Midsize cities across the U.S. are increasingly converting one-way streets to two-way routes. Transportation planners view the step as one of the easiest ways to improve safety and make downtowns more alluring to shoppers, restaurant patrons and would-be residents. Almost all streets initially started as two-way, before a mass exodus to the suburbs prioritized speedy commutes over walkability. Indianapolis is in the middle of a $60 million conversion effort, and Louisville, Kentucky, is rebuilding Main Street. Lynchburg, Virginia; and Chattanooga, Tennessee, say they have seen business boom after doing away with several one-way streets.
