THE BRIGHT SIDE

North Street parking is an issue for some residents on that street, Alderperson Sherri Ames has taken on the concern.
North Street is a narrow road, and parking just makes it unsafe. Ames has been collaborating with the Public Works Department to get the information gathered and to follow the proper steps to make this happen. Neil and Tom from Public Works agree this is an improvement and will make plowing the street much better. Tom Earle mentioned that even though no parking on North Street has his support a resident did call the office and asked if this is a good idea before the looming HWY 50 project. The HWY 50 project is coming up and the city needs to be ready.

With the loss of parking on Main Street, the resident is concerned about losing any more parking space around town. The detour and traffic pattern could make North Street much busier than it is now, which may make it wise to have no parking space on it. The detour during the HWY 50 project is expected to begin at Forest Street just west of town up to Dodge Street and then south on Broad or Center Street. This could change and traffic of course will go elsewhere but for now, this is the idea.

The Public Works Department recommended approval to remove the parking and change the ordinance wording on the parking on North Street between Warren and Madison Street and now it’s off to finance, license, and regulation. Ames also got the ball rolling on safety concerns at the intersection of Broad and Dodge Streets. Ames is concerned about the safety of the intersection for pedestrians and vehicles especially once the State Highway 50 project begins. Broad Street has a lot of traffic at several different times of the day and almost every day during the busy season and crossing or turning from Dodge Street is very difficult. To do either, vehicles need to pull out very far onto Broad Street to see beyond the parked cars.

Pedestrians are also taking a risk at the crosswalk at this intersection due to the visibility issues. Ames has offered a few suggestions for improvements. Bump outs, flashing lights, or a four-way stop. Ames believes a four-way stop is the best option. Bumpouts are not popular with the public works department or the parking department, as they make plowing a little more difficult and parking stalls would be lost. Ames had support from the committee as traffic patterns will change with the State 50 construction coming safety issues will need to be discussed and at the least, some temporary changes may need to be made. The item will be scheduled for further review at the next Public Works meeting.