The Case AGAINST One-Way Streets
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Date: 2025-08-02
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Comments and reviews: 20
_PresidentSkillz
You missed quite a lot in this video. First of all, one-way-streets make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists etc bc when crossing a road, you only need to look one way, lowering the chance of missing and getting hit by a car. Second, while in america they might be common around highway entries/exits, in europe they are also employed for small streets in residental areas where kids might play on the street. And they are often used in old towns in narrow streets where two cars next to each other just wouldn't fit (though I would argue that pedestrianizing such a street would probably be the better option. Your arguments only target big one-way-streets in american downtowns, where flow of traffic is an actual important point, but there are so many other cases besides that one, and to most of them your arguments don't apply. Maybe do a follow-up video, as it seems im not the only one noticing this
In the area where i grew up in had one narrow street in a low-level residental area (mostly 1-2 family houses with a couple bigger blocks mixed in. And on that street the last like 50-100 meters before meeting the main road through the city were one-way, bc when coming out of that street onto the main road you would pretty much be fully hidden by hedges and fences of the neighbouring houses. So the city decided to only allow cars to drive in there from the main road, but not the other way round, making that intersection much safer. A well done one-way-street is an improvement to the area, not a hinderance we should get rid of
And i do believe that they can be used well on a large scale as well, like a giant roundabout around a city center that can then be pedestrianized much easier bc the traffic is routed around it and not into it anymore
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You missed quite a lot in this video. First of all, one-way-streets make it safer for pedestrians, cyclists etc bc when crossing a road, you only need to look one way, lowering the chance of missing and getting hit by a car. Second, while in america they might be common around highway entries/exits, in europe they are also employed for small streets in residental areas where kids might play on the street. And they are often used in old towns in narrow streets where two cars next to each other just wouldn't fit (though I would argue that pedestrianizing such a street would probably be the better option. Your arguments only target big one-way-streets in american downtowns, where flow of traffic is an actual important point, but there are so many other cases besides that one, and to most of them your arguments don't apply. Maybe do a follow-up video, as it seems im not the only one noticing this
In the area where i grew up in had one narrow street in a low-level residental area (mostly 1-2 family houses with a couple bigger blocks mixed in. And on that street the last like 50-100 meters before meeting the main road through the city were one-way, bc when coming out of that street onto the main road you would pretty much be fully hidden by hedges and fences of the neighbouring houses. So the city decided to only allow cars to drive in there from the main road, but not the other way round, making that intersection much safer. A well done one-way-street is an improvement to the area, not a hinderance we should get rid of
And i do believe that they can be used well on a large scale as well, like a giant roundabout around a city center that can then be pedestrianized much easier bc the traffic is routed around it and not into it anymore
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watcherManu
I don't think this is the perfect representation of one-way streets, that i know of (I live in Germany) - or the use cases that one-way streets should be implemented. One-way streets here are often used in narrow streets, residential- and mixed-use areas to slow traffic flow and make streets safer (e. g. for children)and prevent cramming(e. g. single lane, but both ways, but not for large stroads. If oneway streets are implemented here(in high traffic/car areas, then its mostly to either reduce the traffic and/or to get the cars out of the city.
The video is mainly about these stroads, which isnt the best use case for one-way streets. Of course people will think a large one-way street is an extension of the freeway, because that's what it practically is (5: 40. After 7: 00, the use cases for one-way streets become much clearer. Small streets where people and residents have priority. Use as part of stroads, highway extensions, and simply as a means to get to your destination the fastest seems to be the worst use case for one-way streets.
If you want to convert these types of larger streets into one-way streets, but still want to make them usable for pedestrians and/or businesses, the easiest way would be to convert one (or more) lane into public transportation. Pure Tram- or bus routes (also permanent lanes, for example, are a good way to reduce the issues that arise from turning it into a one-way street. Another, perhaps more permanent solution (which doesn't mean it's bad, is to widen the sidewalks and make the street seem way smaller, than it really is (trees and other visual indicators can be a great help. This way there will be less fast traffic and increase in safety for everyone.
