Study to look at downtown traffic

I really hope this comes about; and the sooner the better. What an improvement it would be.

What happened to the study Marty Shukert did a few years back on downtown? I think that one cost several thousand dollars also. Once he presented it we never heard another word. I think the one who's "REALLY" making out on this is Marty Shukert!!!

Ya go ahead and spend more money to "see what if".....cushion someone elses pockets. That will do the trick. NOT! Fremont has had one way streets for about 40 years!!! So I don't think changing it back to 2 way will make it any better. Very few old towns have great downtown shopping and most are 1 way streets. Businesses today go where the traffic is,like HWY 30. If Fremont had more clothing stores, breweries and restaurants downtown..in otherwords, businesses of interest. That brings customers and business to older downtowns. No more antique stores, craft or Tshirt shops!

big waste of money . this city should make up there minds look what it cost to make one way streets nobody wanted them in the first place .sombody will get rich im sure . sorry idea

It's nice to see Fremont's downtown in the paper...specially when I live in Reno, NV. So far away from family.
Thank you,

I'm glad that we're finally going to concentrate a little on downtown Fremont. I'm not a big fan of the one way streets down there.


Now if only we could get something fun downtown besides a bunch of antique stores... I wish Fremont would have a music venue. The Skate Shop is small and stuffy, while the city auditorium is expensive to rent out for a night. Downtown would be a great place to put something like that in there.

But I digress. Go Fremont Go! :)

The one way streets make downtown feel like it's still "downtown" Why take away tradition and something that just IS.

to: downtown person:
you hit the nail on the head. this "study" is nothing but another fraud. another way for someone, not you or i, to make a buck. a study? study what? why does everything the city does have to take so long and why do we need to spend so much money for something that ever an idiot can figure out? do what needs to be done and get it over with. of course i do understand that there will be certain people who will make a fortune on this idea just like all the rest of the citys ideas do. the thing that amazes me the most is that there are so many morons in fremont that believe what the politicians say, and that they never question anything. wake up boneheads.

What I think the downtown really needs is to revitalize the buildings - put in loft apartments, make it into a Old Market/Hay Market area. If people were living downtown they would USE the downtown and more poeple would follow. Maybe the streets being 2-way would help, but more living areas, more eateries, more diverse shopping - THAT's what will bring people there. I believe 20 years ago that was a recommendation from whatever firm was hired at that time to look into the downtown revitalization.

They complained when they made them that way ,and now after all these years they want to change them back? They have worked for 40 years and will work for another 40. Just money being wasted that could be used on some actual project instead of paperwork. I have no trouble getting to the Pet stop ,Schweser's or a few thrift shops. There are some nice furniture stores,but who buys thay everyday?? Why not put the money in a fund and offer new bussinesses a couple months of free rent??.Those streets haven't been brought up until lately, and I can't see what problems they are causing. I remember when parking was the complaint.Why were they changed in the first place??Maybe someone should research that!!

If 2 way streets will help bring people downtown then just do it.. I'd like to see downtown prosper, but to be honest I havnt been down there since the last thursday night Wieg's Pub had all you can eat spaghetti. For sure nobody sells bait down there either.

I really don't think this is a NECESSITY type of improvement. Sure, this would be nice to have two-way streets down there.. so that I don't get mixed up, the whole five or so times I end up going downtown in a year. I know a lot of people really use the downtown, which is great. I just think that the one-ways are working, and don't need to be changed, at this time. I think there are many other areas that this money could go. Schools and communities. Yes that is vague, but any improvements in those areas, are seen in the youth. Just an idea.

To Fremont Citizen,

That brings up a new perspective on my thoughts. If the city and the citizens want money to be put into the downtown, I think it should be used for something beneficial that would get more people down there. It is a big part of Fremont's history and allure, and I think if we get some nice apartments, new stores, and some great new eateries, Fremont would be amazing.

