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TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE ON MAIN STREET

“It’s coming from the sorrow in the street, the holy places where the races meet. From the homicidal bitchin’ that goes down in every kitchen to determine who will serve and who will eat…” The “sorrow in the street” is all about what is going to happen on Highway 50 when the weekend summer traffic grows to the point of being material for a B quality horror movie. It’s also all about the setting of a precedent that’s dangerous, as well as misery-inducing for everyone caught up in it. The carriage is back. That white thing towed by beaten abused horses is back. Will these horses be beaten and abused like the last ones were? Nobody knows yet. The last horses to tow these carriages around were also housed illegally in Lake Geneva. Will these horses be any different? Nobody knows.

What is known is the ‘homicidal’ bitchen’ is not going to stop anytime soon when this repeat of something that didn’t really work for the city before, returns. Vapidly, ignorantly and with downright impudent stupidity, the leaders of Lake Geneva decided to allow this carriage to operate for two blocks, traveling west on Highway 50 past the library. The excuse for granting such permission was all about the direction. You see, the city leaders think there won’t be much traffic going west on 50 right past the signal at Cook Street. Now, you decide. Is such a decision vapid, ignorant or stupid? Have none of these representatives been in the city during summer weekends of the past? There’s traffic everywhere! But it is the precedent that this move sets that might be even more damaging.

Dunkin Donuts is trying to come into the city with a purchased location near the bowling alley near Hillmoor. Why should they be denied if the carriage was approved and the traffic complaints about their going in there are very similar? It is true that Dunkin Donuts must answer some serious questions put to the organization backing it, but the precedent set by the carriage is awful because of the fact that its approval can be used in a court of law to assure that ‘fair treatment’ is also given to Dunkin Donuts. Here are the issues that must be satisfied by the Dunkin Donuts team”:

• Explain impacts of no left turn from westbound Hwy 50 onto this property (impact on site as well as on Hwy 50)
• Explain the impact of only providing a right in / right out for this property. What are the negative impacts on other areas of the city?
• Explain how long do the developers expect the vehicle queue to potentially get for the various businesses on the property? (drive-through window, car wash, etc.).  Is there a potential for the lines to back up to the degree as to block traffic on Hwy 50?
• Explain what are the noise levels on the site regarding delivery trucks, gas trucks making deliveries to the site, blowers, vacuums, or generators?
• Explain how a right turn lane is currently only 9’, all through the turn lanes of highway 50. But Main street shall be consistent with the existing 12’ lanes.
• Address pedestrian traffic and access, sidewalk crossing at entrances.
• Explain how the traffic study did not account for “accurate summer peak traffic,” as the counts were taken in February and factored by 1.6 which is a state standard for tourist destinations.  This appears, however, to be too low of a factor for the Lake Geneva summer season and should be reviewed.  Possibly other summer counts are available…
• Explain the benefits and/or restrictions to providing a second point 0f ingress and egress to the property.