Wes Blackman "Beating a dead horse": Converting the City's one-way streets back to two-way like they once were

The push-back I get writing about converting one-way streets back to two-way (here in Lake Worth, for example) is confronting deep held beliefs and biases the car culture has created: vis-à-vis keeping cars as far away as possible from other vehicles and people makes the street safer. It doesn't. Wider lanes and fewer obstructions gives motorists a false sense of security and hence they drive faster, most well above the posted speed limits.

Here is another article about this in CityLab titled, "The Many Benefits of Making One-Way Streets Two-Way". Here are some of the benefits they cite:

• Traffic safety: Cars drive slower; have to be more aware of surroundings
• Reduction in crime: Slower 'getaway' options for criminals and more eyes on the street from different directions
• Property values: Read the section in article on appreciated home values on streets converted to two-way

Here are the opening paragraphs from the article in CityLab:

     From a traffic engineering perspective, one-way streets are all about speed. [emphasis added] Without the danger of oncoming traffic, one-way streets can feel like an invitation to hit the gas. But swift traffic flow isn’t the only factor by which progressive cities judge their streets, and as safety and livability become more important, a number of metros have found the case for converting one-way streets into two-way streets a compelling one.
     Count Louisville among the believers. In 2011, the city converted two one-way streets (Brook and 1st) in the Old Louisville part of town. Though originally designed as two-way streets, Brook and 1st became one-way after World War II, in keeping with the car-first engineering of the time. In championing the change, local official David James cited the need for calmer streets and economic development.
     A pair of planning scholars has evaluated just how well the safety and economic claims held up following the street conversions. In a word: very.

This is a post about an article in WonkBlog, Emily Badger's thoughts on one-way streets. Note that this is one of the most popular posts on my blog. I wonder why that is?