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Plattsburgh resident urges traffic-calming chicanes near parks during council public comment
Summary
Resident Jonathan Pirella told the Common Council that narrowings called chicanes could slow vehicle speeds on wide streets near parks and crosswalks and suggested testing them with cones.
Jonathan Pirella of 22 Cornelia Street told the Plattsburgh Common Council during public comment on March 20 that the city should test chicanes to slow speeding on wide, straight streets near parks.
Pirella said drivers tend to "creep up in speed" on streets that feel safe because they are wide and straight. He recommended temporary installations using cones to test the effect, calling the approach cost-effective compared with paint-only crosswalk enhancements. "The chicane, even just subconsciously, does better than paint," he said.
Why it matters: Traffic-calming measures can change driving behavior near parks where people walk and where crosswalks are used frequently. Pirella framed chicanes as a low-cost trial that can be reversed if results are not satisfactory.
Council did not take formal action on the suggestion during the meeting. The transcript does not record a council response committing to a pilot or study; the comment was taken during the public-comment period and not tied to a specific agenda item.
The public-comment exchange was brief and limited to Pirella’s recommendation; no staff or council member action was recorded on the record in this meeting.
