The street in question.

 

Above: Existing Barstow cross-section.
Below: Possible two-way.

If you care about things like parking, bike and pedestrian friendliness, deliveries, or traffic flow on Barstow Street for the next half-century, April 7 might be your last chance to give your two cents. This will be the third public input meeting on the downtown riverfront reconstruction project being handled by the city and Ayres Associates (the firm hired for design). The first meeting presented the roughly 80 people present with random images of downtowns and asked for their reactions (likes/dislikes). The second presented a traffic study that showed street efficiency, congestion, and volume would not be much different on Barstow if it was one way or two way, as well as initial design options for the east bank of the riverfront from the confluence to Lake Street bridge. “The first meeting we listened, then we presented, and now we’re having a dialogue,” said Phil Johnson, of Ayres. The objective of the April 7 meeting, 6pm at RCU Headquarters, will be to get a recommendation of one-way or two-way for Barstow Street. “We can’t do any Barstow design until that issue is decided,” Johnson added. The firm and city intend to present images that show what Barstow would look like in each scenario, and how it would effect design elements like bumpouts and planters, parking, deliveries, and more. They will also show initial options for Eau Claire Street. Review all the materials thus far, make your comments, and stay in tune with what’s happening through AyresAssociates.com/ECDowntown/.