Seeking Alternate Routes
by Bill Dusty
Drivers unaware of the Marengo Park road block simply choose to go around it.
After reading this Republican story on the decision by the Board of Public Works to recommend to the City Council that temporary barriers put up last December at alternate ends of Bellevue Avenue and Marengo Park remain permanently, I decided to swing by myself to check out the situation at the end of Marengo Park, where a resident reportedly was having issues with vehicles driving over his lawn upon encountering the street barrier, rather than turning around.
Roland E. Holstead complained in the Republican article that since there are no signs at the Belmont Avenue end of Marengo Park (the entry point), surprised motorists sometimes opt to simply drive around the barrier in order to get onto Dickinson Street.
During the winter season, as snow pack covers both lawn and shrubbery, folks will drive right over the sidewalk to get to Dickinson. In the summertime, going over the street curb is the preferred route.
If the barriers on Bellevue and Marengo Park are to become permanent fixtures, the Holstead’s would like the City to put signage at the entry points informing motorists of the alternate exit points. And then there is also the issue of providing quick access through the barriers for emergency response vehicles. Mrs. Holstead told me that one ingenious idea at the meeting came from a young boy in attendance: Install a weight scale just before the street gate, and when a fire truck arrives on the scene, its weight can trigger the gate to open.
Not bad, kid. A little expensive, perhaps, but not bad.
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3 Responses for “Seeking Alternate Routes”
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Obviously, we need a trench.
The sidewalk and tree belt pictured seem to be in relatively good shape considering the fact that cars and SUV’s have been using both as an “escape route”. Seems to me that some torn up grass is a small price to pay for some peace and quiet on this very nice looking street.
Actually, Mike, if cars are driving across their front yard, then I think it’s difficult to qualify that as “peace and quiet.”
If you own a home – and have any expectation that it will have any real estate value – then allowing cars to drive over your shrubbery is probably not something you want to be understanding about.
The Holstead’s, by the way, are not saying the road block is a bad thing for the street, per se, only that they wish the city would put up signs on the opposite end of the street announcing “no thru-way” on the street, so cars wouldn’t come up expecting to get through.
It’s also a rather sad testament to the current state of Springfield that such barriers are necessary in order to keep the peace in formerly well-kept and historic neighborhoods.