Consultant Comment

Interesting comment from our consultants that are drafting the downtown Carbondale comprehensive plan, a blog reader pointed out. From the Southern:

Committee Member D. Gorton said he would like to see the two-way traffic on Illinois Avenue at least remain a possibility.

Fellow Committee Member and Longbranch Café Owner Elaine Ramseyer said the U.S. 51 street being controlled by the city is a critical move, and she would hate to see the plan not recommend it.

“So many things hinge on that,” she said.

The committee has mentioned in the past that if the city had control of Illinois Avenue, it could host city festivals and events when it wanted instead of being granted permission from the Illinois Department of Transportation. Also, a desire to slow down traffic has been a concern on the busy road.

Nik Davis of Houseal Lavigne said the doors aren’t completely closed on obtaining ownership of the street, but it didn’t make sense under current conditions to recommend it. He said the group would recommend taking out a parking lane at the very least, plus possibly a bike lane and the ability to have outdoor dining because of accessibility laws.

“I would hate to put something in this document just because people really want it,” Davis said. “We didn’t hear two-way conversion from the community. We heard more about access to easier parking.”

Why in the world would you not put something in the document that people want? I assume Davis means that no-one brought up two way traffic on Illinois but since it has been a topic of conversation for over a year, it is rather surprising that he didn't hear anything about it.