Making major changes in the two main streets through downtown Bettendorf might help local businesses, but it would cost a lot of money.
Herb Trix reports last week, a consultant estimated re-aligning State and Grant streets, for two-way traffic on both, could cost 20 million dollars.
Director of Public Works, Brian Schmidt, says right now both are one-way streets which helps traffic moves quickly through downtown but does not encourage anyone to stop.
'Taking State Street and not making it a truck thoroughfare, but taking the truck traffic and pushing it up to Grant Street and creating a more walkable community down through the State Street corridor - from 17th Street to 26th Street."
To handle more truck traffic, Schmidt says Grant Street would have to be expanded to five lanes - two in each direction with a center turn lane. But that would require taking property from one, or both sides, of the street.
"Having the alignment down the center of Grant Street - it would have the least impact to the existing business and property owners."
He says the Bettendorf city council will probably discuss this during its annual goal-setting meeting next month, and could decide to add it to the city's long-range plan.