ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Downtown Orlando is undergoing major changes to make the area easier to navigate and attract more visitors.<\/p>\n
This week, News 6 reported on the \u201cThe Canopy\u201d<\/a> project under I-4 that the city is pushing forward with give people a place to hang out downtown. On Tuesday, the city is launching another phase of its downtown action plan focused on Magnolia Avenue.<\/a><\/p>\n The street, which has been one-way since the 1950s, will soon allow two-way traffic between South Street and Livingston Avenue. At 10:30 a.m., city officials will be breaking ground on phase one of the project.<\/p>\n Magnolia Avenue will be closed between Livingston Street and Jefferson Street for about six weeks. All other intersections will stay open.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ve never been a huge fan of one-way streets. You know, downtown. It\u2019s very prolific in certain areas and I just never really understood it. A two-way is more conducive to traffic,\u201d Roger Woodside said about the project.<\/p>\n According to the city, the conversion will create a safer, more welcoming street for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists while supporting the small businesses, restaurants and shops along the corridor. <\/p>\n [WATCH: Church Street business anticipates boost from \u2018The Canopy\u2019]<\/p>\n As the first step in reimagining downtown infrastructure, the project advances the downtown action plan by delivering phased improvements and setting the stage for a larger, long-term streetscape transformation. <\/p>\n This project is a redesign of Magnolia Avenue, from South Street north toward Livingston Street, to create a safer, more intuitive and more walkable downtown corridor. This phase will convert Magnolia Avenue back to a two-way street, remove most of the dedicated LYMMO bus lane, integrate bus operations into regular traffic, add on-street parking and upgrade sidewalks, landscaping and overall streetscape features.<\/p>\n Limited parking, narrow sidewalks and a confusing one-way design have made it difficult for patrons to visit restaurants and stores on the street.<\/p>\n [WATCH: Orlando City Council to select contractor for Church Street redevelopment project]<\/p>\n \u201cOh, this area is one way. So, it\u2019s people, a lot of people get confused,\u201d Thai Palace server Thanom Rattana told News 6.<\/p>\n The Thai Palace team is excited about the improvements. <\/p>\n \u201cNow there is going to be a direct road. So, it will be easy for new people,\u201d Rattana explained.<\/p>\n Eventually, a stretch of Orange Avenue will also become two-way, allowing similar enhancements to encourage visitors.<\/p>\n