Myth:
Traffic was speeding.
Traffic volume could be reduced by narrowing; causing traffic
diversion .
Road would be safer and more efficient with 3 lanes versus 4 (two
travel and
one
middle turn lane versus 4 travel lanes).
Reality:
Inhabitants on street just did not like the traffic volume.
Traffic was moving at a realistic pace (30-40 mph, in 35 mph
zone).
Traffic will continue to increase no matter how many lanes
(MTFRBA).
Accidents, road rage, congestion, and air pollution will increase
(FHWA).
Portland DPW head William Bray against narrowing.
Portland Traffic Engineer Larry Ash against narrowing.
Project designer Thomas Gorrill against narrowing.
Federal Highway Administration against narrowing, as more
dangerous.
Residents on street now have much harder time getting out of
driveways.
Neighborhood residents have harder time getting out of side
streets.
Cloutier and City Council full speed ahead.
Even after all the hooplah of the Stevens Project the Task Force committee didn't seem to know that national guidelines prohibited humping
major arterials. There are rather expensive and extensive
federal regulations and procedures that have to be abided by when doing such,
but that didn't stop them. Ignoring the regulations worked on Stevens, didn't
it?
This fiasco existed until they applied for federal funding to "study"
the situation.
The application hit the FHWA office
in Augusta the same day that an irate citizen called to protest this travesty.
He was told "Don't worry, THAT's not going to happen" (FHWA Region I
office in Albany echoed Augusta). Funding was approved for the study, but
contingent upon the road remaining part of the National Highway System, which
the end of Brighton was within. That eliminated the speed tables. The Task force
was dead in the water for a while.
(UPDATE
May 6, 2001: Brighton was narrowed to two lanes, one each way, with a center turning
lane, between Colonial Road and Capisic St.
This
was done even though the City Traffic Engineer, Larry Ash, and the
project designer, Thomas Gorrill [late of Deluca-Hoffman, now out on his own]
, and the head of DPW William Bray, all recommended against it.
One
has to question why the City Council hires experts to do a job, and then ignores
their professional findings--in fact orders them to proceed against their
better judgment....