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I don't think this is the perfect representation of one-way streets, that i know of (I live in Germany) - or the use cases that one-way streets should be implemented. One-way streets here are often used in narrow streets, residential- and mixed-use areas to slow traffic flow and make streets safer (e. g. for children)and prevent cramming(e. g. single lane, but both ways, but not for large stroads. If oneway streets are implemented here(in high traffic/car areas, then its mostly to either reduce the traffic and/or to get the cars out of the city.
The video is mainly about these stroads, which isnt the best use case for one-way streets. Of course people will think a large one-way street is an extension of the freeway, because that's what it practically is (5: 40. After 7: 00, the use cases for one-way streets become much clearer. Small streets where people and residents have priority. Use as part of stroads, highway extensions, and simply as a means to get to your destination the fastest seems to be the worst use case for one-way streets.
If you want to convert these types of larger streets into one-way streets, but still want to make them usable for pedestrians and/or businesses, the easiest way would be to convert one (or more) lane into public transportation. Pure Tram- or bus routes (also permanent lanes, for example, are a good way to reduce the issues that arise from turning it into a one-way street. Another, perhaps more permanent solution (which doesn't mean it's bad, is to widen the sidewalks and make the street seem way smaller, than it really is (trees and other visual indicators can be a great help. This way there will be less fast traffic and increase in safety for everyone.
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jpack85
Raleigh has a couplet that runs north and south on the near west side of downtown. It's in place in lieu of a freeway that was proposed to plow through the east side of downtown over 50 years ago. The speed of the two roads are 25 MPH, and the traffic lights are sequence to reward traveling at that speed, while punishing speeders by making them constantly stop and wait for the signal to change. IMO, and a walker who lives downtown, this is a much better solution than having a downtown that bisected by a freeway. When I have to cross this couplet (3 thru lanes each) by foot, I only have to look one way to cross. The couplet also is also different because they lack parallel parking, which keeps the roadway manageable for pedestrians and more visually aligned with the rest of downtown. Is it perfect No. Would I rather have a freeway plowing through downtown HELL NO! Over the last few decades, the city has been dismantling its one-way road network, street by street, but this North/South couplet will likely remain as the US401 corridor. Another N/S couplet exists on the east side of downtown, but it's not a US Highway signed route, and an E/W couplet also exists through downtown, but its one-way status keeps getting eroded over time, and I suspect that it may eventually be completely eradicated. These 2 pairs are fundamentally different from the US401 pair, and pass through active urban neighborhoods without noticeable damage to them. They are narrower, have street parking, and have more active sidewalk experiences.
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Raleigh has a couplet that runs north and south on the near west side of downtown. It's in place in lieu of a freeway that was proposed to plow through the east side of downtown over 50 years ago. The speed of the two roads are 25 MPH, and the traffic lights are sequence to reward traveling at that speed, while punishing speeders by making them constantly stop and wait for the signal to change. IMO, and a walker who lives downtown, this is a much better solution than having a downtown that bisected by a freeway. When I have to cross this couplet (3 thru lanes each) by foot, I only have to look one way to cross. The couplet also is also different because they lack parallel parking, which keeps the roadway manageable for pedestrians and more visually aligned with the rest of downtown. Is it perfect No. Would I rather have a freeway plowing through downtown HELL NO! Over the last few decades, the city has been dismantling its one-way road network, street by street, but this North/South couplet will likely remain as the US401 corridor. Another N/S couplet exists on the east side of downtown, but it's not a US Highway signed route, and an E/W couplet also exists through downtown, but its one-way status keeps getting eroded over time, and I suspect that it may eventually be completely eradicated. These 2 pairs are fundamentally different from the US401 pair, and pass through active urban neighborhoods without noticeable damage to them. They are narrower, have street parking, and have more active sidewalk experiences.
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Raukodraug
You mention the correlation between one way streets and lower income areas, and that reminds me of how, in St. Louis, one way streets were added to already low income areas.
In the 80s and 90s low income, minority neighborhoods that had perceptions of higher crime than their neighboring white communities had many streets blocked by Schoemehl Pots (sections of concrete sewer pipe turned on their side to act as blockades) and others converted to one way streets to direct traffic away from white neighborhoods.
