Durham Loop
So I was reading the Durham blogs, and I noticed once again that alot of people hate the downtown loop. I don't mind it. I kind of think it works, and even better now that Main Street goes both ways. I posted a comment to this effect and asked why people hated the loop so much and the answer came down to the fact that it is one-way, it's overkill for the size of the area it contains, it's a pedestrian nightmare, and it looks ugly. Perhaps I'm the only one, but I would say that 1) a two-way loop with intersections would be too congested, 2) it's only overkill because downtown hasn't even started to fullfill it's promise and I'd rather have a major artery deflecting through-traffic around the city center where the streets should remain bike/scooter/pedestrian friendly, 3) a few well-placed and attractively designed pedestrian bridges would solve the crossing problem, and 4) I don't think the loop is any uglier than the scenery around it, so let's place the blame where it shoul
d be placed.
What do you think of the loop?
First, I should say that I don't really have a problem with the loop. Once stated, I marginally agree with the others' complaints, but I think you make great, effective counter arguments. I agree with you that it works, and that it's likely to be increasingly helpful if downtown gets more busy.
For all of you entrepreneurs out there, David and I think that what downtown really needs is a regular grocery store. Not a fancy place with special wines and cheeses, but a place to buy toilet paper for all of the people who are supposedly going to live down there. Downtown has the other regular stuff already. Plenty of pharmacies, dry cleaners, banks, etc., but it needs a grocery store.
Travis Foods????? There is our million dollar idea Travis Family. ha ha ha