Street configurations are confusing

To the editor:

Before the changes on Third Avenue from stoplights to stop signs, I could drive from Sixth Street S.W. to 19th Street S.E. without stopping due to the synchronized lights, or about 25 blocks. Now with the stop signs, I have to make an additional five stops.

I also used to have four lanes to choose from and now there is only one. This is because it is now two-way traffic in addition to bicycle lanes. The bicycle lanes are on the outside and the parking has been moved toward the center of the street. I guess it's trendy to be bicycle friendly in the urban areas, but most of the bicycle lanes disappear after you leave downtown.

Some of the stop signs are four way and some are two way. The same on Second Avenue coming back from the east side of town to the westside. Second Avenue starts out one way and switches to two way, than navigates around a building, and then back to one way and again to two way and back to one way. This is also while going from four lanes to one lane.

Can anyone explain the sense of all this? Sometimes change is for the sake of change and certainly not for the betterment.

And don't even get me started on the confusing parking meter system.

Rich Van Horbeck

Cedar Rapids