Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Comment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press for safer school crossings, parking fixes and state coordination after walkability plan
Summary
During Q&A and public comment, residents asked the consultants to prioritize school-peak crossings, quick pilots near a planned 118-unit senior housing project, and strategies for working with state and county DOTs to change state-owned roadways.
After the consultants’ presentation, villagers raised several site-specific concerns and urged the village to pursue quick-build pilots.
Multiple residents focused on school-time congestion and crossing safety. One longtime local said the intersection near the schools has two daily peak periods and described how bus and teacher traffic make crossing and turning hazardous; the consultants acknowledged school-time volumes can change traffic dynamics and recommended targeted pilot measures at those locations.
Randy West, who identified himself and his address to the meeting, said the village board has approved a 118-unit senior housing development near Route 28 and asked whether pilot traffic-calming features could be installed ahead of full engineering. “If there is something that we could do on a trial basis…that would train the traffic and the drivers in the area to expect that this is an area where there are going to be a lot more people trying to cross,” West said.
Several residents and a village board member pressed on how to get approvals for state- or county-owned roads. Steve Wazekas, who identified himself as a village board member, asked how the village can “gain leverage with the state and gain approval for things even if it’s a great idea?” The consultants advised compiling strong local data, building a coalition and bringing in experienced practitioners who have worked with DOTs to advocate for changes.
Other public comments asked the team to preserve the town forest when adding street trees, to consider winter durability of colored pavement treatments, and to treat sidewalks as planned, funded infrastructure. The meeting closed with the consultants inviting attendees to mark priority streets on maps; there were no votes or formal decisions recorded.
Next steps described by the consultants included more walking audits, mapping priority corridors for pilot projects and a final digital report that will incorporate resident input.
