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sailor42
 
Here is a letter that I wrote to the Mayor last week trying to get my city to work for me. Our neighborhood is "seperated" from the rest isolated from the rest of the city because of a swamp and a golf course that envelope three of the four sides of the neighborhood. This means that there is only one road that goes in and out of the neighborhood. That one road happens to have no sidewalk and only a shouler on one side. Oh, and you can't cross it because there are no cross streets and the flow of traffic it heavy and fast. Here is a link to help visualize.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=West+Lafayette&state=IN&address=%5B2400-2417%5D+Neil+Armstrong+Dr&zipcode=47906&country=US&latitude=40.4541&longitude=-86.92905&geocode=STREET

Anyway here is the letter I wrote:


Dear Mayor D.,

My name is Nathan D., and my wife and I are residents living in Neil Armstrong Dr., West lafayette I am sure that you are a busy man, so I will be as brief as possible. There is a strong need to extend the sidewalk or cottonwood from the corner of Lindenberg rd. to the entrance of Neil Armstrong Dr. along Highway route 231.

Currently, there are three separate apartment complexes (over 10 buildings), one condo association, and one residential neighbor hood that are in are area and would benefit from this path.

1) Many of the residents enjoy biking to school and around West Lafayette. Many families, including ours, only have one car per household so we rely heavily on walking and biking to get around town. Extending the path or sidewalk from Lindenberg would allow for walkers and bikers to have a direct and safe path to do so.

2) It would provide more direct route for people walking from central West Lafayette to get to Wal-Mart. It's not safe for people to have to carry all their groceries down the shoulder of the road when walking or biking home.

3) There is only a shoulder on one side of the road so people are forced to walk or ride their bikes on the wrong side of traffic at times. I'm sure you know the danger in this.

4) As gas prices continue to increase more residents living in the apartment complexes are looking for ways to save money and a safe and direct path would allow many to do so while still being safe.

5) The pedestrian traffic is already increasing along the side of the road and frankly it is an accident waiting to happen as cars and semi-trucks often drift into the shoulder. On more than on occasion, I have had to move off the shoulder to prevent being hit. Also, bikers and walkers when passing other pedestrians get closer to the road.

6) My wife and I, and other people, have tried to use the golf course, but we are often chased down by golf cart and asked not to use the paths.

If you came to look at the road you would see that there is plenty of room for a separated path or sidewalk, and it would only need to be two or so blocks long. Thank you for your time and consideration. If you need signatures, I would gladly secure as many as you would like.

Nathan D


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sailor42
 
To my surpise I actually got a nice response from the "Office of the City Engineer" Although, it basically say maybe in a few years try again. At least they owned up to the facts.

Dear Mr. D:

Thank you for your recent email regarding pedestrian saftey and connectivity along the west side of Northwestern Avenue between Lindberg R.d. and Neil Armstrong Dr. As you may be awate, this street is also US231 which is under the jurisdiction of the Indiana Department of Transportaion (INDOT)

INDOT is currently planning to construct a new road corridor for US231 to the west of the City. Once this project is constructed, the City will be given control of Northwestern Avenenue. In preparation for this, we have identified the need for a trail connection along the west side of Northwestern Ave., between the existing trail at the NW corner of the Lindberg/Northwestern intersectoin and the Wal-Mart Superstore shopping center.

I realize construction of out trail connection may be several years away, and the need for the pedestrian and bicycle facilities exists today. We are working to prioritize funding for this project so that we may build it as soon as it is under our authority. We are also working closely with INDOT to improve pedestrian safety along this important corridor.

Thanks again for you inquiry, and please feel free to contact me if you hae any further questions or comments.

Sincerly,
David B.
City Engineer"


John E
 
What is the current speed limit? If it is relatively high, is there any chance of getting it enforceably reduced until the road is improved?


V1per41
 
I went to school at Purdue. If I remember the speed limit on that area of 231 is somewhere around 40mph comming from the right, and a lot faster (like 50ish) from the left.
Why try and contact INDOT and see if they can put a sidewalk in for you.
Boiler up! :)


sailor42
 
The road is currently 45mph which isn't so bad if people went 45mph. It's the semi-trucks going 65 and drifting into the shoulder are the truely scary part. The city engineer did CC INDOT on the letter so they at least got his half of the converstaion. I think the next step will be to send the original letter to INDOT and a new letter to the city asking for a police car to pass out a more few tickets. I never really expected a sidewalk, but at the same time if no one says anything how are they suppossed to know where to spend my tax dollars.

Boiler up!


maddyfish
 
Just ride on the road, like you're supposed to do. Problem solved.


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