I agree that the downtown needs to keep its downtown feel. The one-way streets need to stay. I also think the best way to bring more people downtown is more by the type of businesses down there than the direction of travel. No need to have two way streets if there aren't the businesses there that can get more people there. Look at what the big cities do if you want to copy something. For instance, look at the Power & Light district in KC. Secondly, I hope that any modifications would consider the street scape in some sort of sustainable fashion. Maybe make a call down to Greensburg, KS and see what they are doing.

What does a $16000 study of traffic flow entail?

What will $550,000 bring? What's the projected payback? 5 years? 10 years? 100 years?

Maybe it's just me, but it seems as if politicians look for ways to spend money.

More information please.

It seems to me everyone writing on this subject agrees on one thing: We need more businesses down town. I just heard that Don Peterson bought Pul's building on the corner of 6th & Main. I also heard they are going to put a Title and Escrow business there!!! If this is correct I think that is just awful! 6th & Main is a PRIME RETAIL LOCATION!!!!! Why would someone put a business there that does not need a retail frontage? They could be tucked away somewhere in an upstairs office and it wouldn't effect their business at all. We need a business that draws people in and creates lots of traffic.

The one-way streets were put in the same time South Omaha did their's. After 6 months South Omaha realized it was a mistake and changed them. We did not. After all these years, we should just leave them, but take out some of those ugly bump-outs on the corners.

Way to go "prehistoric" downtown. Changing the streets isn't whats required to help drive more business traffic downtown.

Someone needs to buy that 505 building and turn it into apartments just like the Powerhouse did. Its a huge building thats sat for rent for waaaaay to long.

So, I agree with what many others have already mentioned.

Food, drink, housing and additional parking to help provide for these improvements.

I'm from Columbus, and would like to say that the one thing our downtown
area really needs is a couple of D-12
bulldozers running side by side from
33rd to 23rd Avenues.

I work downtown everyday. I have a feeling that if they change the streets to 2 way, we are going to see a lot of accidents, especially at first. People are used to them. I personally don't care either way. I do feel that the city should take that money and help the people who own the buildings downtown to create living space. I used to live downtown and I loved it. It would be really cool if there were more apartments down here. I know there are a few, but more would be nice. Those people will be more likely to shop downtown. Not only that, but the businesses people want need to be supported by the community. There is a new Steakhouse in Fremont...J's Steakhouse. It is a little pricey, but not any more than you would pay for a comparable restaurant in Omaha, plus you don't have the drive/gas. If people are going to complain that there aren't enough places to go downtown, most of it is because the people of Fremont haven't supported them and that is why they are gone.

I look forward to seeing Downtown prosper.

I think people who go downtown will find more problems finding parking if this happens. It could also negatively affect pedestrian traffic.

Is this the same firm that sold us on the idea of having a water park and our middle school so far out in nowhere land and forgot to think of how the kids are suppose to get there that is studying this? I hope not, they should look at Hooper, they park in the middle of the street, and has more business than this sad town of studies will ever see. But go ahead and spend the money and make another mess that we can all talk about.

Wow
Fremont's downtown does it again. BAILOUT.
Why should taxpayers pay their hard earned money to subsidize poorly run stores?
People complain about the chain stores. But THEY pay their way!
Hear the song "Lookin for a Handout". It is downtown's theme song

Being a worker in downtown, I am glad to see the City willing to put money into revitalizing it. However, I agree with most commented that this is NOT where they should invest the funds. The bump outs make it MORE downtown friendly for walking.

Don't we have a street dept engineer? what does Clark really do. I could spend about 5 hours downtown and tell the city what would have to be done to make this happen.
The first thing I would do is figure out a way to STOP those semi-trucks from using the downtown streets. Why can't they go around to the south and come down south Main? The trucks pull out in front of traffic like they don't care(mainly because they don't). They slow down traffic and ruin the streets.

Please don't take offense, but I really feel that the people making the decisions, sitting on the Boards, and spending the money........ I think qualifications for these positions should be:
They get a paycheck each week.



They have a mortgage on their home.
They make Car payments.
They make Credit Card payments.


People like this think like most of us do, and have a lot of common sense. This is what we need our leaders to have, a little more common sense.

Instead of hiring someone to do a survey, start asking some LOCAL people! Just start talking to people! You will be pleasantly surprised and learn a lot! Even post in the paper and have a town hall meeting, asking people for their opinions. When a lot of people get together, it's amazing what great things can happen, plus the commraderie of just working together. It's really a good thing.

Has anyone thought about what will happen to the traffic on other streets downtown if the one ways are changed? Park street is now a 2 way street, will that stay the same? What about D, what about the trucks and cars that need to unload something at a business, won't changing one ways cause congestion, and cars passing these stopped trucks will they become a safety hazard for other cars and people walking. Will people really decide to shop downtown just because the streets are two way. I don't think so. Invest the money for this in to something a lot more needed and useful.

D.........C..........Main.........6th.........5th...........

Thank goodness Park Avenue isn't one-way.

making the streets two way wont inprove anything downtown. As I see it the only thing to bring people there is the eating places and some are to expenseve for many to go to. I go to 23rd street where things are cheaper. Sorry I have to watch my money and so is everyone else.

Yay, they should have never put in those crazy one way streets in the first place. But anyone old like me that has lived here for a while may wonder why we keep hiring Marty Shukert when Omaha had such a bad experience with him. Oh yeah, we hired Jack Sutton after he was fired from another city as well. HELLO! Anybody home?

Could I make a constructive and well intended suggestion?

Instead of the Fremont City Council, Members of the Chamber Commerce, Main Street, the City Administrator and a few other select people making the decision as to what "is needed" and "what is not needed" downtown,etc., how about conducting a actual survey of at least 5,000 Fremonters....as to what they feel is most needed to make downtown more attractive??

Why do I made this constructive suggestion? First, the above mentioned groups of people have 'apparently' already decided the project is a go....and these people and groups are already using downtown Fremont, right?

Isn't the 'real goal' to attract more Fremonters/Visitors that are NOT using downtown...thus the growth of traffic and spending downtown? Right or wrong?

I mean like if you are going to spend in excess of $550,000. to improve downtown for people who are already use downtown...fine...GO FOR IT! But...if you want increased use of downtown and higher sales for downtown merchants....
why not find out FIRST HAND what would get people not using downtown to shop downtown?

The survey could be economically done in several ways: (1) have the TRIBUNE
at no charge...print a actual form residents could fill out and either drop off at the TRIBUNE or mail it, (2)have severl surveyors with the same question form at key locations all over Fremont.

It is my own naive thinking that if the City Council, Chamber, downtown merchants, etc., make the "average" Fremonter feel like they were part of the decision making process....the
average Fremont is going to be more positive minded about the project, and more likely to buy from downtown merchants.

Heck....for a small fee and expenses, I do the survey for you guys, and then you'd know how 5,000 Fremonters feel about the project, and what they would be is most important to them, and what would get them to shop downtown.

That's my "positive" suggestion....
thanks for listening!! Unlike many who have commented, I don't think the project is a "total waste of money," but I do feel (1) it should be a total community project; and (2) the powers to be should 'listen' to the average person on the stree via a comprehensive survey. Later.........

I would like to speak up for the Antique Shops. As an Antique Shop owner in Fremont for many years, I can definitely say that over 75% of our business is from out of town. Since reading this article on Wednesday, I kept track of our customers from the past 2 days. Eight people from out of town ate lunch in Fremont. Four people shopped at Schweser's. Two people used servises from Big B's. Two people stayed overnite at a Motel. These people were all from out of town, 2 were from out of state. We are not the exception to the rule. I think it is the same with the other 4 Shops. So I do think we do our share to help downtown Fremont.

I think converting back to two way streets will make downtown more unfriendly rather than less. those streets are narrow, and there's barely room to park now. Thinking of what traffic and parking will actually be like after the conversion makes the thought of going there very unappealing.

How can they do stuff like this without consulting the town?