A perfect example of this is the Shaw neighborhood. For 8 blocks (from Magnolia Ave on the South to Shaw Blvd on the north) there are NO East/West streets that exit the neighborhood to the East (onto Grand Blvd) or West (onto Tower Grove Ave) And, at the time, most North/South streets were also barricaded except Klemm St (one way southbound, Lawrence St (one way northbound, and South 39th St (The sole bi-directional North/South street through the neighborhood. The argument was that police could sit at just 4 choke points out of the neighborhood to ensure that criminals (a. k. a. low income minority folk) stayed where they belonged.
Of course, when white folk saw the low property prices and moved in during the early 2000s, most of the barricades on the north/south streets were removed to allow for easier access in and out of the neighborhood again. though the permanent changes on the east/west streets and the now random seeming one way streets still remain.
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You mention the correlation between one way streets and lower income areas, and that reminds me of how, in St. Louis, one way streets were added to already low income areas.
In the 80s and 90s low income, minority neighborhoods that had perceptions of higher crime than their neighboring white communities had many streets blocked by Schoemehl Pots (sections of concrete sewer pipe turned on their side to act as blockades) and others converted to one way streets to direct traffic away from white neighborhoods.
A perfect example of this is the Shaw neighborhood. For 8 blocks (from Magnolia Ave on the South to Shaw Blvd on the north) there are NO East/West streets that exit the neighborhood to the East (onto Grand Blvd) or West (onto Tower Grove Ave) And, at the time, most North/South streets were also barricaded except Klemm St (one way southbound, Lawrence St (one way northbound, and South 39th St (The sole bi-directional North/South street through the neighborhood. The argument was that police could sit at just 4 choke points out of the neighborhood to ensure that criminals (a. k. a. low income minority folk) stayed where they belonged.
Of course, when white folk saw the low property prices and moved in during the early 2000s, most of the barricades on the north/south streets were removed to allow for easier access in and out of the neighborhood again. though the permanent changes on the east/west streets and the now random seeming one way streets still remain.
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JP_TaVeryMuch
3: 51 One way sidewalks still exist in Germany if you're unlucky enough to be a victim of a certain set of circumstances.
A fair amount time back in time but within the decade, I happened to be walking around the streets of Hamburg with a native on one of my first visits there.
An Englishman and chum daydreaming as we happily drifted down a tree lined avenue, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my calf and spun around to see.
A stereotypically sweet old lady whom we'd just passed, readying her brolly to get my attention again.
There followed a splenetic spouting of haranguing Hoch Deutsch (high German) which turned out to be a warp speed tirade of apoplectic incomprehension and then shouted instructions how to change our ways for the better and each be a good Hamburger.
In olden days, in more traditional regions and deffo in the old dear's mind, you must never walk along the pavement facing the oncoming cars, but cross over so that you, the pedestrian and they, the car driver both proceed along the road in the same direction on _the same side_ of the street. Or you get a granny-whack of a bruising encounter with a tightly rolled brolly.
Granted, not strictly a one way sidewalk if you meant no opposing vehicular and foot traffic on the other side, but I thought that you should be disabused of the error.
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3: 51 One way sidewalks still exist in Germany if you're unlucky enough to be a victim of a certain set of circumstances.
A fair amount time back in time but within the decade, I happened to be walking around the streets of Hamburg with a native on one of my first visits there.
An Englishman and chum daydreaming as we happily drifted down a tree lined avenue, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my calf and spun around to see.
A stereotypically sweet old lady whom we'd just passed, readying her brolly to get my attention again.
There followed a splenetic spouting of haranguing Hoch Deutsch (high German) which turned out to be a warp speed tirade of apoplectic incomprehension and then shouted instructions how to change our ways for the better and each be a good Hamburger.
In olden days, in more traditional regions and deffo in the old dear's mind, you must never walk along the pavement facing the oncoming cars, but cross over so that you, the pedestrian and they, the car driver both proceed along the road in the same direction on _the same side_ of the street. Or you get a granny-whack of a bruising encounter with a tightly rolled brolly.
Granted, not strictly a one way sidewalk if you meant no opposing vehicular and foot traffic on the other side, but I thought that you should be disabused of the error.
