Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning July 2006 » Parking and Residential Streets-East Side « Previous Next »
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586luvfor313
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Username: 586luvfor313

Post Number: 6
Registered: 07-2006
Posted From: 209.64.87.68
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 3:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Just wondering if anyone know why back in late 70's the city of Detroit changed streets to One Way Streets? I grew up on 6 and Van Dyke and always wondered why a street that was once originally a 2 way street became a one way street.
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Jt1
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Username: Jt1

Post Number: 7619
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 198.208.159.19
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 3:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My guess and nothing more is that it was for traffic to move easier and for a larger lane of access and less on street parking.

If the roads were two lanes people park on both sides whereas one lane allows parking on only side. The rest of the lane is open for traffic.

The downfall as I see it is that people tend to drive faster through residential one way streets.

This is just purely a guess and nothing more.
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Ndavies
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Username: Ndavies

Post Number: 2020
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 129.9.163.105
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 3:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

One way streets are usually created to relieve congestion. One way streets can carry more cars than 2 way streets. In the 70's people were still switching over from public transit to cars. Congestion was up in the city.

Streets are being converted back to 2 way now that the congestion issue has been solved. They moved a bunch of jobs and people to the suburbs so they no longer have to drive down those streets.
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Hamtramck_steve
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Username: Hamtramck_steve

Post Number: 3118
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 136.181.195.17
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 3:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As more people started parking on the streets instead of their garage (or they owned more cars than their garages could hold), there wasn't room for someone to pull over to let opposing traffic through. One of the travelers would have to back up the street to find a spot. Concern grew about emergency services being able to get through.

There was also a specific concern about snow plowing on some streets one year, and the switch to one way was supposed to be "temporary." I can't remember the details, though.
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Eastsidedog
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Username: Eastsidedog

Post Number: 686
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 68.20.140.8
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 4:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

586luvfor313, There are also substantiated claims that one-way streets cause a decrease in bus ridership because you have to walk a block to take the bus in one direction and walk another block to to take the bus the other way - definitely inconvenient.

Also, one-way streets, like boulevards, encourage speeding.

(Message edited by eastsidedog on July 28, 2006)
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Dougw
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Username: Dougw

Post Number: 1246
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 68.77.161.41
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 11:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The one-way streets can probably be grouped into two categories:

1. Wide multi-lane one-way streets such as East Vernor, Charlevoix, Warren, Forest. (Ndavies' post applies more to these.)

2. Narrow residential one-way side streets such as Field, Townsend, Bewick, Hurlbut. (Hamsteve's post applies more to these.)

Actually Ndavies, do you have any examples in the city of one-ways being converted back to 2-ways? (Not disagreeing with you at all that the congestion issue has been solved... just hoping to find examples.)

(Message edited by Dougw on July 28, 2006)
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 63
Registered: 04-2006
Posted From: 205.188.116.137
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 11:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I would have assumed that those switches were made way before the 1970's.

I have been taking W. Warren Avenue (both by bus and car since the 1960's), and I can alway remember Warren and Forest being pairs.

I can remember a real old thread where Lowel talked about all of the traffic on streets like Second on the way home. I would assume that this was done prior to most freeways.
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Dougw
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Username: Dougw

Post Number: 1249
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 68.77.161.41
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2006 - 11:50 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yes, I know that Vernor & Charlevoix at least were converted to one-ways back in the 20's/30's, before the freeways. The residential side streets were converted more recently, I think.
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586luvfor313
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Username: 586luvfor313

Post Number: 7
Registered: 07-2006
Posted From: 205.188.116.137
Posted on Saturday, July 29, 2006 - 12:56 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks Guys... Actually I remeber the change happened in late 78-79 on my old street of Dobel. The reason I also remeber is it was also repaved just before they made the change.

To tell you the truth, its been about 8 years since I was down my old street. Last time I was there, and I really can't blame what happened. I was surronded by some in the neighborhood while driving down the street. I haven't been down there since. They most likely thought I was one of the Burb junkies coming down for my fix.

If it wasn't for those White Junkies that probably live in Macomb Township just like me, I would be able to visit my old hood.

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