Input Topic: Ashman & Rodd Two-Way Conversion

Non-Motorized Transportation

An important component of modern street design is including safety and access considerations for pedestrians and non-motorized transportation. (Non-motorized transportation can include walking, biking, rollerblading, scooting, or other human-powered transportation methods.) The right lanes of Ashman and Rodd streets currently contain a "sharrow" and signage to indicate that the roadway should be shared with cyclists. In a two-way configuration, Ashman and Rodd could have extra road capacity that could potentially be utilized for other purposes. 

While one-way streets can have fewer potential conflict points for pedestrians and non-motorized users than two-way streets, two-way streets typically promote slower traffic speeds and more cautious driver behavior and lead to fewer pedestrian-vehicle collisions.Click here for more information on designing for non-motorized transportation.

Based on the information provided to you above, please provide any comments or concerns you have regarding non-motorized transportation only. Please note: Regardless of a conversion of Ashman and Rodd to two-way traffic, there is an opportunity to examine non-motorized transportation access and usage in this area. Feedback on this topic can include suggestions for non-motorized use should Ashman and Rodd remain one-way. 

Impacts on Other Services in the Corridor

Ashman and Rodd Streets are home to many key services and destinations for Midlanders. While these services are not managed nor provided by the City of Midland , we understand that some residents may be concerned with how access to these amenities could change if a two-way conversion were implemented. 

For reference: The photo to the right shows a possible design rendering of Rodd Street at Reardon Street near Central Park Elementary. This is not a final design, but is provided to give some context to what a potential conversion could look like. (You can find this rendering and others in larger PDF form here.)

• Postal Service drop boxes: The Midland post office currently offers curbside drop boxes on Rodd Street across from its location. In the event a conversion is implemented, the City will coordinate with the US Postal Service to find new locations that provide for drive-up drop off service.
• Access to Central Park Elementary School: Midland Public Schools will evaluate any changes to school bus routes within the area and make needed adjustments to bus routes and schedules for all students that would be impacted should a conversion be implemented. Access to and from Central Park Elementary School are anticipated to be made available from either direction on Rodd Street should a conversion be implemented.

Based on the information provided above, please provide any comments or concerns relevant to impact on other services located within the Ashman and Rodd corridors only.

Impact on City Services

As with any other potential infrastructure change, City departments have reviewed the potential conversion of Ashman and Rodd to two-way traffic to determine what, if any, impact a change would have on their service offerings to the community. The following impacts were noted:

• Midland Police Department and Midland Fire Department are supportive of a conversion to two-way traffic, as this provides easier and more direct access for first responders to properties on the Ashman and Rodd corridors.
• The City's Department of Public Services (DPS) has determined that two-way traffic flow on these streets will provide more efficient delivery of services such as collection services (refuse, recycling, heavy item collection, etc.), snow plowing, and street sweeping. Collection days and priority of service for residents along the Ashman and Rodd corridors will remain the same.

Based on the information provided above, please provide any comments or concerns relevant to impact on City services only.

Economic Development

As Ashman and Rodd Streets are key thoroughfares connecting the City's two business districts, Downtown and Center City, and intersect with the Midtown area, these streets play a pivotal role in the economic vitality of our community. Both the Center City Authority and Downtown Development Authority have considered the positive impact a two-way traffic profile on Ashman and Rodd Streets would have on their business districts. Click the links for more information on these boards' previous considerations of an Ashman and Rodd conversion to two-way traffic.

How a two-way street improves economic opportunities:

• Increases visibility for businesses and service providers located along the corridor
• Provides better, more direct access to businesses and service providers located along the corridor
• Improves navigability for visitors trying to find a location
• Can make an area more attractive for residential and commercial investment 
  • Click here for more information on this.

For reference: The photo to the right shows a possible design rendering of Ashman Street at Main Street in Downtown Midland. This is not a final design, but is provided to give some context to what a potential conversion could look like. (You can find this rendering and others in larger PDF form here.)

Based on the information provided to you above, please provide any comments or concerns you have related to economic development only.

Traffic Safety

One of the most important factors to consider with any street network change is safety. Do two-way streets provide a safer experience for all corridor users than one-way streets? In most cases, research says that two-way streets are safer because they encourage lower traffic speeds and increased driver attentiveness.

But what about traffic patterns?

The image to the right contains 2022 traffic counts at key intersections for Ashman and Rodd Streets as well as other major two-way streets with similar context (surroundings/uses) in the city limits. (You can find this image here in PDF form for a larger version.) In most cases, Ashman and Rodd are handling similar or even fewer vehicles per day with three one-way lanes than other majors are handling with single-lane two-way traffic. The traffic volumes seen by Ashman and Rodd are not significantly higher nor less manageable than other areas of the city.

Below are lists of a few pros and cons for comparing one-way and two-way streets from a safety perspective, along with some helpful links to read below some bullet points.(These links should open in a new browser window so you don't lose your place here.) For reference: The posted speed limit on Ashmand and Rodd Streets is 35 mph. That is not expected to change if a two-way conversion were to be implemented.

Pros

• Two-way streets encourage lower traffic speeds, which makes the corridor safer for all users and reduces the likelihood of crashes. 
  • Click here for more information on this.
• Two-way streets are more commonly encountered in the street network by all corridor users, so both motorists and pedestrians know how to navigate them effectively.
  • This is especially true for visitors or non-local corridor users who are unfamiliar with the area's street network and may not anticipate a one-way street.
  • Click here for more information on this.
• Two-way streets promote more attentive driver behavior, which reduces the likelihood of crashes and reduces speeds. This also decreases the need for extensive traffic enforcement on roadways. 
  • Click here for more information on this.

Cons

• Two-way streets require corridor users to look in both directions when navigating into traffic or crossing intersections.
  • Click here for more information on this.
• Two-way streets create the possibility of more conflict points for corridor users as traffic is traveling in both directions.

Based on the information provided to you above, please provide any comments or concerns you have relevant to traffic safety only.

Traffic Flow

The City's Complete Streets Policy, approved in 2010, directs City staff to review its street network to ensure it accommodates all forms of travel; including automobiles, bicycles, pedestrians, personal mobility devices, transit and freight. With this in mind, the City has been considering the future of Ashman and Rodd Streets since at least 2016 in conjunction with Downtown Development Authority, Center City Authority, and MDOT projects. 

While one-ways were traditionally designed to move as many vehicles as quickly as possible from one area to another, research has shown that two-way streets have been found to be as efficient (or even more efficient!) as one-way streets in individual trip-serving efficiency. Click here for more information about this. In February 2022, the City contracted engineering firm OHM Advisors to study Ashman and Rodd to determine if they could function efficiently as two-way streets. 

For reference: The photo to the right provides a summary chart of the findings from OHM's study of Ashman and Rodd. (You can read the full study and find this chart in PDF form here.)

Key takeaways from this study include:

• Both Ashman and Rodd Streets function at an acceptable level for traffic operations as one-way streets and can also meet this same requirement as two-way streets.
• The capacity of Ashman and Rodd is adequate with excess space for the volume of traffic they handle as one-way streets. While there would be less roadway capacity with a two-way street conversion, the ability of the streets to handle these traffic volumes remains adequate.
• For more information on traffic volumes currently found on Ashman and Rodd Streets, check out the "Traffic Safety" post in this survey.

Based on the information provided above, please provide any comments or concerns relevant to traffic flow within the Ashman and Rodd corridors only.