Carol’s mention of the stop sign at Elm and Pine (which, yes — people routinely roll through, barely slowing down) reminds me to ask: is that proposed TPPD electric motorcycle still on the budget? Because that seemed awfully unnecessary for our already over-sized and over-funded PD and sounded to me a lot more like a “fun to have” than a “must have”.?

I’m of the belief that if we are going to have such a big force for our medium-small community then I want to SEE them, sitting in their cars in places like Elm and Pine and handing out hundreds of warnings and then tickets for all the cars (and food delivery motorcycles) that are blowing through our streets knowing they’ll never have to worry about enforcement of stop signs, parking restrictions, obnoxiously modified exhaust systems, and other “minor” violations (like any lingering use of gas leaf blowers once the summer ban kicks in). Small things like this that make a real difference in quality of life (and that remind people in this trump era that there is such a thing as “rule of law” in our town) are the everyday ways to gain community support for a police dept. that wants more resources.?

Rick on Pine

On Apr 20, 2025, at 11:56?AM, CAROL CLAYTON via <carolclayton=[email protected]> wrote:

?

I fully agree there is a terrible traffic problem in our neighborhood, however, making Walnut and Westmoreland one way will throw even more traffic onto Elm/Pine.? I see people blow through that stop sign at Elm and Pine all the time, and then speed up Pine.? I understand that "it's been good for business" to make an outdoor dining spot.? It's been horrible for residential areas however.? If they want to keep the outdoor area, why not adopt Byrne's idea of making another lane by removing part of the median?? It would take away 5 parking spots, but it would keep the traffic where it belongs-on the main road through town.??

On Sun, Apr 20, 2025 at 9:44?AM Marlana Valdez via <valdez53=[email protected]> wrote:

I have my grandkids over here on Walnut and try to keep them out of the front yard because of the non stop traffic.?

I would be in favor of making walnut and westmoreland one way streets running in the opposite directions.?

The overwhelming amount of traffic dying rush hour in the evening terrifies me. Marlana on walnut

On Sun, Apr 20, 2025 at 9:39?AM George Kohl via <geokohl12=[email protected]> wrote:

I am in the process of filing my third insurance claim for three separate instances of cars or trucks traveling down Westmoreland hitting my parked car in front of 7000 Westmoreland. ??

The increased traffic volume, in both directions, on a street too narrow for a marked center lane has led to these three incidents in the last two years.?

In one case a truck took off my side view mirror.? A neighbor saw it but the truck kept on going.

In the second case, shortly after the side view mirror was replaced, someone else hit the side mirror of the car again and didn't stop. ? And this week, a car going down the hill swiped the ?front end of my parked car as she tried to navigate by ?a car coming up the hill with a delivery truck double parked at a neighbor's house.

I'm not sure if our location in the middle of the block or the fact that there are driveways on both sides of our property which folks use to try to avoid oncoming traffic?are the fault or not.?

None the less, what's clear to me is that as traffic volumes have grown, the street is too narrow to contain it. ?

As far as solutions go, there's the longstanding conversation to make the street one way. ? The street is too narrow to carry its current load. ?

Perhaps, we need the orange safety cones just as utility workers place around parked cars and give drivers more visual help to avoid parked cars. Perhaps a can of red spray paint to mark a safety zone is the cheapest solution.? Perhaps, our Public Works Dept can?provide some other viable answer??

While this is not a crusade for me, it's?certainly aggravating, and costing?me time and money. So far I'm adding it to my tax bill and the cost of the pleasant city amenities.? But I'll add it to the building chorus of traffic issues for which we don't have an?adequate plan..

--

George Kohl

Mobile: 301-318-0258