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I'm also wondering about this. Maybe some "outside-the-box" ideas could achieve it. Just spitballing here: If the street were made to be one-way instead of t

I'm also wondering about this. Maybe some "outside-the-box" ideas could achieve it. Just spitballing here: If the street were made to be one-way instead of two-way, could it be narrower, leaving room for the sidewalk AND the ditches? Also, it isn't clear from his description, but maybe that would eliminate the need for "additional utilities improvements due to [the sidewalk and widening]". It would inconvenience the residents on that street and motorists who pass through. But presumably that's better than bankruptcy. Or here's an even crazier idea: Could the underground drainage be avoided if the city annexed a strip of land from the adjacent properties? That would surely piss them off, but if it were implemented city-wide, as part of a "we're all in this together" kind of campaign to revitalize the city without going bankrupt, maybe it would be more palatable. At least it might seem more "fair" if everyone loses a little land, rather than only some streets. And if owners were compensated monetarily, heck, some might even like it.

rurp 6y ago
Could the underground drainage be avoided if the city annexed a strip of land from the adjacent properties? This one might not even be that crazy. Utility easements on private property that are large and greatly restrict what the owner can do with the land are fairly common. Your idea seems along those same lines.
m-ee 6y ago
One way streets encourage faster driving and make things less safe and welcoming for pedestrians. See the baffling Hayward loop as a worst case example. A highlight from the article “ Jones told the Pioneer that when he was newly hired as city manager, he thought the better alternative would have been to create an underpass at the “Five Corners” where Mission Boulevard, Foothill Boulevard and Jackson Street meet. However this would have almost doubled the project cost and the city was already under pressure to use state funds to construct something, he said, before the funds are taken back and allocated to other cities.” https://thepioneeronline.com/19812/showcase/hayward-loop-influenced-by-state-interests/ https://thepioneeronline.com/19812/showcase/hayward-loop-inf...

rurp 6y ago

Could the underground drainage be avoided if the city annexed a strip of land from the adjacent properties? This one might not even be that crazy. Utility easements on private property that are large and greatly restrict what the owner can do with the land are fairly common. Your idea seems along those same lines.

m-ee 6y ago

One way streets encourage faster driving and make things less safe and welcoming for pedestrians. See the baffling Hayward loop as a worst case example. A highlight from the article “ Jones told the Pioneer that when he was newly hired as city manager, he thought the better alternative would have been to create an underpass at the “Five Corners” where Mission Boulevard, Foothill Boulevard and Jackson Street meet. However this would have almost doubled the project cost and the city was already under pressure to use state funds to construct something, he said, before the funds are taken back and allocated to other cities.” https://thepioneeronline.com/19812/showcase/hayward-loop-influenced-by-state-interests/ https://thepioneeronline.com/19812/showcase/hayward-loop-inf...