Residents in wards 3 and 4 are not happy with the possibility of converting one-way streets into two-ways.
An open house was held at the Caboto Club on Tuesday evening where residents could provide feedback on the potential change.
Those in attendance stressed concerns with garbage pick-up, losing on-street parking, an increase in traffic, safety concerns for pedestrians and cyclists, among more.
The City of Windsor has stated there are both pros and cons to have two-way streets. While one-way streets offer a friendly and safer environment for pedestrians, they can lead to decreased levels of driver attention.
The flow of traffic on one-ways is typically more free, however can lead to higher speeds as there is no opposite moving traffic.
According to the city, recent studies show that two-way streets may improve the safety of downtown areas, as one-way streets appear to have higher crime rates.
Susan is a ward 4 resident who lives on Lincoln Road. She says she has many concerns with this potential change.
"I have five or six big apartment buildings in my block, plus duplexes, there's 30 people that park in the alley, if they take away one lane for parking that's going to be disastrous. The garbage collection on a two-way street... disastrous."
Mary Ellen Zalev is a ward 3 resident on Victoria Avenue and says her main concern is the safety to pedestrians and cyclists.
"We like walking in the area, we like it the way it is, we feel it's conducive to walking. It's quieter with one-way traffic, it's less pollution, and I'm opposed to the changes."
Renee Hart is a ward 3 resident on Victoria Avenue and says she doesn't want the aesthetic of her road to change.
"We don't want two-way traffic barrelling down the street when it's a quiet, residential neighbourhood. We think of it more as everybody that works downtown who now have chosen to live out of the city... it's a quick egress for them to get in and out if it's a two-way because Ouellette is a bottleneck."
Ward 3 currently has nine one-way streets, while ward 4 has two one-way streets.
Based on an early estimate from Windsor city council in 2024, the total cost to convert all one-ways into two-ways could cost between $2-million and $5.3-million.
Those that were unable to attend the open house can access a virtual public information centre where they can learn about the project and provide feedback. Residents can access the information online until December 12, 2025.