City Of Norman Considers Transforming Main St. Into Two-Way

Main Street in Norman is home to busy restaurants, retail shops and heavy foot traffic. Hundreds of kids are enrolled in Sooner Theater and some practice across the street.

“It's a lot of kids going back and forth,” Shaye Donica said. Donica has an 11-year-old daughter in ‘Alice in Wonderland' and would take any change if it meant drivers wouldn't whizz by.

“We would love to see some changes to slow down the traffic so that the kids are safer,” she said.

City officials are considering a plan that could cause cars to creep by. It would cut three lanes to one on Main and Gray Streets from Porter to University Avenues. That's roughly a ten-block swath.

City officials hired a group of experts to study the area and find out exactly how the proposal would impact traffic, parking, safety and railroad crossings.

Shawn O'Leary, the director of public works in Norman said they first changed over to a one-way in 1974 because 20,000 cars were downtown daily. But now there are only 11,000, he said.

“You know, downtown has changed. Main Street has changed. You have about half as much traffic now as you had 40 years ago,” O'Leary said.

On top of that, he said some business owners want to curb confusion and put more eyes on their storefronts.

But not everyone News 9 spoke with Thursday was on board with going back to the basics.

Some said they are concerned with added congestion and want to keep Main Street the way it is.

O'Leary said the contracted experts with Freese and Nichols, Inc. will study the area for several months. And there will be several opportunities for citizens to give their thoughts on the ideas. Those are expected this fall.