If last week’s turn of events is any indication, the two-way Pacific Avenue plan that activists had criticized for moving too fast might have been doing just that. Last week, the Downtown Association withdrew its fast-tracked $20,000 proposal to re-design the street for a two-way traffic trial run that would have launched during the holiday season.
If last week’s turn of events is any indication, the two-way Pacific Avenue plan that activists had criticized for moving too fast might have been doing just that. Last week, the Downtown Association withdrew its fast-tracked $20,000 proposal to re-design the street for a two-way traffic trial run that would have launched during the holiday season.
The reason for the sudden shift? The fire department determined on Thursday, Nov. 7, that two-way traffic on downtown’s iconic street would take up too much space, preventing fire engines from maneuvering around the street’s tight corners. Councilmember Katherine Beiers and Vice Mayor Don Lane had acknowledged that the plan was moving quickly.
“Clearly it is a fast and short process, and maybe we can get the job done in two weeks,” Lane had said at an Oct. 26 city council meeting where council unanimously agreed to schedule two more meetings on the matter.
The fire department came to its realization the same day as a scheduled Public Works meeting that was subsequently canceled—and five days before council was scheduled to vote on the three-month-long trial run. The trial would have launched Dec. 2.
The fire department had a trial run of its own complete with engines of to see if they would fit on the street after the traffic change.
“It knocked over a few cones,” said Beiers, who stood and watched the big ladder truck try to weave around Pacific early that morning.
“We found out pretty easily and without any cost that it wouldn’t work as proposed,” says Mayor Ryan Coonerty.
Coonerty went to the Downtown Association on Thursday and let them know about the latest developments. That’s when the Association decided to withdraw its proposal, thereby triggering the cancellation of the Public Works meeting scheduled for later that day. (Public Works would have to remove parking in order to make room for a real two-way scenario.)
A market analysis by retail expert Bob Gibbs determined that altering the street for two-way traffic could create a 20-30 percent jump in sales virtually overnight. Lane says the new delay will allow council to look on the 104-page Gibbs retail market analysis in its entirety—not just the much-discussed two-way Pacific paragraphs. Gibbs’s report also says the downtown area has an oversaturation of alcohol establishments and that, citywide, Santa Cruz could accommodate 60,000 additional square feet of retail, including a possible Target, Home Improvement and Dave & Busters.
According to Gibbs, that could amount to $250 million in sales per year. Gibbs also endorses the city’s Wayfinding program to make the city more navigable.
“Probably now that the proposals are withdrawn, it will take a long time to answer some questions,” said Lane.
