Another ‘road diet’ is coming downtown

Another downtown street is going on a “diet.”

The city has identified part of Dakota Avenue for a pilot project that will look at changing parallel parking to angled parking generally between 10th and 11th streets, director of public works Mark Cotter said.

“We’ll probably end up doing the pilot next year and making adjustments and convert it to concrete after that,” he said, adding that increased attendance at EmBe contributed to the decision.

“They’re going to have more kids at that location, so they’re asking for some angled parking, which we agree with and just trying to calm the traffic a little bit.”

The project would entail “bumping out” the intersections as the city has done in other parts of downtown “to try and constrain vehicles, so they naturally slow down,” Cotter said.

The city has done similar “road diets” on Main Avenue and on Dakota Avenue near the new City Center office building, and they’ve been successful, he said.