(Michigan City, IN) - Motor vehicle travel in both directions could return to Franklin Street in Michigan City’s downtown in the very near future.
Plans have emerged to switch from the current one-way travel from Fourth to 10th Streets. Angled parking with wider spaces are also included in the plans.
Mayor Duane Parry said motorists traveling in both directions to generate more economic activity downtown has been on the drawing board since at least 2010.
“It’s important to me for the public to understand this is not a knee jerk reaction. This is not something I thought of yesterday. This has been on the table for a long, long time,” he said.
“It’s time we do something. It’s very good for the downtown area,” he said.
Converting that stretch of Franklin Street to two-way travel could happen before Memorial Day.
Two-way travel existed when downtown was thriving a half century ago. After years of decline, though, downtown reached a low enough point to where that stretch of Franklin Street was closed to travelers.
Franklin Street, years later, reopened for one-way travel.
Downtown has since made a noticeable comeback over the last decade or so with help from creating what’s now referred to as the “Uptown Arts District” featuring things like statues, apartment living for artists along with trendy shops and restaurants.
Even more of a resurgence is expected from travel time to and from Chicago being reduced by 30 minutes in each direction by train when construction of the double track for the South Shore Railroad commuter line is finished.
Work on adding a second track from Michigan City to Gary is expected to be done in 2024.
There are currently plans to construct three high rise buildings containing apartments, hotel rooms and commercial space in the downtown area to take advantage of the increase in visitors and residents expected from shorter travel times by train.
