Two Way Streets now? Finally? Gahan sets the bar as low as humanly possible and somehow clears it, as BOW opts for a rational street grid.

In the worst kept secret since the Electoral College sucks, the Board of Works voted today to adopt Option B, which restores two-way traffic to Elm, Spring, Market, Bank and Pearl, though at the considerable and heart-rending expense of gutting most of consultant Jeff Speck's worthiest proposals for bicycling lanes and parking innovations on these and other subsequently omitted streets (State and Vincennes most glaringly).

Area merchants are advised to refrain from selling lighter fluid or Bics to Antebellum Irv, though the Luddites might yet have pyrotechnics up their sleeves.

Just prior to the election, a very highly placed Democratic Party grandee personally opposed to these street grid changes informed me that it would be impossible for him to speak publicly about the topic owing to previous litigation over the Main Street Beautification Project, hinting strongly that truck-through lobbyists would do the same with our Ceausescu-styled "Downtown Grid Modernization Project."

We shall see. After 13 years of battling colossal stupidity and institutional timidity in pursuit of today's outcome, and given the ongoing absence of comprehension among city officials as to the benefits of street grid modernity, I'm refraining from a victory lap and sticking to my usual story, because verily, I'll believe it when I see it.

Here's the triumphal press release.

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New Albany Adopts Downtown 2-way Street Grid

November 15, 2016

HWC Engineering presented 3 design options to the Board of Public Works and Safety on September 13, 2016. At this meeting, they recommended a conversion of all roads encompassed in the downtown grid system which included Pearl, Bank, Market, Spring, and Elm Streets. Additionally, the final environmental document required by the Indiana Department of Transportation was just recently approved, allowing action to be taken by the Board of Public Works and Safety.
Spring Street with 2-way traffic during the 1960s.

At this morning’s meeting of the New Albany Board of Public Works and Safety, the board moved to accept HWC Engineering’s recommendations on the Grid Modernization Project, and have begun the process of converting the one-way streets of Pearl, Bank, Market, Spring, and Elm Streets to two-way traffic.

“I think this is a positive change for our city. After months of review and preparation, the Board of Public Works and Safety has reached the same conclusion as planners and engineers. The City of New Albany has been one-way long enough. These changes improve walkability, the connectivity of all residents, and will further enhance our downtown,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

The full text of the resolution adopted and approved by the New Albany Board of Public Works and Safety can be viewed below:

A RESOLUTION APPROVING GRID MODERNIZTION

WHEREAS, the Federal Highway Administration issued a revised Record of Decision approving construction of 2 new Ohio River Bridges projects and in 2013 toll rates were established for the new construction of the Ohio River Bridges with the Sherman Minton Bridge without tolls.

WHEREAS, in 2014 the City Administration hired Jeff Speck, a nationally known city planner and urban designer to analyze the City of New Albany’s downtown street grid system.

WHEREAS, the City of New Albany held 3 public meetings to discuss the Grid Modernization project with residents, businesses, and community stakeholders.

WHEREAS, the City Administration also hired HWC Engineering to review the recommendations of Jeff Speck and to provide options and alternatives that addressed the matters and issues presented by the public during the meetings.

WHEREAS, HWC Engineering was tasked with the goals of ensuring the Spring Street Corridor did not become a toll dodging route, improve safety and walkability in downtown, ensure adequate flow of vehicular traffic on downtown streets, and enhance downtown as a destination location.

WHEREAS, HWC Engineering presented 3 design options to the Board of Public Works and Safety on September 13, 2016, and recommended a conversion of all the roads encompassed in the downtown grid system which included Pearl, Bank, Market, Spring, Elm Streets.

WHEREAS, the final environmental document required from the Indiana Department of Transportation was just recently approved allowing action to be taken by the Board of Public Works and Safety.

BE IT RESOLVED by the New Albany Board of Works and Safety hereby adopts and approves the recommendations of HWC Engineering to convert the current one-way streets of Pearl, Bank, Market, Spring, and Elm Streets to two-way traffic.

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Jeff Speck on HWC Engineering's bicycle-free, two-way streets abortion: "I guess that's what you get when you ask engineers who do not value biking to change a plan."

4-2-3: City council scorecard from Monday's public meeting on two-way streets.

DNA party congress selects Politburo as Gorbachev flees to Birdseye.

Hard work is wasted if it isn't smart work.
-- Graffito

Develop New Albany’s annual party is tonight, and the Sweet Home Alabaminator reports a change in leadership. The incoming president is Joe LaRocca, head of the YMCA.

LaRocca told the newspaper that DNA wants to work with other organizations, and such a stance is welcomed. I stand ready to lead my people to DNA’s door. After all, new presidents always get a honeymoon.

At the same time, how do we know there’s been a change?

Cooperation implies a semblance of genuine outreach and compromise. In fairness, it also suggests a systems analysis, not just of DNA, but of the other organizations involved.

Who’s doing what? Why, and for what reasons? Is any of it truly worthwhile? Where does the Gahan Administration stand? And so on.

Admittedly, I’m skeptical. If the late, unlamented DNA/UEA marketing project is the model, or if the city again will be seeking to anoint and endow winners as it did during the last England administration (see “108K Solutions We Have Known”), then DNA isn’t worth a second glance, at least yet.

Conversely, if DNA decides to come to the table prepared to listen to other points of view in something shared from the grassroots up, as opposed to dictated from the lofty heights down, it could be a good thing, even after all of the organization’s stone-deaf past missteps. It’s never too late to start all over again, and no less than Ronnie RayGun himself said: "Trust, but verify."

Sadly, the best reason for renewed sighs aloud and doubt as to DNA’s willingness to evolve is found in the newspaper’s coverage:

The size of the organization’s board of directors will grow from 10-12 members to 21 representatives, LaRocca said. Of the new additions, the Develop New Albany board will have more public officials from the city represented.

As well as more realtors, lawyers and retirees, if the on-line list is any indication.

Note simply that an entity proudly billing itself as a “business-promotion” organization is stating aloud that in order to better promote business, it is adding more city officials. Think about that, and perhaps you’ll share my puzzlement, because wouldn’t business promotion as a stated objective be better served by including ... could it be ... more business owners as board members?

Of course, there are a few DNA-member businesses, but perhaps the major incongruity is this: On the enlarged board, there is precisely one owner of a retail business in the whole of the city.

I mention this in order to ask another question: What has been the unquestioned prime mover of downtown New Albany during the past five years?

The answer: The food and drink segment, without which there would be no downtown New Albany revitalization at all, period, and so, with DNA eager to claim responsibility for this same revitalization, how many food and drink establishments are member businesses?

Only River City Winery and Wick’s.

How many are on the DNA board?

None, unless we count John Neace, who owns JR’s but is not identified as such on the web site.

Maybe, just maybe, this state of perpetual under-representation on the board of an organization that seeks to take credit for revitalization, as the shortage pertains to those types of business that actually have implemented the revitalization, tells us what we need to know about the odds of zebras changing stripes any time soon.

What about me?

I’m forever the cockeyed optimist.

Seriously.

I believe that Joe LaRocca will purge the DNA same-cadre-as-always demons, freshen the bloodlines, engage the business community, honestly examine DNA’s institutional nothingness, and implement a series of hard-hitting reforms designed to actually DO SOMETHING to promote business rather than merely writing glowing press releases after someone else's fact.

It’ll be New Albany, “Come To Perestroika City,” a place we can be proud to inhabit, work and play.

(Boy, I could use an ice-cold Budweiser right about now.)