HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Email from Carol Williams dated February 26, 2015 Page 1 of 1
Right-of-way Improvements
Carol Williams
to:
bobanncamp, Gloria J Betcher, GartinForAmes, Peter Orazem, nelson.ames, mg, Amber Corrieri, lvilla,
dvoss
02/26/2015 09:10 AM
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Dear Council and Mayor,
I just had an opportunity to watch the video of the city council meeting that was held Tuesday, February
24. I was particularly interested in the item about right-of-way improvements, when they should be
triggered and which improvements should be required. I think you made a great leap forward on
Tuesday. Below are my thoughts about the discussion.
Mr. Orazem, thank you for your concern regarding orphaned pieces of shared-use trails and sidewalks.
You are certainly correct that these are a problem in Ames and I hope we can find a mechanism to
encourage in-fill of critical connections. However, I believe your vote no to require 5-foot sidewalks on
both sides of the street in an industrial area is short-sighted. I believe that one of the reason we have ended
up with orphaned pieces is because someone, at some time, said "oh, we don't need that there." While
there may be times that it seems predictable to say a sidewalk won't be needed, I have learned that the
future is hard to predict and I think it is better to err on the side of having the sidewalks installed when that
opportunity arises. Again, I do encourage you to keep seeking funding mechanisms to in-fill sidewalks
and shared-use paths in locations where is will serve the public good.
All- It was unclear from the council debate exactly when shared-use paths are required. As a cyclist,I have
mixed feelings about shared-use paths. They work well in some areas,but can be very problematic in
some locations (if there is heavy pedestrian use, lots of entrances and egresses across the path, or major
intersections where bicycle traffic not easily seen by drivers). I do, however, recognize the importance of
shared-use paths to some cyclists and think a 10-foot wide minimum is appropriate.
To those who voted yes to 5-foot wide sidewalks - THANK YOU. I believe Ames should encourage a
healthy community and that means sidewalks. Creating a 5-foot wide standard to ensure they will meet
accessibility requirements makes sense to me.
Mr. Goodman, thank you for your question about on-road infrastructure for bicycling. I was sorry to hear
it being put off until the LRTP is completed. I heard a similar answer when I attended the public meeting
for the paving of West and Woodland Streets. When i asked why no cycling infrastructure was put on
West Street, I was told that we didn't have a plan and maybe sharrows could be added in the future. I am
very supportive of good planning but I worry that cycling infrastructure just keeps falling further behind
and we are not taking advantage of current construction projects to make needed improvements.
All- I appreciate the time the council spent on this topic. In my mind, it all boils down to the kind of city
we want. Do we want to encourage healthy lifestyles and alternative transportation in Ames? If so, I hope
the ordinance that is eventually adopted will reflect those values.
Thanks to all of you for your service,
Carol Williams
628 8th Street
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