Councilmember Eugene's office is reporting that a second community meeting to discuss traffic improvements at the Ocean/Parkside will be announced soon, likely in September. The Department of Transportation is finishing up a study of the intersection, which, as we've noted in the past, is a "death trap" (the technical term) for pedestrians. The specific changes haven't been announced, but Madeleine Fix-Hansen of PLG Public Works (a local group devoted to improving neighborhood safety), says she expects Keith Bray of the DOT to discuss them at the meeting.
So we don't know what is happening and we don't know when yet, but we do know that something will take place soon. Qualified hurray.
The other night I got in a shouting match at that intersection with some idiot in a white SUV who started beeping at me because he thought I wasn't crossing fast enough. When I pointed at the light to show that I was crossing legally he beeped again and pointed forward--as in, "I want to go forward and my wrong trumps your right." He then came within a few inches of hitting the person who was crossing after me.
That intersection can't change quickly enough.
Posted by: dporpentine | August 04, 2011 at 08:18 AM