It can be done.

The other day I sped down the center lane on Main Street by the Arby’s and noticed out of the corner of my eye, a pedestrian wanting to cross the street as I went by. Oops, not very “Minnesota Nice” of me at all. AND, the watch for peds signs were only just taken down. I must not have learned anything from those signs. Imagine if I was the walker. I’d be steamed if I was in a hurry or freezing cold.

You know it wouldn’t be so hard to do: Going back to diagonal parking and two way streets on Main and Broadway to slow down traffic and prevent accidents like Ramona Unke. Mike Kammikar from Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) tells me that it all starts with the City Council. So, of course, we will have to convince them it’s worth it. We, meaning the Crookston retailers and shoppers.

It could be similar to what Bemidji did. And their downtown is booming. Crookston will have to beef up the truck routes around town and probably build a new road to bypass the Crookston High School and new hockey arena. Then MnDot would designate the bypasses as Highway 2 and Main Street and Broadway will revert to the City’s control. Of course it all comes at a cost. I’m guessing it might take $1 million per mile of new road around the High School and another couple million to make the bypasses better able to handle the truck traffic. Far less money than the new 3 ring hockey arena, parking will be vastly improved downtown, traffic reduced, noise reduced for a more pleasant walking experience. Of course delivery trucks and semi’s will have to pass through downtown and there’s no law that says trucks have to take the Highway 2 bypasses, I just have to feel that with this change, trucks choosing their way based on GPS units will be routed around town. As well as trucks influenced by new signage saying " go this way to follow U.S. Highway 2."