Changes come to Downtown Columbus traffic

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — Drivers on Front Street and Marconi Boulevard in Downtown Columbus are seeing right: people are driving in both directions on the streets.

Starting Tuesday, both roads officially have two-way traffic patterns.

"This is a big change for folks," Columbus City Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla said.

De Padilla said the new traffic pattern will increase pedestrian safety. They have also made more district crosswalks on the road and more lighting.

"We want to ensure that we are moving the needle on safety when it comes to our roadways," de Padilla said.

City officials ask drivers to pay attention to the new signage when driving downtown. They have also added new traffic lights in certain areas of the street to adjust to the new two-way pattern.

Kelly Scocco, the director of the Columbus Department of Public Service, said they have also lowered the downtown speed limit to 25 mph.

"It creates slower traffic, and it helps the cars to be able to navigate downtown and access the government buildings better and in a more convenient way," Scocco said.

In a study conducted by the city in 2022, this project is something at the top of may residents' lists.

"The community said they wanted something, and I live in a city that delivered," said Amy Taylor, president of Downtown Columbus Inc.

Taylor said two-way traffic will attract more retailers to the area.

"It allows for people to come both ways," she said. "It slows things down and it makes it easier to get there. I think the nice part is employees always draw our food and beverage restaurants and that's one of the things we've heard from our community — that we want to see. But what I'm excited about is as we start to look at more opportunities for those sundry stores."

The city is also adding a new bus stop and shelter on Front Street north of Long Street for southbound travel starting in January. City officials said this is the start of the future of transit in Downtown Columbus.

"I hope that our residents continue this dialogue with us," de Padilla said. "I hope that they continue to share with us the things that they're seeing in every part of Columbus so that we can ensure the safety of our residents in any neighborhood."

City leaders are urging drivers to be vigilant in the area while they adjust to the new pattern, especially when it gets dark.