Letter: AECOM, city need to rethink Fourth Ave. roundabout
To the Editor-
In response to Mr. Kontos’ recent column about the roads in Stevens Point, I’d like to add a big “THANK YOU” for his use of FACTS before he writes.
It would be nice if a consulting group (AECOM) would do the same before making statements about a roundabout at Division St. and Fourth Ave. Their (AECOM) comment that it would increase the flow of traffic is false and idiotic.
This is the busiest pedestrian corner in the city. Where will people cross the street? A roundabout allows no crossing by pedestrians. Roundabouts are for interstates and major highways, not for city streets. Do they not know that there is a fire dept. one block away? God help those people whose homes/businesses/schools are on fire (SPASH, Sentry, grocery stores, etc.) north, east or west of said intersection.
I’ll invite/challenge AECOM personnel to go and try to cross at the roundabout on North Point Drive/Division St.
The entire remodel of Business 51 needs to take into account the hazards designers/engineers create to make this main artery part of a bicycle-friendly city. If you make any road “bicycle friendly,” then you make it unfriendly to all other vehicles….cars, trucks, buses, and other motorized vehicles. There are plenty of less used, and side streets for bicycles to use on any given day.
The narrowing of our major city streets is a hazard to all who travel, just to make it bicycle friendly. I travel along these roads with bicycle lanes at all times of day/month/year. They are empty and unused. One company who uses bikes to deliver items should not be making decisions for the majority of people who used motorized vehicles to get from place to place. I happen to live on a street that was narrowed by 4 feet a year and a half ago. It is dangerous and comes without any sanity as to the reasons behind such a terrible decision. So, narrowing a main artery is even more dangerous.
If you want people to come to Stevens Point for events/shopping, you’ll likely see them driving a motorized vehicle. A good way to shut down this city is to continue to keep messing with our streets. You’ve taken them back to horse and buggy days of one lane.
Think twice before you continue this inane activity with no common sense used whatsoever, or FACTS.
Ruth Pfiffner
Stevens Point
