We knew it was coming. Here it is.

City Council approved this project on Broadway Avenue months ago. It was first called a "median fence", but now that it's up, it feels like a wall. This will change how downtown Rochester functions for bikers, pedestrians, and drivers.

Today, we got our first look at the new construction.

Was all the fuss worth it? We explained that the idea around this change was to promote a culture of safety.

KROC-AM reported, "That stretch of the downtown has been problematic for public safety reasons for years because pedestrians often run across the street, usually at night." Time will tell if this change really does improve things, and make downtown Rochester safer.

I'm all for safety. The city is growing. We can't deny that. Something certainly needed to be done to protect pedestrians in town. However, my question is this: should a median fence have been a top priority for city council? What about affordable housing instead? Should we have tackled other issues first?

 

 

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