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danwylie-sears1134
I'm not convinced that one-way streets are bad. I live on one. To be a two-way street, it would need to have room for two cars to go past each other. That would mean getting rid of half the on-street parking. When I rent a car, I already have difficulty finding a place to park it while I go in and the the suitcases, kids, and spouse come out. It would probably also mean at least twice as much traffic.
In the case of through streets, I still don't see any necessary connection between being one-way and being a 3-lane high-speed stroad. I want traffic to flow at a reasonable pace on through streets: much faster than I can run, but slow enough that I can react and slow enough that collisions will almost always be non-lethal. I don't see any reason to believe that two-way traffic is particularly useful in controlling speed, compared to lane widths, pavement textures, sight lines, turn radii, and so on. Gridlock seems to be caused disproportionately by people waiting to make left turns across traffic. You can get rid of that either by forbidding left turns or by having one-way streets. I'm in favor of whatever works, and it's not clear to me when that's going to be one way and when it's going to be no left turn.
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I'm not convinced that one-way streets are bad. I live on one. To be a two-way street, it would need to have room for two cars to go past each other. That would mean getting rid of half the on-street parking. When I rent a car, I already have difficulty finding a place to park it while I go in and the the suitcases, kids, and spouse come out. It would probably also mean at least twice as much traffic.
In the case of through streets, I still don't see any necessary connection between being one-way and being a 3-lane high-speed stroad. I want traffic to flow at a reasonable pace on through streets: much faster than I can run, but slow enough that I can react and slow enough that collisions will almost always be non-lethal. I don't see any reason to believe that two-way traffic is particularly useful in controlling speed, compared to lane widths, pavement textures, sight lines, turn radii, and so on. Gridlock seems to be caused disproportionately by people waiting to make left turns across traffic. You can get rid of that either by forbidding left turns or by having one-way streets. I'm in favor of whatever works, and it's not clear to me when that's going to be one way and when it's going to be no left turn.
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Trainguyrom
The town I live in has converted many of its oldest residential streets to one ways close to the town center, pushing traffic onto a few larger streets. They treat the one-ways as a traffic reduction mechanism, and most traffic on the one-ways ends up being local traffic. These are fairly narrow (about 30-40 feet wide) residential streets with older smaller single family homes on very small lots, so one way with parking on only one side of the street makes it very quiet. The traffic moved off of those one-way streets is instead on roads better designed for the traffic, with traffic lights and roundabouts to help manage the flow (these are all fairly small 1 lane per direction streets still) and while I will avoid biking onto those streets that traffic is pushed onto, the reduced traffic on the one-ways makes it very comfortable for biking, the roundabouts are easy crossing points to cross the busier two-way (I love biking around roundabouts) and the grid is dense enough you really only extend your trip if you misremember which direction on of the streets is.
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The town I live in has converted many of its oldest residential streets to one ways close to the town center, pushing traffic onto a few larger streets. They treat the one-ways as a traffic reduction mechanism, and most traffic on the one-ways ends up being local traffic. These are fairly narrow (about 30-40 feet wide) residential streets with older smaller single family homes on very small lots, so one way with parking on only one side of the street makes it very quiet. The traffic moved off of those one-way streets is instead on roads better designed for the traffic, with traffic lights and roundabouts to help manage the flow (these are all fairly small 1 lane per direction streets still) and while I will avoid biking onto those streets that traffic is pushed onto, the reduced traffic on the one-ways makes it very comfortable for biking, the roundabouts are easy crossing points to cross the busier two-way (I love biking around roundabouts) and the grid is dense enough you really only extend your trip if you misremember which direction on of the streets is.
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UrbanRuhr
Same as with car traffic, one way roads for pedestrians are absolutely necessary when large enough crowds are involved. This is why large festivals, crowded train stations, airports and really any place with large patronage often have dedicated entrances and exits.
Infamoulsy, the lack thereof led to the 2010 Love Parade disaster in Germany, where 21 people died in the crowd crush at the one combined entrance and exit, when the opposing directions of the arriving and exiting crowd got stuck in the middle.
The difference between pedestrians and cars is, however, that you'd need thousands of pedestrians in the street at a given time to warrant a oneway street for safety reasons, whereas a few dozen cars at the same time manage to congest the same space.
