HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/6/2024 Item 6a, S. Lerian
Steven Todd Lerian <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Fund South Broad Street Project
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Dear City Council,
As I am sure you have heard, there are a number of citizens, most of whom live west of Broad Street who
feel they are regularly in peril as they attempt to cross or merge onto Broad Street via car, bicycle or as
pedestrians. In 2014, the South Broad Street Area Plan was adopted by the Council and many of the
items in it have successfully been implemented, most having to do with zoning issues, infrastructure,
and the build-up of businesses and housing east of Broad Street. Cudos for that!
However, for those of us who live west of Broad, key elements in the plan that were to provide a safe
street on which to travel have barely been addressed at all over these ten long years. It's time to correct
that now when there are some funds available that could and should be used to update the plan leading
into next year's budget planning process, when capital improvements can be scheduled.
Making a left turn onto Broad requires almost as much luck as it does skill. 90% of the time, drivers are
forced to turn into the center turn/"suicide" lane before merging into the high-speed traffic traveling
north. There are often northbound cars already in the turn lane trying to turn onto the neighborhood
streets or merge into traffic northbound, as well as southbound cars in that lane trying to turn left. There
are so many directions to look, it's amazing that more accidents do not occur. In fact, last month I was a
passenger in a car that was in an accident on Broad in just the scenario described above.
As well, despite the pedestrian light at Broad and Woodbridge providing some relief, the mile-long
distance of this corridor still makes safely crossing Broad Street as a pedestrian or a bicyclist extremely
inconvenient at best, and perilous at worst, certainly a major problem for parents of children needing to
cross Broad to get to their school or for recreation at Meadow Park. For a city that prides itself on giving
priority to pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle travel, it's disappointing that this corridor has been
sadly excluded from improvements that would address safety issues.
I believe that reducing the speed on Broad and inserting a median to control turning onto and off of Broad
Street would provide a significant benefit for all those using the street to get to and from their
homes. Also, eliminating parking on the west side of Broad Street would significantly enhance visibility
for those making turns onto the street.
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I appreciate your consideration on these important issues and look forward to hearing your thoughts on
them.
Sincerely,
Steve Lerian
Steve Lerian
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