HomeMy WebLinkAboutTIC 2020-12-07 Item 3 - Discussion - 53rd Avenue South Traffic RevisionsFrom: Emily Sarah Gendler Zisette <ezisette@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, November 27, 2020 5:22 AM
To: CityCouncil
Subject: 53rd safety
Good Morning,
I live on 53rd Ave S, the area that was recently made partially a one-way in order to put in a badly needed sidewalk (which
didn't happen).
I was outside working in the front yard yesterday and observed things and had the chance to talk to a couple drivers who
were driving the wrong way.
First of all, this situation is in urgent need of attention. I actually almost got hit by a car, because one car was coming up
the hill (the wrong way) and another going down (the right way), when they met the car going down had to swerve to the
right to avoid the other car, almost hitting me in the process (I was in the pedestrian area). It was scary.
I spoke with the driver of the vehicle that came up the wrong way...l informed them that it was a one-way street and they
couldn't come up the hill. They asked when that changed, if it was recent. They didn't realize it was a one-way. The other
driver I spoke with also wasn't aware.
There were SO many drivers driving up the wrong way up the hill. I wasn't able to talk to all of them but from the two I did
get a chance to talk to, it sounds like they just don't realize it is a one-way. And I don't blame them because the signage is
so bad. I imagine some people know and are just are doing what they want regardless (like my neighbor, who I won't
name out of fear of retaliation)...but I think a lot of people are just confused.
We are in urgent need of more and better signs. If I have the materials I'm honestly going to try and make some myself,
it's that bad.
Also, I really think if ALL of 53rd was a one way, vs having the two-way at the bottom of the hill, this would resolve a lot of
the issue. It's too confusing the way it is now. The way it is now, when a car is at the bottom of the hill by the park and
ride, it totally appears like it's perfectly fine to drive up the hill. So of course cars are going to come up. The only reason I
haven't advocated this more is out of consideration for the people who live on the other streets, as I imagine they wouldn't
love the idea of more traffic. But honestly I don't think the justification that the business needs it is enough to cause this
amount of chaos and confusion. I go around the the block every day, at least once, to get home....it's really not that bad
driving around the block, it's really not.
Lastly, I noticed the day after you had the little meeting here that there was a cop car posted on the street. This was very
disturbing, and I'm glad I've only seen that once. We don't need checkpoints in our neighborhood. We need better signs,
better designing and a better sidewalk. I wonder how much money went to paying that patrol, including the gas, as they
sat there idling (and polluting) all morning. I was relieved I haven't seen this again.
Emily
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