The sudden opposition to one of the main parts of the JB Wise project in downtown Watertown brought me down to Public Square yesterday to take a look at the lay of the land. Woodruff Professional Building manager Mary Slye took me down to look at the rear of the doctor's complex to explain her concerns about a new entrance road to the JB Wise lot.
One of the main parts of the project in addition to new underground infrastructure are the three new entrances to the lot. The one off Public Square has been discussed for years and the engineering firm doing the project designed the entrance. Nonetheless folks usually don't pay attention till things are imminent and I understand that.
The concern primarily is that elderly and disabled patients will face challenges with the additional traffic lane and accidents could occur. It will be up to City Council to decide whether to deviate from the plan.
Watertown Daily Times J.B. Wise parking lot is causing concerns
14 comments:
The curb cut has been there since the public square project, so I don't see what the surprise is.
However, an entrance even down as far as Goodyear or the globe would serve the public better. Traffic backs up at that light by NY pizzeria and one more turning option for the cars in that que could only make things worse.
This project is ill advised, as a parking deck/garage should be take priority on the Woodruff lot over the rest of this parking project.
There is an entrance planned for the road next to the Liberty Building as well. A deck would be nice, but on who's dime ? The parking lot project is mostly infrastructure and access and while costly, its not nearly as expensive as a deck.
Which road by Liberty building? near the kitchen supply place or Goodyear?
The geezers will find a way to make their way from their car / ride to the entrance without getting bumped off by some 16 yr. old barreling down the new entranceway.
If the Deck it too pricey, then just put in a precast terraced retaining wall and fill it up to the grade of the square. You could do that for a million or less if you keep the parasite engineers in line. Have the city crews build it and it might be even cheaper and they would get some job satisfaction out of it too. City engineering could design it using the precast manufacture as a consultant.
Convenient parking is Key to making the square come back to life. Although the J.B. lot is better than nothing it will not draw customers and business like visible parking with curb appeal, on the same grade as the square. In fact the J.B. lot is already being utilized, so this project is mostly cosmetic with a new shortcut off the square...er I mean access.
Sometimes, Evul is funny. This is one of those times.
If one of the "geezers" gets hit no doubt the teenager will be sending an important text message. So we shouldn't feel too bad about it. Its not like we really do anything to stop that stuff. Cell phone company profits have always been more important.
Evul is an idiot and only proves that the dipwad factor is alive and well in the north country.
The concern about seniors is valid.
The concern about adding to an already overcongested bottleneck in front of Cam's is also valid.
You don't need to be a rock scientist or engineer to figure any of this out. Just spend some time in that area and pay attention to what's going on.
The proper term is "petrologist".
oh, wah, 8:42. It's called progress. The city is trying like hell to drag you knuckle draggers into the 19th century.
Making a pretty parking lot and adding to the already congested traffic pattern by adding in a driveway isn't progress; it's just stupid. In addition, has it occurred to anyone that the reason why you never see people shopping downtown is because the shop owners roll up the sidewalks at 5:00? And aren't open on Saturdays? There were a couple downtown festivals this year; a perfect time for downtown businesses to have a sidewalk sale. How many businesses took advantage of this?
Evul, you should be kinder and more respectful of our community's seniors. How do you want to be treated when you are elderly?
If the proposed road takes traffic off the Square and towards the Wise lot, how is that adding congestion to the area?
Because cars that are not already in the far right lane will be tempted to merge into that lane to use the exit.
And because the cars will have to slow down to turn, which will decrease the average speed of cars on the square and therefore decrease the number of cars that can pass through the square in a given amount of time.
So lets say fifty cars could go through the square during a traffic light cycle. Now give every one of those fifty the option of turning off an exit but only one takes the option on average. In the process that one car slows down the entire line and only 45 cars get through.
"Evul, you should be kinder and more respectful of our community's seniors. How do you want to be treated when you are elderly?"
Too late. And I treat the geezers just fine, tyvm.
Evul's party cut $500 billion from Medicare. That ought to tell you how Dems really feel about old folks. With Obama, they will all qualify for Medicaid, so I guess it will all cancel out.
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