JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two-way streets are back in Downtown Jacksonville after decades of cars only being able to go one way.
Portions of Adams and Forsyth streets have switched back, which the city says will make the area safer for pedestrians and help traffic flow better.
Adams Street has a mix of businesses, banks and restaurants.
City leaders, including Mayor Donna Deegan and Director of Public Works Nina Sickler, explained why they say this was a priority.
“It is about place making,” Deegan said. “Creating a downtown that reflects the energy, diversity and innovation that Jacksonville deserves.”
“Businesses along these roads can fully welcome customers again,” Sickler said during a news conference Wednesday morning. “Visitors will find a more inviting, walkable corridor, designed with people and not just cars in mind.”
Construction began earlier this year to convert nearly 10 blocks on both Adams and Forsyth to two-way traffic from Jefferson to Liberty streets.
According to the city, restoring two-way streets downtown has been a priority in the master plan for quite some time.
Andrew Goebel owns a website design business that sits on Forsyth Street and has a positive outlook on the change.
“You have ability to drive on both sides, park on both sides,” Goebel said. “We will have two way traffic passing our signage. I think that is cool.”
People like Thomas Touhy, who walks in this area almost every day, says it is going to take some time getting used to this.
“I do a lot of walking around here and I’m going to have to be very, very mindful and looking both ways now,” Touhy said. “Normally if I’m on Adams, I would just look to my right.”
Touhy feels that this can have significant benefits for the city.
“I think that sometimes people shy away from going to a business that they want to go to because it is hard to get to or it is one more block or whatever it is,” he said. “They have to go around the block. I can’t find parking whatever it is.”
RELATED: There are 10 major downtown projects in the works. Here’s when they are expected to be completed
The city says converting these streets back to two-way will:
- Boost streetside property values
- Lead to economic growth
- Encourage more on-street parking and rideshare services
- Make the areas more walkable and safer for pedestrians
“Restoring two-way streets is proven to encourage economic growth, boost property values, and support more efficient use of on-street parking and rideshare services,” the city said. “It also enhances retail visibility and occupancy rates, improves walkability and pedestrian safety, increases sidewalk activity, and elevates residential demand and quality of life.”
Some people News4JAX spoke with in the past said they were not on board with the two-way conversions for a few different reasons, including believing they would lead to more head-on crashes, it will increase traffic backups and many would have a difficult time adjusting to new traffic patterns.
Sickler said the city needed to revert back to two-way streets even though they served as a one-way roads for several decades.
“One-way streets were instituted in the 1980s in order to move cars faster, but it made it more difficult to access the businesses and get to where you are going in terms of folks who are visiting downtown,” Sickler said. “Moving them back to two-way helps to make sure that folks will get to a business. They do not have to go multiple times around a block to try and find the entrance and find parking.”
The work also included more signaling, paving, parking kiosks and expanding the sidewalks.
Some say the real test of effectiveness is going to come with big-time events, like the Fourth of July fireworks, concerts and Jags games.
“I thought originally, ‘Oh, no. We are so used to having two lanes going one way, especially for big events. Like when people are leaving the stadium in mass and heading one way or another.’ We will see how that goes I guess. Maybe there will be some more traffic in those situations.”
There are some signs that are coming down by the end of the day Thursday, so people won’t be confused.
However, the portion of Adams Street from Liberty to Market Streets, which is one block, will remain one-way.
To add to the revitalization, the city plans to expand sidewalks, add tree canopies, and streetscapes, as the mayor says that will bring vibrancy.
That part of the project is expected to be done by late 2026.
Sickler says the city is looking into making parts of Julia and Pearl Streets as two-way streets in the future.
