A more walkable and vibrant downtown is within reach

You may have seen 3rd & 4th street conversions are back in the news (again). For those who have been downtown for a while, you know we've been advocating for this change for more than a decade with stacks of plans and studies that support the improvement and examples in other cities.

But why now?  And just…why?

In 2023-2024, 3rd and 4th Street will go through a total rebuild/resurfacing from Telegraph to Harrison Street – the $10M project is funded primarily by a federal grant. DDP wants to seize this moment as an opportunity to save time and money; while the roads are torn up and already disruptive, we can finish the project with new two-way streets from Marquette to River Drive…AND achieve a major flood mitigation goal – create the 4^th Street flood detour route – a critical need to tie the west-end all the way to the Village during flooding.  The detour route currently is Locust Street! 

In the coming weeks there will be a special work session at City Council, a first step in a lengthy process to get this project accepted and done right. If we can get the project approved, the design process will begin, where we will ensure there's a balance between walkability of the neighborhood and traffic efficiency. A public work session is slated for Tuesday, Feb. 22 and we wanted to provide some clarity for what we’re fighting for. 

This isn’t about what direction traffic is going.

• It’s about prioritizing Davenport’s fastest growing neighborhood and flood mitigation plans over speeding cars.
• It’s about pedestrian and cyclist safety, better access and parking for small businesses and amenities, and expanding outdoor restaurant seating and sidewalks.
• It’s building the flood detour on 4th street we so badly need to keep access to the west-end and Village.
• It’s about pushing back dangerous high-speed racing and brutally loud exhausts keeping our residents up at night.
• It’s making Downtown-West properties more marketable. It’s about being more attractive to a GROCER.
• It’s ending a 1950’s street system to match the 2022 needs we have today in a dramatically different world.
• Yes, we can STILL prioritize east/west-bound traffic patterns, time lights, use stop signs, and re-make loading zones.
• It’s about quality life, expanding viable small retail locations we're always asked for, and keeping our cultural and entertainment center attractive and relevant. Our sense of place.

The cherry on the sundae of the 3^rd & 4^th rebuild project – the actual directional conversion from Marquette to the QC-Times, is $1.7M more, of which, DDP will cover 35% - 40% of the cost by helping the City’s bond payments over 10 years. That’s MONEY where our MOUTH is.

Change is hard. New ideas require leadership. 2008 was our first study to outright say this needs to change, but this issue goes back as far as the 1980’s. The time for this was a long time ago, and in the decades we’ve bickered and done nothing, dozens of other cities across the United States have successfully implemented traffic calming and two-way streets projects and reaped the rewards.

It’s time we finally do the same.

And for those that say “but it’s always been that way…"
A) When has that ever been a good reason?
B) The e/w one-ways came in the late 1950’s and Brady/Harrison in the 1970’s.

The City was founded in 1836. It was not always that way…for the record.

If you would like more information, we have created this one-sheet listing benefits of the conversion project. Stay tuned for updates on the work session and council meeting dates.