QUICKER DRIVE TO DOWNTOWN, BUT GOOD LUCK FINDING STREET PARKING
By Downey Beat
DOWNEY—After debates, meetings and public hearings, the city has decided to make Firestone Boulevard a six-lane road with no street parking throughout the entire length of the city.
The project calls for bus stops, trees, medians, plants and new asphalt. The goals of the redesign are to make the street look better, increase traffic flow and to get residents to get out of their cars and walk around in shopping areas, city officials said.
The 3-mile stretch through Downey is the busiest in the city with 35,000-to-40,000 daily vehicle trips. But the famous drag is cracked, disorganized and has no center median for much its length throughout the city. And the current design has six lanes but allows parking along the sides of the road.
