2007-06-18 - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 Ms. Tammy Londeree, 813 Locust Avenue, Apt. C, said she has felt uncomfortable as a pedestrian going through the crossing, but feels it is better for merchants. She said it needs to be made safer for children. Mr. Tim Hulbert, 2246 Brandywine Drive, complimented the City for the th thorough report. He reminded Council that the 4 Street crossing is a replacement for thth crossings lost at 6 Street and 7 Street. He said in order for the mall to be vibrant, safe and accessible, signage, pedestrians, vehicles and parking are required. He said the th merchants and public support the 4 Street crossing. As there were no further speakers, the public hearing was closed. Mr. Lynch said he thought we would mostly see subjective data, which is what we mostly see, but said there is some objective data. He noted that major construction work was being done on the east end of the mall before the crossing was opened. He said he is surprised that the pedestrian numbers went down, and thinks we should be concerned about this and monitor the situation. He said we need to look longer term He said he th thinks if we keep the crossing then 5 Street makes more sense as that would create a longer uninterrupted expanse of mall. He said he would reverse the circulation, and does th not think it will create more cut through traffic. He also said he would reopen 4 Street at the railroad crossing. Regarding circulation, he said it would be easier for pedestrians th to see cars making left hand turns. He said if the crossing is at 5 Street and the circulation reversed, it would allow a better tourist experience in the Court Square area. He said it would also make it easier to drive by the garage when there are events and see when it is full. thth Ms. Hamilton asked if there are cost advantages between the 4 and 5 Street crossing. Mr. Tolbert said that the cost estimates are essentially the same and assume th undergrounding of utilities. He said the street would have to be rebuilt on 5 Street and curbing would need to be added on the south side. Ms. Hamilton acknowledged the comment that this is a different Council than the one that approved the crossing, but she said it is also a different one than made promises not to open a crossing. She said she has been working on the mall since the crossing th opened, and most of the time she has never noticed that the 4 Street crossing was there, and when she did she cars were respectful and careful. She said she thinks a good job has been done balancing safety. She said she is sympathetic about the opinion based data. She said she does not know enough about why the decrease in pedestrian traffic, and said she has not noticed any particular problem, but would be interested in monitoring the th situation. She said she favors a permanent crossing at 4 Street. Mr. Norris said he thinks the crossing has negatively affected the pedestrian experience, appearance and perceptions of safety. He said the question is do the benefits outweigh the negatives, and he said he has not seen that they do. He noted that most merchants say the crossing has had no impact. He said people have adjusted to the crossing, but he does not think that makes it right. He said we need to figure out how to bring more pedestrians downtown. He said he thinks there are many things we can and should do to improve businesses, including, having drop off points for people with disabilities, loading zones, parking, signage and transit. He said we need to bring a broader range of customers downtown. He said he supports a comprehensive study of the mall. He said a permanent crossing will cost a significant amount of money, and we do not know exactly what it will cost. He said he does not favor a permanent crossing and thinks there are other things we should be doing. th Mr. Taliaferro said he supports a permanent crossing at 4 Street. He said he is swayed by what he has heard from the business community that it is important to them to keep it open, and feels it is important to the future of downtown. He said he crosses the street frequently and does not see a problem. He said he does see JAUNT use the