Access Umstead representatives attended the 3/26/09 Public Works Committee meeting in which the petition to ban parking at Trenton Place, and the Trenton Road Bicycle/Pedestrian path were discussed. We came away with different perspectives than those posting comments anonymously to the blog on 3/27 and 3/29. While we do not share the belief that we were not given an opportunity to speak, we can understand why Anonymous 1 (3/27) may have that impression given the way the petition supporters spoke out and based on a comment made about the need to wrap things up. We chose not to speak at the meeting due the length of the meeting and due to our belief that the individuals sharing our views in opposition to the parking ban had excellent presentations and offered viable solutions. We find Anonymous 1 has posted several valid key points on the blog that deserve consideration by city council. We do agree with Anonymous 2 (3/29) that the council members asked thoughtful questions but are not convinced that the fire department appeared on their own initiative.
On these issue, Access Umstead supporters would like parking restored at the Reedy Creek/Trenton area and are opposed to any additional parking restrictions in the Reedy Creek/Trenton area. We request that the city not take action to ban parking at Trenton Place or any other subdivision in the Reedy Creek/Trenton area until provisions are made for designated parking. If the city must take action for safety purposes in the Trenton Place or any subdivision in the Reedy Creek/Trenton area, we request that any parking restrictions be limited to one side of the road. Additionally, we share the increased concerns about safety that have been exacerbated by the paving of these roads leading to increased vehicular traffic and increased car speeds. We agree with any efforts to make these roads more pedestrian/cyclist friendly while keeping the park accessible to all.
We also hope NCDOT and NCParks are being attentive to the safety issues created by the paving of Reedy Creek and Trenton before proceeding with paving Old Reedy Creek and any existing road within Umstead State Park.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
If Trenton Place had called the fire department, they wouldn't have used such small cars for their demonstration. The fire department made it clear that even one-sided parking in Trenton Place would violate the state fire code for emergency vehicle access. The petition would affect only Trenton Place, which has narrow roads and several unique hazards and offers only a few additional parking spaces. Please try to look at this objectively because we're talking about real lives.
The earlier poster's points are nearly all irrelevant. He argues Trenton Place fails to satisfy an ordinance that's not even at issue. There are parking restrictions in neighborhoods throughout Raleigh for less cause than safety.
I agree with the Anonymous above in that Trenton Place has uniquely narrow roads and I take the safety of the inhabitants lives just as seriously as they do. This being said, can the residents of Trenton Place assure me that there will be no dinner parties, birthday parties, barbques, furniture deliveries, funeral wakes, community meetings, etc. that will result in on street parking and endanger these lives? Are they going to call the police on their neighbors to start towing cars if there is a visitor parked on the street? The problem here is not with the public attempting to use the public streets adjacent to a legitimate, posted, taxpayer funded State Park entrance to park their vehicles, it's that the Trenton Place developments developed streets are too narrow. I would suggest that both problems be addressed directly; supplying the public with adequate parking at this entrance, not at Trenton Place, and widening the streets in Trenton Place proper. While this may sound like an ordeal involving planning and surveying and construction and paving etc., it's no more than has been performed in the last 2-3 years either incorrectly or with no regard for a large sector of the public's wishes. With all due respect to the new inhabitants of Trenton place and The Lakes at Umstead (Park) rather than petition and fight to be exclusionary and prohibitory why not fight to correct the real problems? Thanks for reading.
Post a Comment