Closing Second Avenue bound to cause problems

There has been a great deal of discussion about how to invigorate the downtown area since the flood.

All of a sudden comes a request to close Second Avenue SE and put a structure in the middle of the road.

No doubt it would be easier and cheaper to not worry about the street and close it, but at what cost? It would eliminate the main downtown route for people on the east side of town.

The only main street left would be First Avenue, which I understand is overcapacity. Businesses from 10th Street to the river would be left with little traffic and would lose business.

Where would the several thousand cars that now use Second Avenue go? First Avenue? Fourth Avenue? Make Third Avenue two-way? You would lose at least one lane of traffic.

Also, there would be exit as well as entrance problems as all the cars tried to get to other streets. Unforeseen bottlenecks everywhere.

Closing any street takes much forethought and planning, and as far as I can tell, there has been no consideration as to the consequences of this action. It is just that a certain group would like the space.

George Henry

Cedar Rapids