DES MOINES, Iowa — The Highland Park and Oak Park Neighborhood Association held a discussion about the changes made to Euclid Avenue on Wednesday.
More than 30 residents attended to voice their concerns on the progress of the Euclid Avenue Pilot Program.
The program, which was initiated by the Des Moines City Council in Aug. 2021, converts Euclid Avenue from 12th Street to 2nd Avenue to a 3-lane cross-section roadway.
The temporary changes include pavement markings, temporary concrete curb bumpouts and additional signage.
With these changes, the corridor consists of a westbound lane, an eastbound lane and a center 2-way, left-turn lane. In addition, the additions add on-street parking along both sides of Euclid Avenue.
At the meeting, the city claimed the project's main focus is safety, and that 64% of businesses in the area were in favor of the program.
But the jury's still out on if these changes will be made permanent. The room was split between from those who were against the pilot program, to those who are in support.
Katie Minnehan, a manager at Art Terrarium, says her and her team are among those businesses that support the plan, saying the pilot program taking the four-lane highway away was imperative to her customer's safety.
"If we took the parking away, it would basically just turn into a four-lane highway again," Minnehan said. "And honestly, the safety of our customers could be at risk. Just crossing the street would become more difficult."
But other attendees said it's not all about the businesses. Nancy Dunlap, who lives in the neighborhood, feels the changes only cater to business owners along Euclid, without considering those who live in the area and struggle to see past parking and the busy hustle and bustle of the road.
"I think the weight is on the walkability the businesses that making the area what they fitting," Dunlap said. "So, do I think the residents were actually listened to very well? Probably not."
The city has received more than 100 comments on the pilot's progress with a majority of the concerns being on visibility, misuse of turning and parking lanes and lastly, the impact the project will have on businesses and residents.
The meeting was a long one, packed with tons of information from the city on the progress of the changes currently implemented, as well as the response from businesses and residents.
It's anticipated that the final decision regarding Euclid Avenue will come in 2025, as the city wants more time to collect data.
For more information, visit the city of Des Moines' website.