Parking and traffic in downtown Crookston MN

Yes, Lydia, we need parking downtown Crookston. Everyone complains about the lack of parking. Yet the reverse is true on Robert Street! Many people do not know that they can park right across the street from Kay's Attic and behind the store! (My side is US Highway2 and one can't park there.) Out my door, and across the street I watch the parking fill up only when there are events at the Eagles. As for your parking idea: We could have a pretty nice tri level parking garage in the old Supervalue building and transport shoppers via a quaint horse and carriage service when we gain a critical mass of retail stores downtown again!

Here is the second part of my vision for Crookston: The simplest way to get more parking throughout downtown is to go back to two-way streets and park on the diagonal like it was in the 50's! Every fourth or so parking space can be reserved for those with special needs. I can't tell you how many tourists have told me they can't find their way around Crookston because of the one-ways! From a retail point of view, our storefronts are our cheapest and best advertising. Did you know that 4500 vehicles pass my store and see my sign per day? That's because I'm on a 2-way street. The retailers on Broadway and Main only get 1800 views per day and they only see one angle of the store window/building/signage. And at such a fast speed!

Let's encourage those semi tractor trailer trucks to use the two Crookston bypasses! It is so dangerous to allow them to make their wide turns and cut off traffic. Did you know big trucks have more vision restriction when turning to the right? They are also smelly and loud. And they don't stop and shop downtown. When standing outside my store, a conversation is stopped cold when a truck comes through and they do shortcut through downtown Crookston! Does anyone out there know why truckers prefer to go through downtown Crookston rather than around it?