Debates over a couple of Lawrence intersections might have been avoided if better traffic planning had taken place.

Disagreements concerning the traffic patterns at the intersections of 31st and Iowa streets and Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive point out the need for a far better system for traffic planning.

The city needs to look far enough down the road to be able to arrive at plans that will remain in place rather than changing as new situations arise.

How can developers work with companies and encourage them to locate in Lawrence if they can’t count on traffic patterns set by the city? Too often these patterns are changed after companies and developers have committed hundreds of thousands of dollars  in some cases, millions of dollars  on projects that depend on certain access points for the property. Changes in those plans can have a devastating impact on the businesses in question.

Granted, as the city grows, it is reasonable that old streets and outdated intersections need to be improved and enlarged. Developers and tenants surely understand the need for such improvements, but some problems should be foreseen and avoided. In the case of Sixth and Wakarusa, for example, the city has changed its position several times leaving store owners guessing about how customers will be able to enter or exit parking areas in a convenient and safe manner. At 31st and Iowa, new turn lanes and traffic patterns are likely to have a serious impact on customer access to some businesses.

Some in the city are calling for developers to submit plans for an entire site rather than to develop the property over a period of months or years. Developers could ask the same of city officials when it comes traffic and intersection plans. Continued shifting of such plans makes it difficult for developers to design suitable plans for commercial property.

Lawrence is a growing city. This continued growth calls for vision both by developers and by the city. The piecemeal, evolving situation that exists now doesn’t work well for anyone.