Resident urges action on speeding, faded road markings near 30 First Street; suggests mural downtown

Brian Barlow, a Holland resident, used the public comment period to raise safety concerns about speeding and faded road markings on 30 First Street and to suggest a mural on a downtown wall.

Barlow told the City Council that when large delivery trucks back up at a nearby signal, drivers use 30 First Street — the block between Ottawa and Van Ralte — to bypass congestion. He said drivers “race” down the street to avoid the trucks and that the speed creates safety risks for students walking to Jefferson Elementary School and the high school.

“I mean, they're going way too fast, way too fast,” Barlow said. He urged the city to study the location and consider traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps or stop signs at the Cleveland and Harrison blocks. He also suggested targeted enforcement during school hours, saying, “If you put a cop at the end of where the Jefferson Elementary School … you'll catch these guys.”

Barlow additionally raised concerns about faded pavement markings across the city, saying some intersections lack visible lane arrows and that lines are not reflective at night or in rain. He asked the city to review striping and repaint areas that are difficult to see.

As a final, non-safety comment, Barlow suggested installing a mural on a large green wall across from the farmer's market at the end of Eighth Street, saying the space would be a good site for public art unless development plans change the building’s use.

The council did not record a formal response or action during the public comment period recorded in this meeting.