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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 24, 2005 Diverse ideas for downtown voiced By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings Pedestrian access and parking availability are emerging as the two most important issues to the continued success of downtown Ashland, according to a mixed group of business owners and concerned residents who met Wednesday night to discuss updating the city's downtown plan. Generally, business owners expressed concern with a perceived lack of parking for their patrons and employees. The otherwise unaffiliated citizens focused on traffic congestion and pedestrian usability. At the end of a lengthy discussion in which many from both perspectives voiced their opinions on these matters, many seemed to conclude that neither of these issues is mutually exclusive. "I've heard like 50 good ideas here tonight," one man said at the second city meeting to update the downtown plan. "If we can just get together and find the right balance and the right options we're going to come out with a dramatic increase to our town." At the first meeting in the process, held last month, Community Development Director John McLaughlin said that improvements to the pedestrian areas of downtown "generated the greatest amount of comments." Though increased parking options were brought up continually, pedestrian needs, according to McLaughlin, were still among the most important issues to those in attendance. "What I'm hearing is we need to find ways to make downtown a better place for pedestrians," he said. "I'm hearing some clear points on direction here." One resident, who lives downtown, says walkers are becoming increasingly "intimidated" by the ever-growing number of cars driving to and through the downtown area. McLaughlin noted that downtown Ashland now hosts more car trips per day than does Interstate 5. In a separate interview, he said both Siskiyou Boulevard and Lithia Way have more 15,000 car trips on them per day. He said the idea of making an auto-free zone in a section of the downtown has surfaced, though there are not yet plans to do so. Several business people responded that car and truck traffic is an integral part of their continued success. To limit traffic, either cars or truck deliveries, would put a strain on the downtown economy. McLaughlin said that, taken as a whole, the downtown businesses are the largest employer in Ashland. "How important are businesses to this community," asked Ron Hansen. "If they are an 8 or a 10, then we have to address their concerns. If not, then that's OK too." McLaughlin also floated the idea of reducing East Main Street to two lanes of traffic, and replacing the parallel parking spots with angled spots that would increase the overall number of on-street spots. "It's just a concept," he said. "I'm only throwing it out there." Such a project would severely hamper the downtown for the duration of the necessary construction, he said. "This would be a major undertaking," he said. Other ideas to that were mentioned to help curtail traffic congestion and assist with the downtown economy were a jitney service, increased public transportation, another parking facility and increased traffic signals and/or increased enforcement of existing traffic regulations. McLaughlin said a downtown sounding board would be formed to help steer the direction of the plan update. He said the mayor would appoint people to this advisory commission but the public, at large, would not be taken out of the process. Anyone interested in being named to the downtown sounding board should send an e-mail to the Ashland community development office at [email protected]. Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x 3040 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams