DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Some Daytona Beach business owners are urging city leaders to convert several beachside streets back to two-way traffic, arguing that the current one-way system makes it harder for customers to reach local shops and contributes to speeding.
The proposal includes portions of Wild Olive Avenue, Hollywood Avenue, Oleander Avenue, Earl Street and Seabreeze Boulevard.
“These streets specifically are bottlenecking the area,” said Tom Caffrey, chair of the Beachside Redevelopment Board.
Caffrey drafted a recommendation for Daytona Beach city commissioners to consider restoring two-way traffic on selected streets. He said the proposal is focused on roads wide enough to accommodate the change without eliminating parking.
“We didn’t want to take away streets that had parking,” Caffrey said. “We are only looking at streets that can help businesses, help residents.”
Commissioner Ken Strickland, who represents the area, said he would support converting Seabreeze Boulevard back to two-way traffic. He said he would need to study the other proposed streets before making a final decision.
Lyle Trachtman, owner of Seabreeze Fine Jewelry, said he remembers when traffic moved in both directions on Seabreeze Boulevard and Wild Olive Avenue. He believes the one-way configuration has made it more difficult for customers to return to businesses after driving past them.
“You go past our store, you make a right, and you want to go back around the block to come back to us, it sends you in a completely different direction,” Trachtman said.
Supporters of the proposal say the one-way streets limit access to businesses, beach approaches and public parking lots. They also argue that drivers are more likely to speed through the area instead of slowing down near local shops.
Caffrey pointed to Seabreeze Boulevard as an example, saying the roadway operated with two-way traffic for decades before it was changed.
“You think about Seabreeze that used to be a two-way and is now a one-way, and it worked perfectly for decades,” Caffrey said. “Then all of a sudden they took it away and businesses fled that area.”
The Beachside Redevelopment Board can only make recommendations. Daytona Beach city commissioners would make the final decision on any traffic changes.
The board is now working to send the proposal to the city for consideration.
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