Downtown Racine Consultants: Ax One-Ways; Revive Monument Square

Aug. 1, 2019 10:50p

(WGTD)---Dramatic changes are ahead for downtown Racine if all of the recommendations put forth Thursday night by a team of consultants come to pass.

The consultants were hired by the city several months ago to study various aspects of traffic flow and parking along with Monument Square. They've visited the city on several occasions, studying the area, meeting with city staff and holding listening and public planning sessions. 

The idea, they said, is to create a much more vibrant and robust downtown, using design changes and public improvements to draw private investment. 

At a meeting attended by about 60 residents at the Johnson Building, the consultants recommended converting almost all one-way streets to two-way traffic, reducing the number of Main Street traffic lanes in each direction from two to one, creating bike paths and making sidewalks wider. 

Parking meters would be pulled and replaced with a high-tech system of collecting payments. Traffic signals would be replaced with four-way stops. Truck traffic on Main would be shifted to the west. Truck drivers making deliveries to businesses on Main would be required to park in designated areas on side streets.

As for Monument Square, the planners envision adjusting traffic lanes to create a wider space by some 30 ft. A rejuvenated square would include more trees, an amphitheater and in winter, a skating rink. 

"We really went around and around on what makes a great square and what makes Monument Square really unique," said Ken Ray, a landscape designer for Toole Design, one of two firms that were hired by the city. He said the aim is to give the Square greater identity, develop a seasonal strategy and create special events that would occur almost on a nightly basis. . 

Other suggestions included improving the line-of-sight from Monument Square to the lake by creating a small lakefront park. 

The relatively new round-a-bout east of City Hall would be removed, since traffic on Washington entering the downtown area would become two-way.

Residents who attended the presentation Thursday evening seemed to be in general pleased. No negative comments were received. 

Final decisions will be up to the mayor and city council.

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