But in a way I'm comparing apples and oranges as one way lanes for cars are used to optimize traffic flow while for pedestrians they are absolutely essential to the security of large crowds and not as much to an efficient flow (although they achieve that as well.
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Same as with car traffic, one way roads for pedestrians are absolutely necessary when large enough crowds are involved. This is why large festivals, crowded train stations, airports and really any place with large patronage often have dedicated entrances and exits.
Infamoulsy, the lack thereof led to the 2010 Love Parade disaster in Germany, where 21 people died in the crowd crush at the one combined entrance and exit, when the opposing directions of the arriving and exiting crowd got stuck in the middle.
The difference between pedestrians and cars is, however, that you'd need thousands of pedestrians in the street at a given time to warrant a oneway street for safety reasons, whereas a few dozen cars at the same time manage to congest the same space.
But in a way I'm comparing apples and oranges as one way lanes for cars are used to optimize traffic flow while for pedestrians they are absolutely essential to the security of large crowds and not as much to an efficient flow (although they achieve that as well.
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gde1989
I think it would make sense in the US context to convert one way roads back to two way considering how wide your roads are.
From your stock footage, many of your downtown roads are 5 -6 lanes wide, but are one way. It would make sense to convert them back to 2-way. And those inner suburban residential strip i. e. 6: 12 why would that even be 1 way in the first place
Coming from car centric Brisbane, Australia, we only have one way streets within our CBD (downtown) but they are only 4 lanes wide, 2 of which are parking/loading zones/bus stops etc. Some will become a clearway, meaning that parking not allowed during peak times, expanding them to 4 lanes, but traffic still does generally move at a slower pace.
I could not imagine any of these roads being converted back to 2 way, as they do effectively function as intended in managing traffic flow and, like others have stated, do make it easier for pedestrians in that you only have to look one way when crossing the street so could be considered a bit safer.
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I think it would make sense in the US context to convert one way roads back to two way considering how wide your roads are.
From your stock footage, many of your downtown roads are 5 -6 lanes wide, but are one way. It would make sense to convert them back to 2-way. And those inner suburban residential strip i. e. 6: 12 why would that even be 1 way in the first place
Coming from car centric Brisbane, Australia, we only have one way streets within our CBD (downtown) but they are only 4 lanes wide, 2 of which are parking/loading zones/bus stops etc. Some will become a clearway, meaning that parking not allowed during peak times, expanding them to 4 lanes, but traffic still does generally move at a slower pace.
I could not imagine any of these roads being converted back to 2 way, as they do effectively function as intended in managing traffic flow and, like others have stated, do make it easier for pedestrians in that you only have to look one way when crossing the street so could be considered a bit safer.
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joshuasims5421
A good video, but I think the conclusion of the research here misses the mark. Those one-way streets in big cities were bad because they were high-speed 3 lane monstrosities. Compare to the one-ways in your town, which are slow and beautiful. The common denominator is not lane direction, but lane count and speed. My town has some really nice two way streets that feel much slower. You can cross them easily, since traffic only comes in bursts from one direction. We have them all around our university campus, and I've come to like them. The only problem is the haphazard and random ways that two-way and one-way streets convert into each other! I think that one-way may be superior, but you have to commit. A complete one-way grid with no two-way enclaves, traffic calming and never more than 2 lanes. We also don't have any of those faux-highway one ways you described; when I drive on those in bigger cities, they're never fun. They sound great for Cities Skylines, but not for real life.
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A good video, but I think the conclusion of the research here misses the mark. Those one-way streets in big cities were bad because they were high-speed 3 lane monstrosities. Compare to the one-ways in your town, which are slow and beautiful. The common denominator is not lane direction, but lane count and speed. My town has some really nice two way streets that feel much slower. You can cross them easily, since traffic only comes in bursts from one direction. We have them all around our university campus, and I've come to like them. The only problem is the haphazard and random ways that two-way and one-way streets convert into each other! I think that one-way may be superior, but you have to commit. A complete one-way grid with no two-way enclaves, traffic calming and never more than 2 lanes. We also don't have any of those faux-highway one ways you described; when I drive on those in bigger cities, they're never fun. They sound great for Cities Skylines, but not for real life.
