Council weighs safety, trailer parking as DOT‑approved bump‑outs move forward

Council discussion of a DOT‑approved downtown street redesign focused on safety tradeoffs between pedestrian improvements and vehicular turning space.

The design includes bump‑outs and double bump‑outs with crosswalk access that staff said DOT and an engineering contractor approved. Several council members and business owners warned the curb extensions encroach into on‑street parking and could force right turns into the center lane for vehicles towing trailers, raising the risk of head‑on conflicts. One business owner said large trailers and multi‑trailer rigs are common in Red River and asked the council to consider a dedicated trailer parking area on the West End.

Council staff said Dennis Engineering is overseeing the project and has on‑site engineers; council requested that engineering representatives attend a future meeting to discuss remedies. Possible mitigations discussed included smaller, low‑profile curb treatments (for easier turning and snow clearing), routing signs to direct trailers to streets with wider turn radii, and a vendor routing plan for food trucks.

Councilors and members of the public also emphasized construction scheduling hardships for Main Street businesses, noting repeated rework by engineers and wet weather delays. Staff agreed to improve public notification—suggesting updates to the town website with proposed schedules—and to coordinate vendor routes and signage to reduce congestion.

The council did not take a final decision at the meeting but directed staff to bring engineering staff to the next meeting and to explore alternative design details in response to parking and turning‑radius concerns.