against One-Way Streets, by Eric Jaffe (Atlantic Cities)

You might say that a number of cities are heading the other direction on one-way streets. Dallas, Denver, Sacramento, and Tampa are just some of the places that have converted one-ways into two-way streets in recent years. Any number of reasons are cited for the shift:

• Livability: vehicles stop less on one-way streets, which is hard for bikers and pedestrians.
• Navigation: one-way street networks are confusing for drivers, which leads to more vehicle-miles traveled; they also make it tough for bus riders to locate stops for a return trip.
• Safety: speeds tend to be higher on one-way streets, and some studies suggest drivers pay less attention on them because there's no conflicting traffic flow.
• Economics: local businesses believe that two-way streets increase visibility.