Traffic Oval Proposal

"Having lived in the neighborhood for over 15 years, I'm dismayed to admit that I have witnessed a significant increase in the amount of heavy trucks and vehicles that travel through our neighborhood, specifically 13th Street.

The in-house traffic oval design proposed by the City Engineering Department lacks a holistic approach to managing traffic in the neighborhood, deterring heavy truck traffic nor improving pedestrian safety. The City truly needs to consider legislation that limits heavy commercial trucks from traveling through residential areas and providing the training and equipment to make enforcement possible.

That being said, the traffic oval design should consider additional pedestrian safety improvements such as making the intersection narrower so the neighborhood kids can easily walk across the streets to the neighborhood schools, and potentially add pedestrian signals for safe passage across 13th & Motter & 13th & N. Market.

The plan should consider enhancing the existing speed bumps along our neighborhood streets and design them in a manner that is similar to the speed bumps along Fairview Avenue between W. Patrick St. & Carroll Parkway. Also, if vehicle collisions are a major issue as mentioned by the City Engineering team then the scope of work should include major enhancements at 13th St. & N. Market St. There are multiple collisions at that intersection on a weekly basis.

I truly hope the City reconsiders the current traffic oval design and consider both new truck traffic enforcement measures, provide the resources to enforce such measures City-wide and improve pedestrian access and safety in our neighborhood."