PAETEC's new downtown headquarters may change traffic patterns

“One-way streets are built for the convenience of people getting to the suburbs, they're not built for the convenience of City shoppers,” says Carolee Conklin, Rochester City Councilperson, “it's a one-way out of the City.”

It has been decades since many of the streets within Rochester’s inner-loop were converted into one-way streets. However, with the move of Paetec’s world headquarters into downtown Rochester, many of the one-way streets may host two-way traffic again. News 8 Now has learned traffic pattern conversion is one of several options being seriously discussed among City lawmakers and downtown business leaders.
 

“It gives you parking options that you don't have on a one-way street…have you ever had to drive around to get on the right side of a one-way street?” says Conklin.

Mayor Bob Duffy met last week with City and business leaders about teardown of Midtown and construction of Paetec’s world headquarters. Among the items discussed was Paetec’s affect on downtown traffic and redesigning traffic patterns. 
 

“It's been one-way for as long as I can remember, I was born and raised here, but what we have now is a chance to rethink and redraw downtown,” says Duffy.  “One of the things that we want to do is create a downtown that is accessible, that is fun, that is attractive to people. You know, sometimes it's hard giving directions because you can't make left hand turns, I think we have to rethink and redesign.”

New traffic patterns may also mean a new design of sidewalks, pedestrians, walkways and parking. Conklin says a conversion to more two-way streets may also help change aggressive driving habits.

“It's also a traffic-calming device. You know, if you've got four lanes of traffic feeding down South Avenue into the expressway...they're flying.”

The conversion is only in the early stages of discussion. A conversion would require major studies involving the State Department of Transportation. The DOT has not been contacted yet about this process. Changing traffic patterns downtown could be a project in development throughout and beyond the construction of Paetec's world headquarters.