closed #166355
Traffic Suggestions
- Case Date:
- 10/30/2018
We have repeatedly asked for a traffic signal at the corner of 14th and Walnut, because of the number of traffic and pedestrian accidents over many years. Neil Kopper, Project Engineer, told us that a traffic light was not going to happen, but he would get a pedestrian crossing, which we thought would come with flashing lights like at the corner of Rogers and 4th Street (a street crossing not in the center of town and with a lot less traffic than the main street, Walnut). However, all that was done was to paint a pedestrian crossing across Walnut at the corner of 14th and Walnut with white posts on the West side of Walnut, cutting into traffic. And, the pedestrian crosswalk was painted at the corner of College and 14th Street with white posts installed on both sides of the street making it extremely hard to make the corners. Especially as CVS's fence blocks the view from the North. Cars have to back up on 14th Street when a car wants to turn East from College. So, the very least the City of Bloomington can do to slow the downhill traffic in this area, without putting in a stop light, is to install some speed limit signs. There are NO speed limit traffic signs from 2nd Street all the way North to 17th Street. Cars drag race in excess of 40 to 60 mph there most every day, because it is downhill, not up hill like College. You have no stop lights from 10th Street to 17th Street. We would like a flashing speed limit sign that tells how fast you are going installed at 14th and Walnut. The type that is installed around schools. And, there is a Monroe County School bus stop at that corner with very young children getting on and off the bus. Also, there is a City bus that stops at the corner of 14th and Walnut. This all creates potential harm to children and bus passengers by the speeding cars. If no action is ever taken at 14th and Walnut, the City is potentially putting themselves into a law suit if someone gets killed or injured there because of the failure of the city to post the speed limit that they are required to go. The city has allowed high rise housing along the corridor of 10th to 17th street on Walnut, and on street parking to support this very high density area. This action, along with the bike lane, has narrowed the road and cars exceeding the speed limit have no way to avoid an accident. Our police department is so busy they do not have the opportunity to patrol this area on a regular basis for speeders. And, since we cannot get a traffic light installed, this request is the very least that can be done to make our city safer in this area.