Conversion of Market, Jefferson Streets to two-way traffic postponed

Lang
4/7/21

The planned conversion of Market and Jefferson Streets to two-way traffic has been postponed.

Tuesday night the Iowa City city council voted to postpone the conversion due to a lack of funds. City Manager Geoff Fruin noted that the project is not an immediate priority, meaning the city can return to it when funds become available. He added that traffic signals along the streets will need to be replaced in five to ten years, which would be a good time to revisit the plan.

The proposal to convert Market and Jefferson to two-way streets has received wide support from Iowa City residents, Northside business owners and city officials. More cities are moving away from one-way streets, with many considering the traffic configuration as outdated.

There is precedent for the conversion. In 2012 the city converted multiple blocks of East Washington Street downtown from one-way to two-way traffic.