Do you remember when your grade-school teachers wanted you to feel like you were part of a decision?
They came up with a few things they wanted you to do and let you vote, but they wouldn’t include something you really wanted to do.
That is what the Durango City Council and Planning Department have done with their plan for Main Avenue.
They decided that Durango’s Main Avenue should have two lanes of traffic instead of four. Sidewalks would be widened and curve into the street to provide room for restaurants and gathering areas. Approximately 90 parking places would be lost, loading zones would be removed and you are going to spend millions of dollars for this.
Their consultants put together a survey with four choices and emailed it to city residents.
Just like your teachers, they fixed the survey so you felt you had a choice. But you really didn’t. Every choice was basically the same, two lanes of traffic and lots of bump-outs.
The survey should have included the choice: Leave historic Main Avenue alone. But they did not want you to have that choice.
This is called manipulation and it is not right.
Jackson Clark
Durango
