Thanks for making a nice newspaper that is miles better than the competition. I had no idea what was happening in town until you started publishing.
I wanted to weigh in on the plan for planters at the Depot Park. I go through there almost every day and I do see some bikes coast through but always slowly and they stay away from any pedestrians because the park is wide enough for everyone. The bike trail has a very sharp hairpin turn at the Depot, so you can’t really go through there quickly, and no one seems to be in any danger. I think adding planters might make things worse and give the bikers less ability to stay away from pedestrians whether walking bikes or not.
But I think we’re missing the more important point. We have a train crossing right next to the Depot Park where two people have died in the past five years or so, including a boy on a bike. If people want to focus on safety and accidents waiting to happen, the crossing right at the Depot next to the park should be closed or moved. At the very least, there should be a flashing light and a bell.
I recently saw a middle school aged boy and his friends ride from the depot park across the tracks without slowing or looking for trains. If a train was coming from the left, they might not have seen it in time. That is truly an accident waiting to happen and we have already had deaths. What more do we need to address this situation? How many more people have to die?
We need to focus on where the real problem lies. And if you want to solve it with planters, use them to block that train crossing.
Thanks
Joe Galluccio