Thumbs up: A ‘new’ Courthouse Square

Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square reunification project is beginning to take shape. Downtown pedestrians can get a glimpse of the progress from view ports in the construction fence, and people working on the upper floors of nearby buildings have a bird’s eye view. Drivers are next.

Some preliminary change already have been made, with two-way traffic on Fifth Street west of Mendocino Avenue and some turn lanes added and some removed along Third Street, all designed to establish new traffic patterns when the square is again closed off. That’s scheduled to occur on Friday. The goal is to redirect through-traffic to B Street, which passes in front of the Santa Rosa Plaza shopping center. Outside of brief morning and afternoon rush hours, it’s also easy to bypass downtown using Highway 101.

When all the work is done later this year, however, more people may choose to go downtown instead of just driving through. Thumbs up.