In a recent government meeting, city planners presented three conceptual designs aimed at improving traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and parking in the downtown area. The discussions centered on enhancing Market Street, Washington Street, and Pacific Avenue, with a focus on balancing vehicle movement with increased pedestrian and bicycle accessibility.

The first concept proposes narrowing Market and Washington Streets to one lane while maintaining one-way traffic. This design aims to slow down vehicles and create more pedestrian space, including dedicated bicycle lanes on Washington and Pacific. The plan also suggests closing the south side of Boisvert to create a flexible plaza for community events, while the north side would retain some parking.

Concept two introduces a two-way Washington Street, which would facilitate northbound and southbound traffic without stop signs or signals, thereby reducing congestion on Pacific Avenue. This design includes angled parking and dedicated loading zones, while Market Street would see the removal of mid-block crossings to streamline traffic flow.

The third concept features a meandering roadway along Market Street to slow traffic and enhance sidewalk space. It retains some mid-block crossings and proposes angled parking on the north side of Boisvert, increasing overall parking capacity.

City officials emphasized the importance of public feedback, noting that an online survey had recently closed, gathering community input on the proposed designs. They acknowledged that not all ideas would resonate with everyone, but expressed a commitment to refining the concepts based on public preferences.

Next steps include further design development and cost estimation, with plans for a third open house in mid-November to present the preferred concept to the public. City staff will also continue discussions with emergency services to ensure safety considerations are integrated into the final designs. The meeting concluded with a commitment to ongoing community engagement as the project progresses.