Turnout on traffic meeting low

LIMA - While traffic in the city is often a hot topic with drivers, only a handful of people, mostly downtown business owners, attended a meeting Thursday to give input on the topic.

The city is addressing one-way streets, paths of state routes, and coordination of traffic signals with a $1.7 million study, funded mainly with federal highway money.

Nitza's co-owner Karen Barrington asked about possible changes in state routes. The store benefits from drivers passing by because they're on state routes, she said. She also asked if trucks could follow a different route, or if a business loop could be created.

Jameson Avenue will become two-way this summer. Other one-way streets being considered for two-way traffic are: Central Avenue and Elm, High, Spring, Union, Elizabeth, West and Wayne streets.

What's good for one business may not be for another, Downtown Lima Inc. President Fred Barrington said.

"One-way streets happened 40 or 50 years ago," Barrington said. "Are they relevant today? I don't know. We've been chipping away at them over the years."

The Meeting Place on Market is on West Street, a one-way street under consideration for conversion. Co-owner Greg Stover sees pros and cons of making West Street two-way, but is concerned about parking, especially if two-way traffic reduces what's available on the street.

A conversion to two-way traffic means that delivery trucks could block drivers and could mean loading zones, which could eliminate parking, engineers said.

The city plans a second public meeting in July to solicit feedback on alternatives and then present the plan to Lima Traffic Commission in November.