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239 12. REPORTS OF THE CITY MANAGER Item 12a Division Street Traffic Report Mr. Elliott presented his report (SR 89:361) regarding the matter. Ms. Jan Batcheller, 644 St. Marys Street, stated that Del Valle Parkway was designed in 1964 to carry the kind of traffic Division Street and St. Marys Street now have. She added that when trains pass, cars are backed up all the way to her house, and impatient drivers go the wrong way down Division Street. She requested that both the short and long term plans be adopted. Ms. Pat Allison, 874 Division Street, mentioned that she has seen a big change in traffic from the time her family first came to the area in 1951, and the only help they have received to alleviate the traffic was the elimination of parking on one side of the street. However, when parking was likewise eliminated on the other side, there was no place left for visitors to park their cars except in their driveways. She stated that the traffic situation would be improved by completing Del Valle Parkway as proposed and allowing a left turn at Main Street. She added that based on her observation, the stop sign installed on Valley Avenue, in addition to the traffic light, improved the traffic situation. A stop sign on Fair Street and Division Street could do the same for them. She commented that no accidents take place when the train passes and cars are backed up, so there should be no reason why a stop sign would cause rear-ending. Mr. Mike Hynell, 921 Rose Avenue, stated that he opposed the proposal that Rose Avenue be used as an alternative. Ms. Linda Garbarino, 733 Division Street, thanked Mr. van Gelder for the meeting which gave her a total picture of the traffic problem in the area. She expressed concern that if the City continues to grow, something should be done about the traffic situation and requested that the proposal to temporarily block southbound traffic on Division Street, as well as the long term plan, be given serious consideration. Mr. Herbert Hamilton, 637 St. Marys Street, commented that St. Marys Street was never intended to handle the volume of traffic it now has, and emphasized that they need a short term solution right away as well as a long term one. He added that the speed limit on Saint Marys was originally 25 miles per hour, and because it could not be enforced, it was raised to 30 miles per hour. He requested that it be moved back to 25 miles. Mr. Aiman Kahale, 4634 Del Valle Parkway, expressed concern about the preservation of the residential character of the area. He proposed that Del Valle Parkway and the downtown area be made destination points, rather than thorouahfare or commutina areas. -18- 8-15-89