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yiannisd8286
It's important to not argue for universals. For one, there are streets that are simply not wide enough to have two lanes. Demolishing one side of the block to make the street wider would be beyond counter productive. Or in residential neighborhoods which has one lane of travel and one for parallel parking you would have to eliminate the parking and then people that live there have nowhere to park. Quiet residential streets should not function as through streets. For two, two way streets are more dangerous for cyclists because then the bike lane would have to be moved to the right side of the road. That's why I said its important to not argue for universals and always take the local geography into account. For example, for years advocates had argued for not having bus stops at every intersection and that they should be spread out to every 2 or 3 blocks to speed up trip times. But philadelphia tried that and it made trips longer. You have to take into account the built environment
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It's important to not argue for universals. For one, there are streets that are simply not wide enough to have two lanes. Demolishing one side of the block to make the street wider would be beyond counter productive. Or in residential neighborhoods which has one lane of travel and one for parallel parking you would have to eliminate the parking and then people that live there have nowhere to park. Quiet residential streets should not function as through streets. For two, two way streets are more dangerous for cyclists because then the bike lane would have to be moved to the right side of the road. That's why I said its important to not argue for universals and always take the local geography into account. For example, for years advocates had argued for not having bus stops at every intersection and that they should be spread out to every 2 or 3 blocks to speed up trip times. But philadelphia tried that and it made trips longer. You have to take into account the built environment
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user-yi7zj3lv5t
i'm a big time urbanist but i will be devil's advocate for one way streets, it depends on how you utilise them. i live in a eastern city that has several one way streets, (and on one, they became this way (perhaps even before you say they were invented) due to streetcar lines, and other narrow streets that are practically one lane are better off being one ways, so traffic doesnt end up coming head on at each other.
Having more than two lanes on a one way makes it worse, but if its on narrow streets, where traffic is encouraged to move slowly, its better i think. Of course when you use it as a highway, it becomes worse to live on. Thats what i noticed about one ways in other cities, versus mine.
I advocated against turning our one ways into two ways, theyve been this way since before the car boom, when downtown was still quite lively and crowded. Changing this wont undo the damage car-centrism has done.
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i'm a big time urbanist but i will be devil's advocate for one way streets, it depends on how you utilise them. i live in a eastern city that has several one way streets, (and on one, they became this way (perhaps even before you say they were invented) due to streetcar lines, and other narrow streets that are practically one lane are better off being one ways, so traffic doesnt end up coming head on at each other.
Having more than two lanes on a one way makes it worse, but if its on narrow streets, where traffic is encouraged to move slowly, its better i think. Of course when you use it as a highway, it becomes worse to live on. Thats what i noticed about one ways in other cities, versus mine.
I advocated against turning our one ways into two ways, theyve been this way since before the car boom, when downtown was still quite lively and crowded. Changing this wont undo the damage car-centrism has done.
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city_beautiful
No mention of Roman Era one way systems for animal drawn traffic 1 star! It's okay; it's probably outside the scope of this video, but that is an interesting case study in just how similar their solutions for dealing with animal drawn traffic problems in their much narrower streets with much more frequent intersections proved so similar to much of modern traffic planning, with strategically located hitching posts functioning as loading zones, off street backyard stables functioning as off street parking, strategic one way systems for animal traffic, certain streets being blocked for animal traffic by placing stones strategically across them and some cities even closing their streets to animal drawn traffic completely except for very late at night after nightlife activities would have ended, so that farmers could make their deliveries in the wee small hours before sunrise.
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No mention of Roman Era one way systems for animal drawn traffic 1 star! It's okay; it's probably outside the scope of this video, but that is an interesting case study in just how similar their solutions for dealing with animal drawn traffic problems in their much narrower streets with much more frequent intersections proved so similar to much of modern traffic planning, with strategically located hitching posts functioning as loading zones, off street backyard stables functioning as off street parking, strategic one way systems for animal traffic, certain streets being blocked for animal traffic by placing stones strategically across them and some cities even closing their streets to animal drawn traffic completely except for very late at night after nightlife activities would have ended, so that farmers could make their deliveries in the wee small hours before sunrise.
