Reprinted from the West Broadway Area Coalition Archive. These thoughts may offer insight City wide in street closing, and opening:
"traffic calming ", topic by Joe Biernat, Third Ward Council Member, October 10, 2000 10:18 am CST "Our office received a pettition by area residents to permantently close off James at W.Broadway. The history: I requested a temporary closing of this street in 1997 per the request of the block club. In 1999, at the request of the police, we opened the street. What is the position of the planners? the businesses? Keep in mind, with reconstruction of WBroadway next year, we can address this closing the right way (no ugly baricades)." Submit Response Keith Reitman/Broadway-Irving property owner and Broadway Business Block Club member, October 10, 2000 8:40 pm CST "thanks for posing an interesting nuts and bolts question Joe. I remember the neighborhood desire to close the street and we've all observed the outcome over the past three years. James Av. north of Broadway is a divided street or parkway in as much as there is a "pocket" city park dividing the street. Traffic flows around this curving park on streets wide enough for two directional right-of-way on both sides. Should these two "streets" be made one way? Should we consider limiting but not eliminating access to Broadway as out-only or in-only? I have learned at Penn and Broadway that closing a street often means the adjacent alleys become streets (speedways). The Charrette system would be well applied here, but this issue is one small part of the planing that is needed for the area bounded roughly by G.V. Rd. to the South, West Bro. in the middle, and the knot of streets called tangle town above. Our neighborhood monies would be well spent developing a comprehensive plan, through a Charrette, for our area. I think that the "temporary" barriers all along West Bro. are like huge billboards. Each one says, "Middle class shoppers stay away, we have no plan". Lets develop our plan right away Joe. Also let it be known that the repaving of West Bro. is two years off to allow G.V. Rd. repaving next year." Submit Response Dean Rose, October 14, 2000 10:37 am CST "I am deeply concerned about a recurring theme along West Broadway; using street closures to solve behavioral issues. I think we can all agree that drugs and prostitution on our streets is unacceptable behavior. However, to consider closing streets to control these types of activities is not appropriate. Are we resigned to throw up our arms and admit we cannot control our streets? Are we saying the only way to deal with these disturbing issues is to close streets? I encourage our City Council members to resist using street closures as the answer to dealing with issues of crime! Residents, businesses, and property owners need to work together with our police to solve these issues; traffic engineering should not be equated with social engineering." Submit Response Keith Reitman/World headquarters Penn/Bro, October 16, 2000 12:52 am CST "I believe it is reasonable to regulate traffic for the common good. The difficulty is defining and balancing what is good. As an example, I have been pleased with the closure of the alley west of Penn av. at the 2300 block (south of Penn/Broad.) where it had opened onto McNare av. Human nature being what it is, liquor store patrons had used the alley as the quickest way to the liquor store parking lot. This caused a disruptive and dangerous situation for residents on either side of the alley. Fact: The closure calmed the alley. The existing grid of streets, alleys, and property lines is the result of much unsynchronized evolution to a grid that probably started out as dinosaur paths, or more seriously, trails and roads for horses and oxcarts, model A and Model T cars, even trolleys. More contentious to define is the "common good" of closing McNare av. south of Penn/Bro. at Queen(half a block west of the above mentioned alley). To the good, it allows the normative situation of a busy commercial business's motor traffic going to and from the business on a main traffic artery, Broadway, rather than snaking up and down the back streets. To the bad, it has limited the potential number of vehicles that can physically GET TO THE STORE, hurting business I'm sure, and limiting potential. This is not good, but it is common. Once again, the best way to gain the common good is with a comprehensive plan, honestly and quickly evolved thru the Charrette Process. I explain what comprehensive means to me at PODIUM SITE #'s 5, and 7, please scroll thru and make comments." Submit Response Dean Rose, October 17, 2000 12:34 am CST "Fact: Street or alley closures result in the elimination of traffic! I believe there is common ground to walk upon when dealing with this issue. The interests of property owners, business owners, residents, and other associated interests can forge ahead to find resolutions to very difficult issues. We must continue a dialogue that explores the options to our solution, no matter how trite or obvious, and pursue all options with vigor. We must be reasonable in our efforts to change decades or centuries of design in a matter of minutes. It has become commonplace to solve tough issues that belabor us for years swiftly with a call to action...rather, we must be open to discuss the realities that are present in our pursuits, and realize the potential harms and benefits of such decisions. Change in our community is good...it is the informed subjective opinion that will sway the winds of change and lead us to our future. Let us exhalt in the process of bringing those options to the forefront of our discussions...only then will we truly realize that we can create change..for the enhancement of all in our community!" Submit Response Keith Reitman/World headquarters Penn/Bro, October 18, 2000 9:03 am CST "FACT REBUTTAL: Street or alley closures DO NOT result in the elimination of traffic!! Closures change the pattern of traffic. The classic metaphor is the balloon; when you squeeze here, it expands over there. Even stretching barricades across the full width of West Broadway would not eliminate traffic, traffic would just find an alternative route from point A to point B." Keith Reitman NearNorth _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
