Two-way streets help drive Albuquerque’s turnaround

As part of a strategy announced in 1998, the city of Albuquerque set out to convert its one-way downtown streets back to two-way. One pair of one-way streets reverted to two-way traffic two years ago, and four other pairs – eight streets – are now in the process of being converted. “There was great resistance from people in the Traffic Department who felt there would be all kinds of problems,” such as congestion, says Bill Dennis of Moule & Polyzoides’ Albuquerque office. But so far, there has been no traffic problem at all, he says. Meanwhile, the affected streets became “friendlier for the pedestrian and the car,” he says. Vehicles move more slowly, making it easier for pedestrians to cross the street and making it less dangerous for a motorist to back into a parking space. Stores can attract customers from two directions, so the influence on retailers has been positive. Luisa Lindsey, president of the Downtown Action Team, a nonprofit business improvement district, said marketing had shown that some people shunned downtown because they found the one-way streets confusing and frustrating. The main drag, Central Avenue, was already a two-way thoroughfare, but most downtown streets had been made one-way long ago to move traffic faster. The cost is expected to total about $3 million to change traffic signals and street signs, add parking meters, widen some sidewalks, install decorative concrete crosswalks, restripe pavement, and add landscaping. But the downtown is gaining as many new on-street parking spaces as would be supplied by a $7 million parking garage. It’s quite a bargain. The work will be completed by next Thanksgiving.