Wednesday, June 27, 2007
more info about Lakewood traffic, Pt I - traffic
Those of you who receive my email newsletter are aware that the city's transportation committee offered a bunch of new ideas Monday to deal with traffic issues. You might find it helpful to look at a map of proposed projects. Click here for a copy of the map. I apologize but because of my scanner, you will need to tell your compute to rotate the map counter-clockwise (unless you want to severely tilt your head).
Check this link for a list of requested projects. I strongly recommend you call this up because it is a very comprehensive list of pretty much everything that someone wants to do involving Lakewood streets. Odds are that something at or near your location is on the list.
A wise thing that our Public Works department started doing within the last couple years is keeping a master list of all the neighborhoods that ask for street lights or other improvements. If you don't see your group on this list, get in touch. But of course you will also see there are far more requests than there are ways of paying for them. We have many years of neglect from previous government to repair, and it will have to be repaired over time.
The other interesting document to come out of Monday is a list of what can be accomplished with current funding The reason the transportation committee presented us with this is that there is about $1.1 million in available funding, according to them, but there is much more in need. You'll see that on the document.
A formal hearing about the transportation plan will be held July 16. You are certainly welcome to email me your thoughts, but you are extra welcome to either write the council a letter or speak out at the hearing.
One thing that concerns me deeply is that solutions for the intersection of Custer and John Dower are put off until at least 2010. That's too long to wait. It is particularly too long to wait because it is not like we are spending a lot of money on the western side of our town. Take a look at the map.
And speaking of that ... I can't resist making one other observation. It might not ever come to anything, but you can't say you were not warned. Right now, council members in Lakewood are elected "at large." We are all elected by about 25,000 registered voters (though of course not all vote) Sometimes people propose that at least some of the council members be elected by districts - smaller groupings of neighborhoods and citizens. If anyone ever pushes that issue, you can expect them to use this map in their campaign. The map shows a clear imbalance in where we are doing road projects. (now, yes, gang, I know the need is greatest around the highway and Bridgeport; I'm just issuing a prediction in case anyone does ever campaign for district elections)
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Check this link for a list of requested projects. I strongly recommend you call this up because it is a very comprehensive list of pretty much everything that someone wants to do involving Lakewood streets. Odds are that something at or near your location is on the list.
A wise thing that our Public Works department started doing within the last couple years is keeping a master list of all the neighborhoods that ask for street lights or other improvements. If you don't see your group on this list, get in touch. But of course you will also see there are far more requests than there are ways of paying for them. We have many years of neglect from previous government to repair, and it will have to be repaired over time.
The other interesting document to come out of Monday is a list of what can be accomplished with current funding The reason the transportation committee presented us with this is that there is about $1.1 million in available funding, according to them, but there is much more in need. You'll see that on the document.
A formal hearing about the transportation plan will be held July 16. You are certainly welcome to email me your thoughts, but you are extra welcome to either write the council a letter or speak out at the hearing.
One thing that concerns me deeply is that solutions for the intersection of Custer and John Dower are put off until at least 2010. That's too long to wait. It is particularly too long to wait because it is not like we are spending a lot of money on the western side of our town. Take a look at the map.
And speaking of that ... I can't resist making one other observation. It might not ever come to anything, but you can't say you were not warned. Right now, council members in Lakewood are elected "at large." We are all elected by about 25,000 registered voters (though of course not all vote) Sometimes people propose that at least some of the council members be elected by districts - smaller groupings of neighborhoods and citizens. If anyone ever pushes that issue, you can expect them to use this map in their campaign. The map shows a clear imbalance in where we are doing road projects. (now, yes, gang, I know the need is greatest around the highway and Bridgeport; I'm just issuing a prediction in case anyone does ever campaign for district elections)
