City Of Duluth Seeks Feedback On Controversial Changes To Skyline Parkway

In May, the City of Duluth rolled out what they called a "demonstration project" that made changes to a portion of Skyline Parkway. Since the changes were completed in mid-May, a number of Duluth locals have expressed thoughts on social media about the changes.

City officials are now officially accepting public feedback on the changes, as they said they would when the project was announced. This is the first of two different comment periods the City of Duluth will hold on the project.

If you haven't seen the changes made, the portion of Skyline Parkway around Enger Tower was converted to a one-lane, one-way road with a designated pedestrian path along the road with a couple of crossing points.

While a sizable number of locals agreed that something needed to be done to address safety concerns after a couple of fatal crashes on this stretch of road, there seemed to be a recurring theme among people offering their early thoughts on the changes.

MORE: See photos & video of the changes made to Skyline Parkway

The biggest complaint was that the flow of traffic on the one-way route is directed in what many people say is the "wrong way", driving away from the lake as opposed to toward it.

While there are still a couple of designated parking areas to stop and get out to enjoy the views of this scenic stretch of road, the most common complaint on social media about the changes is a wish to have traffic travel toward the lake, offering a view while driving.

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For people with that (or any other) opinion about these changes, the City of Duluth has officially opened up a comment period in the form of an anonymous feedback form online.

This initial comment period is to gain some first impressions, while city officials say they will have a "more detailed and in-depth" survey of the public. If you have thoughts on the project, this is your first chance to offer feedback, though.

The form will allow city traffic engineers to use this feedback data from the first month of usage of the newly-changed road to determine the effectiveness of the changes and to inform them about any changes or improvements that might need to be made.

The 6-question form is a combination of multiple-choice and open-text questions that ask things like how you use the road and how effective you think the changes are, as well as the opportunity to provide open comment.