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Db_traveler
My experience is that most one way streets are near city centers where right of way widths were determined long before modern vehicles were considered. Single lane roads may work for side streets but not the main ones. Try crossing downtown Sacramento behind a bus stopping every 1300 feet, a car waiting for another to leave or a delivery truck that just turns on its flashers and parks in the lane and the whole road will quickly back up. Streets need to be multi-lanes for these reasons and in restricted rights of way that only works with a one-way.
Properly planned that right of way should be able to include 2 lanes, better curbside parking, bus pullouts and dedicated bike lanes as well as good pedestrian space. If all that still results in lower property values, higher crime and everything else mentioned then I think the community has bigger issues than a one-way sign.
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My experience is that most one way streets are near city centers where right of way widths were determined long before modern vehicles were considered. Single lane roads may work for side streets but not the main ones. Try crossing downtown Sacramento behind a bus stopping every 1300 feet, a car waiting for another to leave or a delivery truck that just turns on its flashers and parks in the lane and the whole road will quickly back up. Streets need to be multi-lanes for these reasons and in restricted rights of way that only works with a one-way.
Properly planned that right of way should be able to include 2 lanes, better curbside parking, bus pullouts and dedicated bike lanes as well as good pedestrian space. If all that still results in lower property values, higher crime and everything else mentioned then I think the community has bigger issues than a one-way sign.
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servergmr69
When I lived in the city, we had tonnes of one-way streets and stroads. They were in almost every neighbourhood and even the downtown. I miss living in the city, though, where you could walk and bike and there was public transit. And yes, a lot of those stroads connected to on and off ramps for highways and also bridges that put you on a highway or lead to an intersection with a highway where you can get on one. The speed limit on them, especially near the college campus and downtown is 40 KMH (25 MPH) but traffic does like 60-70 KMH (35-45 MPH) very commonly and the speed limit in the industrial areas and business districts outside of downtown are set to what those cars usually do in the downtown parts and people still exceed them, just not as excessively as it's closer to what the speed the drivers are/were actually doing anyway.
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When I lived in the city, we had tonnes of one-way streets and stroads. They were in almost every neighbourhood and even the downtown. I miss living in the city, though, where you could walk and bike and there was public transit. And yes, a lot of those stroads connected to on and off ramps for highways and also bridges that put you on a highway or lead to an intersection with a highway where you can get on one. The speed limit on them, especially near the college campus and downtown is 40 KMH (25 MPH) but traffic does like 60-70 KMH (35-45 MPH) very commonly and the speed limit in the industrial areas and business districts outside of downtown are set to what those cars usually do in the downtown parts and people still exceed them, just not as excessively as it's closer to what the speed the drivers are/were actually doing anyway.
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nienke7713
These aren't streets, they're stroads and roads, these are intended to move people through the city.
Actual one-way streets are very much for people who need to be on/near them and not those who need to go through them, for example in a residential neighborhood, you don't want people who don't need to be there to use the neighbourhood as a through fair, so with one-way streets you make it inconvenient as a through fair whilst keeping full access to those who actually need to be there.
A one-way street, due to its function as a street, doesn't need to be multi-lane, in fact, it shouldn't be. Just a single lane, with sidewalks on the side, slow enough speeds (30km/h and street design which psychologically enforces it) that cyclists can share the road safely, perhaps some parking for the residents if there is space left over.
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These aren't streets, they're stroads and roads, these are intended to move people through the city.
Actual one-way streets are very much for people who need to be on/near them and not those who need to go through them, for example in a residential neighborhood, you don't want people who don't need to be there to use the neighbourhood as a through fair, so with one-way streets you make it inconvenient as a through fair whilst keeping full access to those who actually need to be there.
A one-way street, due to its function as a street, doesn't need to be multi-lane, in fact, it shouldn't be. Just a single lane, with sidewalks on the side, slow enough speeds (30km/h and street design which psychologically enforces it) that cyclists can share the road safely, perhaps some parking for the residents if there is space left over.
