Dear Editor:
Smooth and safe traffic flow requires that impediments to that flow be minimized. The proposed Washington Street redesign presented at the Oct. 8 City Council meeting includes “curb extensions”, i.e. expansions of the sidewalk into the street that come in two flavors: painted with a pebbly surface, or concrete.
Aside from the problems inherent in adding surface concrete anywhere in a town that floods, these curb extensions will create a dangerous impediment to traffic flow by narrowing the intersections of Washington Street to two lanes. If concrete, they would be the actual height of the sidewalk and if textured or painted, poles would be erected surrounding the extension area to prevent cars from entering the space. How would large fire trucks, buses, or delivery vans be able to make this sharp turn off Washington since there will not be enough room to maneuver onto the side street without backing up and causing traffic delays on Washington to avoid hitting a parked car on the side street? Since we do not have a turning lane, making a right turn would delay traffic at the light just as a left-hand turn stops the flow of traffic until the on-coming traffic ceases.
With this extra slab of concrete protruding out into our main street, how can the street be easily plowed when it snows when the plow is blocked at each intersection by these curb extensions? Presently the snow plows can make an easy clean sweep from one end of town to the other, with no obstacles in the way, when parked cars are towed from the street.
A full build out concrete version of these curb extensions would cost more to build and would require a reconfiguration of drainage and utilities and a longer time to implement future improvements to the street. (Imagine having more concrete to tear out when repairing a busted water pipe or gas leak.) The downtown curb extensions would be smaller than those uptown due to the smaller sidewalk width north of 8th Street. The cost of curb extensions is estimated at $20,000-$32,000 per intersection.
These extensions may possibly include planters, tables, and chairs to enhance being one with the traffic and smog. What about the impact on the Arts and Crafts Festival twice a year where participants need to unload their goods and set up booths on Washington Street? How will our parades, with marching bands, have the room to march through the narrow Washington Street intersections?
Curb extensions are designed to visually and physically narrow the roadway to make walking across the main street safer. But since we have traffic lights that already indicate to the pedestrian when to safely cross, these frivolous and expensive impediments are not only unnecessary, they are extremely dangerous on a main street with heavy traffic that requires easy movement of cars. With more huge development projects (such as the NJ Transit project) in the wings, the last thing we need is to add impediments to heavy traffic.
Mary Ondrejka