Unidentified, I couldn't agree with you more that the downtown SHOULD have two-way traffic and amenities such as tinted pavement. The question is who will pay for them; the BID was rejected and with it a structure for numerous improvement projects that could otherwise have been moved forward.
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I have no real response to the defeatists who believe that downtown is "gone". It is in fact still the home of three local bank headquarters, the city and county administration, numerous professional firms (law and accounting), and so forth. No, it is not the retail mecca anymore. But you can go down there yourself and see that there is still activity. The JPAC and Armory are downtown, the Senior Center is downtown, and several of Janesville's more interesting restaurants are downtown. It has even developed a "theme" of thrift shops. The question is not how we reverse time and bring back the 1950s. The question is what we do with the downtown district that we have.

"They" were talking about a bridge overpass/underpass for the 5-Points for decades before "roundabout" became a buzz word.
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It's taking quite a while, but the old buildings are thinning out in downtown Janesville. I remember when Merchants and Savings Bank, Sears (basement and two floors) and their automotive building facing River Street, and Wisconsin Power & Light had buildings across Milwaukee Street from where Woolworth's (the turkey dinner and a banana split was my usual fare) was. I originally got my haircuts as a child in a barbershop on east side of the block from the old Post Office. That building is gone. I later got haircuts at the barbershop across the street from the new Public Library building, before they renovated (gone), and later across the river where the barbershop had moved to when the library pushed them out (also gone).
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I used to see movies at Myers Theater (gone) and Jeffris Theater (gone). I was only ever in the old Rock County Sheriff's Department building (along the river) once, as part of a school tour. I used to park in the city parking structure at the corner of Parker Drive and Wall Street, to shop at the Janesville Sports Shop. We've recently seen the old buildings get razed to make room for the new police station.
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Even if the buildings had been kept up, and the problems of inadequate traffic and parking space could be solved, a "downtown" district is comprised of individual businesses and those are fast becoming a thing of the past. When I was a child, I remember a choice of McDonalds or A&W for chain restuarants. The other dining choices I recall were the Triangle Cafe on Washington Street, The Sizzlin' Grill downtown, the Steak House on Court treet, and Cozy Inn for Chinese food. They depended on local customers. Chain restaurants build large and depend upon transient traffic for customers. Economy of size has replaced hometown businesses with chain stores that can buy in volume and spend a lot on advertising. They want a lot of space and proximity to major highways.
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The Cornerstone Restaurant tried to franchise itself afer a makeover and renaming to Milwaukee Grill. Local office supply stores have been replaced by Staples and Office Max. Local sporting goods stores have been replaced by Gander Mountain. Family-owned lumber yards are being edged out by Menards and Home Depot. Even some the local banks have been bought out by larger financial institutions. The Beloit Mall proved that even big name franchise stores can't make it in a downtown area.

It doesn't have to be though. I read about Woolworths from longtimegone, I wasn't alive when it was here, but my grandma worked there forever. I would love to see a restaurant that is affordable and offers everyday, joe six-pack food at reasonable prices (and it shouldn't be in a bar). I agree that our downtown has a lot to offer because of the river, etc. I don't know much about this, but I'm wondering why the river was damned up right down there? There are other cities where you can take your boats right down the river, dock them, and go walk around downtown and eat, etc. Too bad that isn't an option for Janesville in the summer months, it would be a blast!

Downtown is on Milton Avenue.

It's been that way for over 30 years.

janesvillean: Jackson and Franklin were steps in the right direction, but until the main traffic through downtown is two way it's not enough. I would argue that the city is going to spend more money, both in the past and in the future, trying to revitalize downtown other ways, than to simply make a two way road. In addition, the city should make the road out of some type of colored cement or bricks to bring an warmer more inviting feeling to the area. Various parts of Galina use stained cement, which adds a nice look. It wouldn't hurt if the city did something other than the lame parade and farmers market downtown also. Why not shut the Milwaukee and Main street down and have festivals there a few times a year?

Oh, please tell me that you aren't serious about a round-a-bout at the five points?!?!?
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I can't wrap my head around the headache of that considering the tracks right there.
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The city would need to buy up two or three blocks, including the Walgreens and the car wash and the gas station, then center the round-a-bout several hunderd yards east of the tracks.
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Oh, my head hurts...must take Excedrin now.

Unidentified, Jackson and Franklin have both been returned to two-way traffic for their entire lengths. Court and Milwaukee are more difficult. The Five Points in particular would require a major overhaul including relocating islands and lights. The city has held off on that expensive proposition despite agreeing with the urban planners, retailers, and you that two-way traffic is desirable.
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I know the idea of a roundabout has been floated for Five Points, but when that work could be scheduled and paid for is up in the air.

I've said this a million times, but unless they make the streets downtown two-way with slanted parking, then downtown will never get better. It is a PITA to park down there and if I pass something I generally don't loop around the block a second time.

Ditto Long_Time_Gone :)
Really enjoyed visiting the downtown area when I was a kid. Buying school clothes from Sears in the blue building, standing and watching the river float an occasional limb by, movies at the Jeffris Theater and I just loved Woolworth's diner...the best hamburgers, fries and oooo those heavenly chocolate malts. Can remember one wall section with women's aprons displayed including gauzy, frilly ones for holiday dinners and one of the female clerks wore white plastic frame cat-eye glasses. God love her!

One of the problems with a purely voluntary effort is that there are never enough volunteers, and they get tired of doing things that benefit the non-volunteers without getting any help from them. In economics this is called the "free rider problem".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_rider_...
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I would still like to know, since there has been no list published, if either the supporters or opponents can be characterized as primarily retail, primarily service, or primarily property owners. We know that the petition was signed by property owners. Did the leasing business owners have a different outcome in mind?

When I was a kid growing up in Janesville, downtown was everything. We took the bus to the library, checked out records to tape record later at home, we walked over to Woolworths to sit in the diner there and drink Malts, maybe stop in at Jack's Shoe Rack to pick out stuff for a later visit with our parents...then the mall was built.
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Downtown Janesville is beatiful, with the river, the courthouse, those big homes...I commend the community for at least trying to pass new ideas.
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The BID was not a failure, it works here in SE WI, but it still got folks creating new thoughts on the future of that downtown.

Couple skyscrapers with big business all lined up to move in. Good Luck!