Heavy traffic hammers Peaceable Hamlet By Matt Kapko Eye Correspondent The Arcata Eye 07-30-2002 At last Tuesday’s City Council meeting in Blue Lake, traffic issues were again a major point of discussion. City Manager Duanne Rigge informed the council that construction and improvements on Blue Lake Boulevard were on schedule. The majority of sidewalk and gutter placement has been completed and the project should be finished by the end of September, he added. There has been progress on the roundabout as well. “The traffic circle is going to open (Friday). That right there will cut the traffic down completely,” said Police Chief Dave Gundersen. Councilmember Sherman Schapiro sponsored a discussion dealing with “public safety and traffic control issues.” After lengthy discussion among the council and public, the council unanimously approved a motion to install 25 mph speed limit, livestock and/or agriculture, and “children at play” signs around Perigot Park. The motion also called for City Attorney Richard Platz to look into special circumstances for lowering the speed limit to 15 mph and installing a crosswalk from City Hall to the park. Detour route approved Rigge and county officials approved the detour route (a designated truck route, according to Gundersen) that is being used during the construction phase of the project without approval by the City Council or consulting the residents who live on the detour. Residents impacts of that decision are asking the city to do more to deal with the traffic increase from the casino and construction. With her house on the detour route, Blue Lake resident Karina Green has been dealing with the traffic for three months. “It’s caused a lot of stress for people who live around here,” said Green. She wants speed limits be lowered to 15 mph in the most vulnerable areas such as Perigot Park. “No commercial traffic through town would be ideal,” but she assumes, “that’s not gonna happen. The only people who should be driving through town should be people who live and work in Blue Lake, with some exceptions.” Concerned with how many cars are on the road and the barriers she’s encountered in this struggle, she mentioned, “The biggest thing is how auto-centric our society is.” A small traffic study conducted on July 21 revealed that an average of 20 cars per minute were driving through the roundabout area, 1200 cars per hour. Residents organize According to Rigge, only a traffic study that reveals “special circumstances” would allow for the speed limit to be lowered to 15 mph. Green has responded by organizing her goals into action. She produced a petition asking for the city to conduct a traffic study to determine the possibility for lowering speed limits and enforcing them. She obtained 36 signatures on Annie and Mary Day, adding that no one whom she spoke with declined to offer support. Determined to get things rolling and not wanting lack of funds to cause delay, she has also compiled a group of seven or eight residents willing to volunteer on a traffic study committee alongside a traffic engineer. Green, who admits the worst is over, is hopeful that once the roundabout is complete it will divert the majority of traffic to the casino. She does, however, remain concerned with public safety. Jones likes roundabouts Blue Lake Mayor Adelene Jones is pleased to have a roundabout installed at the State Route 299 offramp. She is impressed by the fixtures’ ability to calm traffic and hopes it will serve that purpose in Blue Lake. “I look forward to the opening of the roundabout, which looks like it will be any day now. I think that will alleviate the problem,” Jones said. Noticing the increase in community involvement at City Council meetings, Jones said, “I like audience participation at meetings. I really like to hear their concerns.” The traffic from the casino has been a major issue at the meetings and “I was very pleased that they diverted traffic on Annie and Mary Day,” Jones said. Still, she said, she wishes the casino had waited until construction on Chartin Road, the direct-access route to the casino, had been completed prior to opening the facility to the public. Home