Guest Column: Liberate Locust Street
I've not taken a position on the issue of the reopening of Locust Street, but a correspondent offers this opinion on the matter. It's certainly well stated and persuasive. Welcome J.R. Steuerwald, who lives on DePauw Avenue. - RS
During the past few years since Locust Street has been closed due to construction at Hazelwood Middle School residents residing around Locust Street have seen traffic on our residential streets escalate. Locust Street was designed by city planners to handle traffic wishing to travel between Vincennes and Silver Streets. Locust Street consists of two schools, two parking areas, tennis courts and the football stadium, none of which are occupied continually throughout the day.
Residents living around Locust Street live and use their properties 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They should be able to have safe access to their homes and be able to allow their children to play on their property without having to be concerned about increased traffic flow and excessive speeds from drivers using their streets in the attempt to connect between Vincennes and Silver Streets.
Representatives of the school system at the June 29th Board of Public Works and Safety meeting for the City of New Albany, would have you believe that their insistence on closing Locust Street is for the “sake of the children” and their safety. I personally couldn’t agree more, but whose children are we talking about anyway? Many of these kids they claim to be interested in protecting come from the very streets whose residents (131 of which signed a petition) to have Locust Street re-opened.
The issue of whether or not Locust Street should be re-opened is more complex than our school children’s safety. No one on either side wants anybody whether they reside on Locust Street or any other street in the area put in an unsafe position. No! This issue is bigger than that. Both the school system and the surrounding neighborhoods can peacefully co-exist if the traffic is managed during peak school hours.
I’ve lived in larger cities that change the traffic flow of major streets daily depending on the traffic needs. Locust Street doesn’t need to be closed to city residents who pay taxes to support New Albany schools, just because our city “leaders” can’t find a reasonable solution to this problem—manage the traffic during peak school hours and open the street to city residents!
I wait with anticipation to see how the Board of Public Works and Safety decides on July 12.
J.R. Steuerwald, New Albany
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How do you feel about this? We invite you to write us with your thoughts.
Randy Smith, destinations@sbcglobal.net
During the past few years since Locust Street has been closed due to construction at Hazelwood Middle School residents residing around Locust Street have seen traffic on our residential streets escalate. Locust Street was designed by city planners to handle traffic wishing to travel between Vincennes and Silver Streets. Locust Street consists of two schools, two parking areas, tennis courts and the football stadium, none of which are occupied continually throughout the day.
Residents living around Locust Street live and use their properties 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They should be able to have safe access to their homes and be able to allow their children to play on their property without having to be concerned about increased traffic flow and excessive speeds from drivers using their streets in the attempt to connect between Vincennes and Silver Streets.
Representatives of the school system at the June 29th Board of Public Works and Safety meeting for the City of New Albany, would have you believe that their insistence on closing Locust Street is for the “sake of the children” and their safety. I personally couldn’t agree more, but whose children are we talking about anyway? Many of these kids they claim to be interested in protecting come from the very streets whose residents (131 of which signed a petition) to have Locust Street re-opened.
The issue of whether or not Locust Street should be re-opened is more complex than our school children’s safety. No one on either side wants anybody whether they reside on Locust Street or any other street in the area put in an unsafe position. No! This issue is bigger than that. Both the school system and the surrounding neighborhoods can peacefully co-exist if the traffic is managed during peak school hours.
I’ve lived in larger cities that change the traffic flow of major streets daily depending on the traffic needs. Locust Street doesn’t need to be closed to city residents who pay taxes to support New Albany schools, just because our city “leaders” can’t find a reasonable solution to this problem—manage the traffic during peak school hours and open the street to city residents!
I wait with anticipation to see how the Board of Public Works and Safety decides on July 12.
J.R. Steuerwald, New Albany
--------------------------------------------
How do you feel about this? We invite you to write us with your thoughts.
Randy Smith, destinations@sbcglobal.net
posted by All4Word at 12:37 PM
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