Parts of project need another look

To the editor:

In regard to the proposed U.S. 27 (Meridian Street) project in Portland, I think its great to do the milling of the existing pavement, patching and replacing deficient curb ramps — are all needed.

But the deficiencies on this one I do not understand.

To start with the way it is now, if you are on High or Walnut streets and want to turn out onto Meridian Street you have a traffic light with signs that state no turn on red. This is because of not being able to see to be able to pull out safely.

If the lights are removed, how is anyone supposed to be able to even pull out onto Meridian Street, let alone if you place angle parking along the west side. There is absolutely no way we will be able to see to pull out.

This town caters to a lot of events that utilize golf carts and mopeds, and also the people who live in and around this town utilize them daily. How will they ever be able to cross from the east to west and vice versa?

They are not allowed to travel down the highway, so they have to cross without the lights at Walnut and High streets. They will be pulling out causing accidents, etc., or going to the only stop light available to them in the town the one at Meridian and Main streets.

And yet, the city wants the business to come downtown. Those people on carts do a lot of business.

Also, by removing the lights the traffic will tend to go faster, just like it does now from High Street to Votaw Street. When someone stops and puts a vehicle in reverse to back in, there will be accidents.

Now at least when someone goes to parallel park the traffic moves to the other lane and traffic keeps moving. 

Pedestrian safety has been mentioned as rationale for the project. How’s it going to be safe for anyone to get across the street unless again they cross at Meridian and Main streets only? How would an elderly or handicapped person be able to get across the street if they parked on the west side without having to walk up to three blocks to get to a light to be able to safely cross?

I doubt if any elderly or handicapped person will be able to do that. So, are we saying they don’t matter and that the only businesses that matter are the ones right there at Meridian and Main streets?

Also, with only one full lane and a half block of a turn lane, has anyone thought about the semi usage in this city? If one semi and one car are in the turn lane and a second car or semi wants to also turn (for example, heading south turning east onto Indiana 26 (Water Street), there will not be room in the turn lane so the main lane will be stopped while everyone waits.

Now when it gets backed up you still have the far west lane that will allow you to continue on south.

It was also said that back-in angle parking has been in place at other locations. Well, for what I have been able to research, none of the other places have it on their main drag of town let alone a highway with only one lane of traffic. Go ahead and have back-in parking along Main Street, but not on Meridian Street at the expense of losing two lanes of traffic.

I seriously hope that the single lane and no lights will be looked at again. It appears that accidents are just waiting to happen.

Susan Smith

Portland