S. First Street is now one-way southbound

They're calling them signs of the times.

Those are the traffic signs installed by the La Conner's Public Works Department alerting motorists that First Street downtown is now one-way southbound and Commercial Street's single block in front of Maple Hall has been converted to an eastbound only flow.

The changes have taken some getting used to.

Reaction on social media has been mixed. Some posters have praised the relative ease of driving on the narrow street even with parking spaces filled on both sides. Others lament that it is now harder to stop and go quickly at the post office.

Still others have expressed surprise at the new traffic pattern and asked why it was done.

The short answer: Public safety.

During several public meetings this year, officials – most notably Mayor Marna Hanneman and Fire Chief Aaron Reinstra – cited the difficulty of driving large emergency vehicles down a street that dates to the horse-and-buggy era and is now often clogged with large parked and moving SUVs and trucks.

Reinstra reported that the fire department responds on average to two calls per month on First Street – the heart of the historic business district.

Oct. 9 was the date the switch started. Public works crews had installed the new traffic signs and relocated a mail drop box from West Washington Street to the First Street side of the post office the week prior.

Hanneman, an avid walker, strolled the length of First Street mere hours after the new traffic plan went into effect.

When asked by the Weekly News how she thought the one-way approach was working, Hanneman glanced at vehicles easily maneuvering down the street with parking slots filled on both sides and immediately gave the thumbs-up sign.

"It seems to be going well," said Hanneman, who did notice that one postal patron mistakenly walked around to the passenger side of her car as if it was parked northbound. She quickly adjusted and retraced her steps.

"I was wondering where you were going," the mayor said with a sympathetic chuckle.

Town Assistant Planner Ajah Eills said that Town Hall's phone lines remained fairly quiet on the one-way downtown traffic format the day after it was implemented.

"That might mean that people are okay with it," she said, "since usually you hear about something when they're upset."

Eills and Planning Director Michael Davolio told planning commissioners recently that traffic on First Street will continue to be monitored for several months.

"We'll regather data in January," Eills said.

"The biggest impact," Davolio added, "will be after tulip season next year. I, for one, am convinced that making First Street one-way will be a tremendous advantage."

And from Sgt. Brad Holmes, the sheriff's office La Conner detachment administrator: "So far, I like the one way and have not heard of any major issues."