Two-way Traffic: Pro

By Holly W
Contributing Writer

Downtown Fargo is a uniquely urban space. It is the historical, cultural, political, and social axis of the largest city in the state of North Dakota. If we do not follow the grain of our city and do the best by downtown we risk doing harm both here, and by example to other small cities with enormous potential, following our lead.

This is not the first time the city has solicited plans and recommendations to incorporate all users of the street. In 2004, Dan Burden, “walkability” expert, rated Fargo as poor.

2006, Michael Ronkin, a national bicycle and pedestrian expert, was invited to speak and answer related questions. 2009, Mark Fenton, another ‘walkability’ expert was hired to evaluate our city.

This is important, if only we are listening; if pedestrians are not welcome throughout downtown, then we are destined to follow old trends. The entire corridor is zoned downtown mixed-use, and its nascent growth has been delayed by more than the economy.

The population within walking distance of the corridor (i.e. people living within ½ mile radius of NP Avenue and 1st Avenue) is approximately 4,000 people, over twice the density of the rest of Fargo. If you look at this from a simple standpoint of taxes and services, these residents require only half the street services (i.e. snow removal, storm water treatment, sidewalk, lighting, water, and postal service), and given proximity to downtown services, return money more directly into the local economy. This same neighborhood also services the bulk of our public works simultaneously.

Now contrast this with a single-family single-use home requiring twofold or more of the same street services, often times these homes are filled with remainders of existing households in the city thereby increasing the serviceable area of our city without increasing the tax base.

Note the exponential growth of our city’s serviceable limits and the marginal growth of its population. We should be encouraging and emulating the existing development downtown as it is both livable and economically and ecologically sensible.

While I do not agree with everything purported at the public meetings, I think the changes are a necessary beginning for an increase in overall vitality throughout downtown. A vote in favor of the conversion says, at very least, our city leaders and citizens value the pedestrian as equal to a motorized vehicle. Furthermore it says that the rest of the city might improve with similar inclusive qualities over time as well.

Currently most cars along the corridor travel at 35mph (see Forum comments – or go see for yourself) it would be imprudent to maintain the status quo, given recent and past fatalities on roads with similar speed limits within the city.

The plan seems to meet the needs of all users, and although the pedestrian still seems to be making the largest concessions, is moving in a positive direction. The amount of vehicular traffic today will be accommodated (according to the traffic engineers paid handsomely to model this scenario) and the amount of non-motorized traffic will be greatly improved.

While I understand some complaints of a bicycle lane, I argue the need for the most vulnerable bicyclists to have a place for transportation downtown. As a right to the city, it should be possible for a resident downtown to traverse the corridor safely without a car; any exception to this could and should be considered spatial discrimination.

This heart of our city contains the city hall, public library, ground transportation center, Amtrak train station, university buildings, clinics and hospital buildings, dentists, drug stores, the fire and police departments as well as critically located commercial businesses in food and other industries for residents of its neighborhoods and beyond.

These are the adjuncts of a healthy street. Without them we lose our center and our identity. Downtown is not and should not become a Disneyfied shopping center/district. Other cities have tried this approach and failed. With such aseptic visions our downtown would become wholly a part of the car monoculture with the wealthiest citizens collecting novelty condominiums between parking lots and boutiques.

In order to be a successful place we must do right by the downtown. It is not that there isn’t anything to do or see in Fargo, as recent successes have show, but many things are diluted by low-density and segregated land uses.

Fargo’s land mass has swelled to over 42 square miles of annexed property, nearly double the size of Manhattan, population 1.7 million. I’m not advocating a similar density, but question if we have bent the scale in an unsustainable direction.

Commissioner Williams, Mayor Walaker, and many other local politicians have spoken at length of the city’s dedication to health, to smart growth, environmental stewardship, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. Many local groups have formed to support these very same ideas for bicycles and pedestrians: Streets Alive, Safe Routes to School, and the Healthy Community Initiative to name just a few.

Downtown is currently trifurcated with Broadway being the most (if only) visible district, and both neighborhoods West and East of Broadway are currently underutilized (much to the comfort of Broadway’s kingpins). These districts are ripe for a significant conversion, possibly one that could be the nexus for our future and strengthen the place of our city’s center.