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Operation Two Way is a campaign to convert Second Street and Third Street/BB King Blvd back to two-way traffic between I-40 on the north and GE Patterson on the south.

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The Benefits

  • Safer streets for people walking and biking, with lower vehicle speeds and more predictable traffic patterns
  • Better navigation for visitors and residents, since two-way streets are inherently more intuitive
  • Increased visibility for storefronts and businesses along both corridors, as drivers move more slowly and can approach from either direction
  • A more vibrant, livable downtown that signals Memphis is serious about being a people-first city
  • Alignment with national best practices in urban planning and transportation

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The Challenge

These are TDOT-owned and maintained roads. Changing them will require coordination at both the local and state level.

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Research & Supporting Documentation

Jeff Speck's Memphis Riverfront Analysis and Recommendations (2013)

Notes how this call for two-way traffic on 2nd & 3rd goes all the way back to 2003.

City of Austin - One-Way and Two-Way Street Conversions (2025)

A technical document regarding the trade-offs between one-way and two-way streets.

Killed by a Traffic Engineer by Wes Marshall, Chapter 51 - "One-Way Conflicts" (2024)

This chapter is about the history of one-way street conversions in the US, and the safety considerations of them. In summary, “[W]hen we design one-way streets for high capacity and high speeds, we end up with highway-like streets that create barriers instead of bonds.”

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Join the Campaign

Are you a downtown business owner interested in signing on to the campaign? Fill out this form and we’ll reach out to you.

Need Sponsors

I am looking for financial sponsors for this campaign, to invest the effort needed to bring the business leaders together and advocate for this change. Reach out to kelsey@memphisurbanism.com to chat.