The Central Business District Committee will recommend that the city of Kosciusko revert to having two-way streets in most locations around courthouse square.
The committee was created after business leaders appeared before the board indicating that businesses in the area have been hurt by what they referred to as a confusing traffic pattern and the loss of parking to bike lanes since 2016.
Serving on the committee were representatives of fire, police and city departments, the KAP, Asiels, Central Office Supply, AAA Flooring, SBS Home Center, Corvin Greer Construction, Prairie Farms, JC Cheek Co., State Farm – Nicholson, Craft Cleaners and Citizens National Bank.
Members of the group conducted interviews with other members of the business community, as well.
“Basically, the committee is making the recommendation that the streets be reversed,” said Darren Milner, chairman of the committee and executive director of the Kosciusko-Attala Partnership. “We’re putting together a plan of what that would look like, but that would include most of the bike lanes going away.”
Milner said the committee spoke to both business owners and bicylists and learned that most of the bike riders are not upset about losing those lanes to increased parking.
“What we learned is that a lot of the cyclinsts didn’t really feel the lanes were needed. They want things like bike racks,” he said.
Milner said the group hopes that if their plan is approved and implemented by the aldermen, that it will be a positive change.
“We want people in the community to be excited about the (downtown) area and doing business here,” he said. “We hope it will be a good thing that will help with tourism and business growth. With additional parking in some areas, there will be better client access for our businesses and encourage potential growth.”
A number of business leaders assumed that once the decision was made, the change would be immediate. That, said Milner, is not the case.
“It is not an overnight thing,” he said, noting that the aldermen could make additional adjustments to the groups plan after reviewing it.
Milner said the group hoped to submit the plan to the aldermen late this week for consideration at one of their upcoming meetings.
