On May 15th, the Tacoma City Council will consider an ordinance to designate St. Helens Avenue a one-way southbound street between Market Street and South 9th Street. This proposal received a unanimous “do pass” vote from the council’s economic development committee last month.
That same week, people nationwide will be participating in “Bike to Work Week,” and, laudably, the city is promoting a number of related events. The irony is that closing St. Helens to uphill traffic will actually discourage potential bicycle commuters, as it is one of the only gradual slopes bicyclists can take into the north and central parts of the city from the downtown core.
Numerous studies and empirical evidence suggest that one-way streets tend to encourage motorists to drive faster, meaning a road less safe for both cyclists and pedestrians. This traffic revision will also shuttle drivers down the hill to the Highway 705 on-ramp rather than encourage them to stay in the downtown core.
Traffic engineering limitations related to the Broadway Local Improvement District make it impossible to leave the parking as-is along St. Helens while maintaining the two-way flow of traffic. But even if it means less parking, two-way traffic on St. Helens is the only logical choice, for the sake of pedestrians, bicyclists, the environment and yes, business owners, who will surely benefit from drivers traveling slowly enough to notice their stores. I encourage others to contact the council to make their voice heard on this issue.
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