We learned that some folks can temporarily close streets with little effort, while others must assemble a petition. We noticed that when it comes to communications, it doesn't. It was reported that John "Human Chainsaw" Rosenbarger will be felling 30+ trees on Thomas Street, and planting 50 more ... and so on.
However, let's focus on just one of the items.
At a previous meeting, local businesses occupying the evolving Underground Station property on the corner of Main and Bank had asked the Board of Works to refit the intersection in front of their building (Main and Bank) into a 4-way stop, and to add a handicapped parking space on Main.
It wasn't surprising to hear street department commissioner Mickey Thompson speak for the board in waving away these requests, but his justifications (and his tone) were puzzling.
As for the handicapped space, Thompson feared establishing a harmful precedent, as though to say that if one business seeks a handicapped space, all of them would. Left unsaid was whether people with handicaps would find this useful.
But isn't the real question this: Why doesn't the city, through its Board of Works, proactively address parking issues and enforce parking ordinances? Why be troubled by a solitary handicapped space when no laws presently are enforced? After all, don't just do something -- stand there.
As for the 4-way stop request, which was made owing to steadily increasing traffic probably resulting from the simple fact that finally there is commercial traffic where before there was none, Thompson could do no better than grunt: "It's not an option."
The obvious question that should have been asked and answered: "Why Not? Why isn't it an option?"
We already know that through the top-down marionette otherwise known as the Board of Works and Safety (that word again), the Democratic municipal machine is delaying all movement toward street grid reform for 18 months or more. However, as the intersection of Main and Bank attests, the grid already is unsafe, and in the regrettable vacuum created by Jeff Gahan's politically-inspired and plainly cowardly deferrals, our streets are becoming more unsafe by the day.
Jeff, Warren, Adam ... yo, guys, can we at least have a Band-Aid to staunch the bleeding?
Even a wooden clothespin in place of the necessary tourniquet might help us to stay alive and watch you ineffectually fiddle.
Following are some fair and balanced pros and cons of the 4-way stop.
The Great Stop Sign Experiment, by Sam Newberg (Streets MN)
... In the big picture my personal hope and goal is for my neighborhood (and city) to be a safer place for all ages to walk and bike. If that means cars have to drive slower or there is more congestion in places or at certain times of the day, I’m willing to accept that. If we build and manage our roads to accommodate rush-hour traffic, the livability of our city will suffer at all hours.
Having lived (and walked, rode bicycles) when the intersection of green valley road and daisy lane was a four way flashing stop, long before there was as much traffic as there is now, I could tell you it was a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteGetting home from my schooling at Holy Family, by car if picked up, or by foot/bike was a challenge.
Traffic would back up to almost state street on green valley and daisy lane approaching the stop. On green valley it would back up to Greenbriar sometimes almost to Gordon drive. On the east side of daisy lane it would back up to zurschmeide drive.
Impatient motorists would create nightmares for people trying to cross the road. I still remember in summer going to the pool in the late afternoons the horrible smell from the exhaust from the lines of cars. And we were doing everything right, by the books but my good friend and neighbor Thomas was nearly run down by an impatient motorist. To this day still can't figure out how exactly he managed to not have the tread pattern from a set Goodyear tire permanently imprinted across his spine.
While 4 way stops sound good on paper, and studies elude to the fact they help walk ability, having grown up around many of these intersections, they can be a VERY large headache more than a benefit, and worth noting, they are more likely to be ran that obeyed (by cars and cyclists)