When voters approved a 1-cent sales tax in Sedgwick County, part of the money was supposed to go to relieve traffic congestion. Now, 38 years later, the city of Wichita wants to use local sales tax dollars to fund a plan that intends to slow down traffic. The Wichita City Council is set to vote Tuesday on whether to use $4.9 million in local sales tax to fund the Wichita Downtown Street Plan. The council approved the project concept in February and hired a design firm in August. The downtown street plan aims to decrease motor-vehicle lanes in downtown Wichita and increase lanes for bicycle traffic. It would also convert one-way streets to two-way streets. The goal is to make downtown more pedestrian-friendly and less car-centric. Proponents of so-called road diets say they make streets safer and improve quality of life in dense metropolitan areas. Detractors say they inconvenience drivers and needlessly slow traffic in areas that need it most, diverting people away from downtown businesses.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
