Feedback kills Hinson Road plan

LR backs off proposal to add light, cut segment to 3 lanes

The city won't go forward with the proposed Hinson Road project that would reduce travel lanes on a portion of the roadway, city officials said Tuesday.

Hundreds of people have written in by email to tell city directors that they don't want a portion of the four-lane street to go down to three lanes or a traffic light to be installed at the Pebble Beach Drive intersection.

The project would have involved Wards 4 and 5, as Hinson Road is the border of the two zones.

Ward 4 City Director Brad Cazort had already indicated that he would vote to remove the project from the city's list, but Vice Mayor and Ward 5 City Director Lance Hines said previously that he supported it.

Hines changed his mind Tuesday, saying that while he still thinks the project is a good idea, he would vote how the majority of residents asked him to.

"I'm going to withdraw my support of the project, but I think it's a mistake. I think we'll be back visiting this in five to 10 years.

"I don't know that the solution changes that much, but I think we've got a community that is not ready to see this type of change," Hines said. "We've deployed this in two areas of the city with almost identical traffic counts, and it has worked. But sometimes those facts get lost in the emotions of the situation with folks who don't want to see this happen."

Residents have said in emails and at public meetings that there's too much traffic on Hinson Road and the reduction of vehicular lanes would worsen the problem.

The city originally proposed the project because residents complained of speeding on the roadway, and the city felt fewer lanes would slow drivers down.

City Manager Bruce Moore pointed out Tuesday that the city never was going forward with any one proposal, rather it hosted public meetings to show the three options considered.

At those meetings, Public Works Department officials said the three-lane option with a traffic light was the cheapest option with the biggest effect on speeding for the money.

Gene Fortson, city director at large, asked last week that an ordinance that would stop the project be included on the agenda for the Sept. 15 board meeting.

But Moore said Tuesday that he wants to wait until city staff members have new recommendations on what to do with the funds. The Hinson Road project was estimated to cost about $500,000. That will now be split between Wards 4 and 5.

"Traffic calming sounds good, but then you tell people that means reducing lanes -- then that's a different story," Fortson said.

Hines said that since residents have requested something be done about speeding in the area, he's talked with the city staff about increased enforcement near Hinson Road and Pebble Beach Drive.

"I don't want to hear any phone calls or emails that the enforcement has gotten too strict, because I will promise you that enforcement of speeding in that area will be strict," he said.

Metro on 09/02/2015

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