Downtown Street Conversion Shelved For Now

The Casper Downtown Development Authority shared results of a survey that asked property owners how they felt about changing downtown's one way streets to two ways.

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DDA board members met with Casper city council and told them their street conversion survey results don't make a strong statement either way. Peggy Brooker is Chairman of the DDA.

"We did not have a very good response from our survey."

A decision to table the $400 thousand dollar conversion project was the result of the meeting, but the conversation did turn to development of a strategic plan for the downtown.

"Its been over fifteen years since there's been a comprehensive plan for the future of downtown. It's time for us to take a look at how far we've come and where we can be in five to ten years. We need to look at the businesses we have, what we're missing, and how we can market new businesses to locate within the heart of the city."

Brooker says there are areas of the downtown they would like to market for both business and residential, but the DDA feels strongly one way streets are not conducive to business, nor to pedestrian safety. Both issues were sited from those responding in favor of the idea.

Brooker says there have been lots of studies done in other cities that support the idea.

"Some cities have spent up to a million dollars to change their one way streets back and, before a year is out, they're so pleased with the results they can't believe they didn't do it sooner."

Of 52 responses, 32 said they support a conversion to two way streets and 20 say they prefer the one way system.

Some of the reasons sited for maintaining one way streets were the cost of the conversion. Those in opposition say they like the speed and flow of traffic through downtown, that one ways don't require space for turn lanes and that's a good thing, and some believe its important to stay with what people are used to.