Re: more city business

[WMSteed@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/14/01 11:11:53 AM, ncmholmes@moscow.com writes:

<< The disruption of traffic flow across Washington on 8th Street may be a
good thing. Without a traffic bypass around Moscow it will become
increasingly competitive and dangerous to drive, walk or bicycle across
Washington Street. >>

This presumes all traffic now or in the future using 8th "crosses" 
Washington.  I would suggest that a majority of vehicle traffic comes from 
the east and south, then up Washington and turns left onto 8th, heading 
either for the University or Main Street.  Remember, Gritman, at the urging 
of the City, now has a design that presumes to allow pedestrians and 
bicyclists to continue to move from Washington to Main and vice-versa; 
therefore, any concern about traffic by those modes of travel crossing 
Washington will remain even with the closing of 8th.

Also, the reference to a bypass is interesting.  I would submit that with a 
bypass the ability to go east-west and west-east in Moscow will become even 
more important and closing one of the existing ways to do that will not have 
been beneficial.

Steve Bush's motion to table the request was predicated by the statement this 
was an either/or question; expand Gritman and close 8th or do not close 8th 
and don't expand Gritman.  I would suggest the two could be separated by 
keeping 8th open and the City suggesting Gritman find another solution to 
their expansion; possibly even going into Main Street as Gritman also owns 
property west of Main.  With the South couplet, it doesn't seem closing Main 
would cause near as much disruption as closing 8th.  Someone has pointed out 
that if they were to keep going west in the future, they would then "front" 
on both north and south traffic through Moscow.

Walter Steed