Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hemet resident warns warehouse project could create dangerous truck traffic on Domenigoni Parkway
Summary
During public comment, Roy Michael told the Hemet City Council he had observed large semi trucks struggling to negotiate the Warren Road bridge-to-parkway turn and warned the Newland Simpson warehouse development could increase crash risk unless the bridge and parkway are widened; he said developers would not pay for needed improvements.
At the start of public comment on May 27, Hemet resident Roy Michael told the City Council he was concerned the proposed Newland Simpson warehouse project would create dangerous truck traffic conditions at the Warren Road intersection and on Domenigoni Parkway.
Michael said he observed a semi turning from the bridge onto Domenigoni Parkway that accelerated up the incline while emitting black exhaust and then had to make a wide right turn that temporarily blocked westbound lanes. He said the geometry of the turn — where parts of a trailer would still be on the bridge while the tractor began the turn — increases the risk of rollover. He described other drivers on the parkway exceeding the 65 mph speed limit and cautioned that typical stopping distances at those speeds could exceed a quarter-mile.
Michael told the council he had heard a bridge-widening cost estimate of about $5 million and said developers indicated they would not pay for those improvements. He urged the council not to allow the warehouse project to proceed unless road and bridge work were undertaken to mitigate the increased truck traffic, saying, "Over time, people will be killed." Michael asked the council to require widening the bridge to four lanes and widening the parkway by one or two lanes to provide safer turning paths for semitrailers.
Mayor Peterson acknowledged Michael's comments; staff and council did not take action on the comment itself during the meeting. The council later noted a revised timeline for returning the Newland Simpson warehouse matter to the agenda (the city manager said it was being rescheduled for Aug. 12).
