Downtown need a makeover? More cities are razing urban highways

[thelakelander]

I don't think they should be four lane one-way streets but yes, they should still connect with the Matthews Bridge.

[Charles Hunter]

How much of the State/Union traffic is going to/from downtown, how much to points west and southwest of downtown?  It would not be practical to route that traffic north along MLK to retrace the miles south along I-95.

I read a book once, a long time ago, that one of the conscious decisions of planners in the 1950s and 60s was to route expressways along, or near, the 'boundaries' where white and black communities met, to serve as a barrier.

[Steve_Lovett]

Yep, In all seriousness I think hart bridge expressway needs to go.  Main street I'm not so sure of.

True.  It would restore traffic into the downtown street grid, make Metro Park more accessible, and improve the interface between the sports/stadium district and the river.  Cities such as Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco have removed or are removing highways from their waterfronts to make way for parks and civic open space.

[thelakelander]

How much of the State/Union traffic is going to/from downtown, how much to points west and southwest of downtown?  It would not be practical to route that traffic north along MLK to retrace the miles south along I-95.

Good question. I also wonder how much of that traffic goes northwest down Kings? Perhaps it's not the best solution for moving automobiles but maybe it's time to admit that placing a higher priority on automobile movement over other forms of mobility has played a major role in the creation of the horrible condition of our core today. Truly turning things around will have to also involve transportation planning where the automobile is no more a higher priority than walking, cycling and using mass transit in the core city.