HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-09-03 Municipal Operations Committee Minutes1. 4
MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS COM1ITTEE
MINUTES
September 3, 1996
Councilors present: David Leen, Jim Tyler, Pat Blanchette, Wn Soucy
Staff present: Edward Barrett, Don Winslow, Jim Ring, Erik Stumpfel,
Arthur Etockus, Randy Harriman
Others present Karen Linehan, Laurie Brawn, Greg Robbins
The meeting convened at 5:00 p.m.
Item 1. Crosswalk for Center and Linden Streets
Residents Karen Linehan and Laurie Brown said that Children a sing
Center Street in various spots, without benefit of a walk, on their
way to Mary Snow School, and that walking in that area has became more
difficult with construction at St. Joseph's Hospital. Lt. Winslow said
putting aewalk where the parents requested might encourage children
to walk on aprivate lama to get to the crosswalk. Staff was asked to
obtain more
information a as possible about the numbers of children
creasing, i s
what a and the speeds at which vehicles travel, so that
the committee can make decision before the next scheduled meeting.
Item 3. Pedestrian Crossing Barrels
Erik Stumpfel said there has been a continuing debate between the Public
Works Department and the Police Department about whether the pedestrian
safety barrels are a good idea. He said that he felt information printed
in a recent magazine article misstated the law and that a legal liability
issue should rot get in the way of discussion of the marine of the
barrels. ed said that having seen how crosswalks work with and without
the barrels, he felt teat the barrels make a tremendous difference. Randy
Harriman said he thought yellow, being a aution^ color, would be more
appropriate than orange. Councilor Blanchette pointed out that there is
very little problem with cars
stopping for pedestrians in Bar Harbor and
she thought Bangor doesn't enforce the. laws in
a -tough enough" manner.
She also mentioned that speeders, especially on Broadway, are numerous and
she has never
n tickets being issued. Chief Harriman said that the
number of officers available to write traffic tickets has dropped and that
traffic in the city has increased dramatically. He also said teat when
people aye summoned, the courts are quite particular about wanting to know,
how far a car was from the Intersection, etc. Arthur Stockue also
expressed concern for changing the color of the barrels and asked teat the
signs be a softer material, instead of the metal currently used.
Despoiler Blanchette asked to eliminate two parking spaces in front of the
Beat office an Harlow Street adjacent to the crosswalk because cars parked
there block the ability Of oncoming vehicles to see pedestrians about to
e the crosswalk. Chief Harriman said it was decided art to eliminate
the spaces because of the already Comparatively small number of parking
spaces in that area. Resident Greg construction
pointed out that the orange
color is restricted to use by also
conmente only per The unifom manual on
Traffic Control large
nu. rs oleo pedestrians
that signals p should he placed
traffic
a where large numbers of based on th c nt pointed k u that
trafeiicles, engineering designs are bated on the efficient and gaily vehement
of vehicles, which dtake into account Low people actually Lehane.
The cononlC[ee noted to to chs cLnage the colour of the pedestrian -safety barrels.