favrely, check-out http://www.ti.org/vaupdate30.html#Econ
This cites a few studies that show that coupled one-way streets (like Milwaukee and Court Streets) are far safer for drivers and pedestrians. Economically, 'Converting one-way to two-way streets is "a huge waste of money," says Fabian Bandoni, Cambridge's former director of engineering. St. Petersburg, for example, estimates that it will cost nearly $150,000 to convert each major intersection that is changed from one way to two way.'

I'll play "Devil's Advocate" here...
While in Seattle a couple of months ago, they have quite a few one-ways, downtown. Being an "out-of-towner" I must admit, the one ways moved faster and trying to pay attention to WHERE we needed to go, got in the way of checking out the businesses we drove by. It is true, on two way roads, with stop lights and traffic, it really does allow you time to check out all the area has to offer.

Downtown USE to be two way. Then, a "study" determined one ways would enhance the downtown. That was back when downtown Janesville was thriving, BEFORE the Eastside developed.

Now that there is nothing (for the most part) to bring people to the downtown area, I don't see how going back to two way traffic will help.

Downtown is a "dead duck" as far as I can see.

Vector,
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Use Milwaukee Street in the winter because it would also be two-way.

"The study put the cost of converting the city's two main downtown streets at between $481,550 and $1.78 million."

Downtown traffic works just fine. This expense would be a ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money, especially since since they would be the ones inconvenienced by the changes. Seems somebody wants to play taxpayers for stupid. If this plan goes forward, I can predict that traffic over the other bridges will increase dramatically.

Does Janesville really need to undertake a project like this now? Unnecessary spending, I say...I agree that these roads should remain one-way streets. I really doubt changing the flow of traffic will increase anything other than accidents during bad weather....

How is Court street hill in the winter any different than Centerway at Parker, Center at Rockport, Wright at Ruger, or St Lawrence at Main? Each are steep inclines with a stop at the bottom. Using Court street hill in the winter as a reason not to convert is just plain silly.

Seriously, cars have trouble going up Court Street hill in winter - how are they going to come down? I've been forced sideways, slid backwards and stuck going up that hill at different times in my life - if this goes through I'll have the added challenge of dodging oncoming traffic sliding downhill. For what?

Really ?!? What a waste. Museums, tunnels, ice rinks, sidewalks, now two-way streets? Wake up, City Council !! Nobody has extra money to throw at WANTS - let's concentrate on NEEDS !!

Why spend the money when the economic state of the city is already crippled? Leave it alone and revisit the issue in 5 years or when jobs and the economic state has improved significantly.

The expense of converting Milwaukee and Court Streets is a waste of precious city resources. Any study that says such a coversion is the key to revitalizing downtown runs counter to both common sense and reality.

This is just Another "pie in the sky" proposal. If the city had saved all of the money it and others have paid for "studies" for the downtown, they could have built an entire new downtown with new building and new streets with the money. "Lord o Lord when will they ever learn?"

Converting them to 2 ways is gonna create alot more problems than they think. How much gridlock is gonna happen if someone wants to turn left from milwaukee to lets say jackson st and theres no turn lane (isnt gonna be enough room for turn lanes if they keep parking)? What about delivery trucks that need to stop on milwaukee that may block traffic lanes so they can unload?

I dont want to think how slow traffic is gonna be mid day on Milwaukee down to one lane. Its slow at times with THREE LANES going the same direction.

Or come winter on west bound traffic coming down Court st hill. Predict a LOT of crashes.

Its money that should be used for USEFULL things, not wasted on dumb ideas like this. As said before, downtown has been dead for well more than a decade.

"They" shut down the original Circuit because there was too much traffic. That worked a bit too well -- kind of like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. Kids stopped going there, but so did everyone who didn't care to end up heading out of town on Court Street past Five Points with no easy way to get back. Lot's of towns (e.g. Brodhead and Madison) intentionally have one-way streets that go in a circuit allowing drivers to look for businesses and parking spots while they drive around a couple times. It works, especially for older people and those who may not be real familiar with the area.
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Bring back the "real Circuit" and the downtown would thrive (and it would be a lot cheaper and safer than two-way streets).

I will support this total waste of money as long as the city sends the bill to the business' who will benefit from it. The streets were this way for 60+ years, if you wanted your business on a two way street, then you have had plenty of time to move it there, or not to have put it there in the first place.

Now we can't be giving tax money to small businesses or any type of grants or loans. Like Ron Johnson said " Government doesn't create jobs".

doc: many of us enjoy the downtown... rather, we prefer it, when possible, to the disgusting big box store area of town.

Convert Milwaukee all the way. Leave Court Street alone east of five points. Split Court Street at five points, left lane goes to Milwaukee Street, and right lane goes to east bound Court Street.
Cheaper yet, plus the solution is tested.

What a mess!

The downtown business in the City of Janesville died many years ago and when it was a thriving place to be both Milwaukee and Court streets were one way so why would anyone with common sense think that turning them into two way streets would be the missing ingredient to making it so much better (I can see it now, two way streets WOW forget about going to the mall I want to shop downtown!) Get real and quit wasting money! There is plenty of room on the south side of Janesville for businesses that need help to grow and yet the City keeps wanting to resurect this dead horse at any cost, I see that most of you already agree with this and I would surly hope that someone in charge down at City headquarters has the sense to just move on and quit trying to do something that will never happen, first they tear down the parking ramps then they spend millions to rebuild a parking ramp at the very site that the old one was on, and how's that working out for ya. Stop the insanity!!!!!!

lovemycountry/ Federal and state funds are in place to attract business, tax breaks by the city are an even bigger attraction. Marketing to a small select group is a good idea but won't solve the overall business problem. Funding a service is not going to help anyone, bringing in business, creating jobs, and rebuilding opportunity in this city is.

Think ahead. Janesville is not going to bounce back from the loss of big manufacturing unless NEW business moves in. Cultivating this takes time. We have plenty of small business in place in the downtown stretch, let's increase sales by offering the slower 2-way traffic lanes and creating angle parking. When sales increase, we become an attraction for more business in that area and around the city. I would like to get out of this economic fall and get things back to normal. I understand the only way you can do this is to begin spending money to make things happen. If we sit with our hands guarding our wallets, nothing will happen and we will fail.

I thought this horse was dead

Other uses for $1M in Janesville...
- Give 10 small businesses $100k loans to relocate to Janesville, or 20 businesses $50k loans, and bring jobs here.
- Give 40 artists $25k grants and create a large downtown art community, attracting tourist dollars from across the state.
- Fund a homeless center for 5-10 years
- Fund a youth center for 5-10 years
- Fund a drug treatment center for 5 years

Yep leave it like it is.

Cost estimated $0 leave it like it is.

Keep one way BUT put in angle parking. How difficult it that; it was done years ago