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ivanoffw
Fun fact, Eugene Oregon was the first city to implement one-way couplets in Oregon, a few years before the much larger Portland. Just like it was mentioned in the video, the land is of low value on either side of the highway couplet. It must have been some evil people who were involved in urban planning in the 1940's through 1960's. They sold councils on the idea that it will make it easier for people to get to downtown, but failed to tell them that it would also make it easier to leave the city. They also failed to mention that in order to get to downtown, you must destroy it so the cars can get there, and park. I wonder how many of the consultants owned, or were paid by those who had property on the outskirts of the cities
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Fun fact, Eugene Oregon was the first city to implement one-way couplets in Oregon, a few years before the much larger Portland. Just like it was mentioned in the video, the land is of low value on either side of the highway couplet. It must have been some evil people who were involved in urban planning in the 1940's through 1960's. They sold councils on the idea that it will make it easier for people to get to downtown, but failed to tell them that it would also make it easier to leave the city. They also failed to mention that in order to get to downtown, you must destroy it so the cars can get there, and park. I wonder how many of the consultants owned, or were paid by those who had property on the outskirts of the cities
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SagaciousSilence
I think this video is ignoring the fact that one way streets allow smaller streets and two-way streets will by it’s very nature require much larger streets in order to accommodate all the normal features that you would get, like parking and a left turn lane. A one-way street with parking on one side and two lanes of travel only require three traffic lanes, whereas two way streets would require at a minimum five lanes of traffic for parking, a left turn lane, and a single lane for travel each way, which of course, most streets would have more than just one lane. Two-way streets absolutely increases the footprint of a street witch therefore makes roads bigger and streets less pedestrian friendly.
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I think this video is ignoring the fact that one way streets allow smaller streets and two-way streets will by it’s very nature require much larger streets in order to accommodate all the normal features that you would get, like parking and a left turn lane. A one-way street with parking on one side and two lanes of travel only require three traffic lanes, whereas two way streets would require at a minimum five lanes of traffic for parking, a left turn lane, and a single lane for travel each way, which of course, most streets would have more than just one lane. Two-way streets absolutely increases the footprint of a street witch therefore makes roads bigger and streets less pedestrian friendly.
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cgaffney099
My City of Lancaster, PA has been working on a major Vision Zero initiative for the last several years and started a two way restoration study for roads in their High Injury Network. as Usual plenty of Nimbys are whining about it, but I'm pretty stoked that it might be in the cards to convert the road I live on to a two way. Motorists love to speed down the road with out regard to non motor traffic making it unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists. Having two way street would slow the traffic down and make the road feel more like a community, especially now that the few blocks around be have started to show some signs of economic revitalization and return of businesses to empty stores and buildings.
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My City of Lancaster, PA has been working on a major Vision Zero initiative for the last several years and started a two way restoration study for roads in their High Injury Network. as Usual plenty of Nimbys are whining about it, but I'm pretty stoked that it might be in the cards to convert the road I live on to a two way. Motorists love to speed down the road with out regard to non motor traffic making it unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists. Having two way street would slow the traffic down and make the road feel more like a community, especially now that the few blocks around be have started to show some signs of economic revitalization and return of businesses to empty stores and buildings.
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zabi_aka
My hometown (not in America) is built on hills so on the top of hills it's built two way streets, between hills it's built boulevards (two one way streets in each direction separated by a park) and parallel to those run one way streets in alternating directions so the grid become kinda like chess. Depending on where you want to go you just need to know where to turn, however to get to my house we always needed to drive around the block (make two right turns) to get home
I think it's actually quite efficient and comfortable cause as a pedestrian you only have to care about one direction of traffic when crossing and since they all go uphill or downhill the cars are always relatively slow
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My hometown (not in America) is built on hills so on the top of hills it's built two way streets, between hills it's built boulevards (two one way streets in each direction separated by a park) and parallel to those run one way streets in alternating directions so the grid become kinda like chess. Depending on where you want to go you just need to know where to turn, however to get to my house we always needed to drive around the block (make two right turns) to get home
I think it's actually quite efficient and comfortable cause as a pedestrian you only have to care about one direction of traffic when crossing and since they all go uphill or downhill the cars are always relatively slow
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