Loading...
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.