Tom Johnson says: "....Mr. Avidor refers to the meeting at Horn Towers where I said that the current ellipse-about concept may need to be refined, taking another shape. I probably also mentioned that some neighborhood residents are concerned that at pedestrian crossings at the 2nd Avenue/38th Street and Stevens Avenue/38th Street intersections and signals may need to be provided for pedestrian safety. If this occurs, the function of the ellipse-about or roundabout could change. A specific traffic analysis will be prepared at these intersections during the detailed design phase to help respond to this concern. I apologize if my comments concerning this matter were confusing at the Horn Tower meeting. "
AVIDOR: The function, design, shape of the "ellipse-about" will have to change... it will change because there's no guarantee that motorists coming off a 35W will volunteer to stop for pedestrians and bicyclists. The frequent crashes we have now near 35W are the result of motorists' difficulty in making the adjustment from fast freeway to slow city street driving. The "mitigaton" shrubbery , trees and curved approaches will help make this intersection a killing zone for bicyclists and pedestrians....most likely , the victims will be children. So the design will have to change to prevent killing children by including stoplights and walk signs.....which will make it a plain, ordinary on and off ramp. Then there's the cost of maintaining the shubbery, trees and grass. What is the dollar amount the City of Minneapolis will have to pay to buy and maintain the Access Project "mitigation".? Will the shrubbery always look like it does on the models and plans....or will it look more like what we got now alongside highways...weed patches festooned with litter...Kingfield can do without that kind of "gateway". In these tough economic times, when all levels of government (except for the military) are facing what amounts to "structural adjustment" the City and County needs to pay close attention to how we spend money....we can't approve a project that is uncertain whether it is safe, what it will look like or even what it will cost to buy and maintain....would you buy a house that way? Ken Avidor STRIDE Kingfield _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
