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76 <br />Regular Council Meeting <br />3/21/94 <br />Page Fourteen <br />Mayor Rinker said the point is well taken. We are trying to impose a measure of control <br />of the overall pattern to be able to enhance our response time and our ability to deal <br />with it. The fact remains that we don't design the work that is being performed. We <br />know this is an intersection of high volume; there has been a high demand for its <br />unprovement for years. People in your neighborhood have certainly made it <br />abundantly clear that it is a dangerous intersection for several reasons. The period of <br />time 60 days is not very pleasant prospect to be sure, but we want to get in there; we <br />want to do this job right; we want to do it safely, because the long-term benefit is <br />?-r:... <br />definitely going to be a vast improvement. One of the reasons this thing got tracked as <br />quickly as it did in the Issue II program with the State is it has been identified as a <br />necessary intersection to improve. <br />15=s.? <br />Dennis Cardarelli. Creekwood, said being in the construction business as I am, I think it <br />would be feasible for you to look at this crossover between Wildwood and Highland. I <br />think that temporary bridging can be adequately added there. I think that would <br />sustain the traffic flow and elim°v.zate a lot of the problem that is in this room right now. <br />Mayor Rinlcer said that is the very thing he talked with Mr. Calabrese. The only point I <br />can bring out as far as southbound only, if I can be told that this will not substantially <br />affect our emergency response time and we can still handle the southbound flow <br />realistically, but a number of professionals have already told us that this is by the far the <br />better arrangement. But, we don't stand on the formality; we try to do what we think is <br />going to be the most effective. But, it has to be the safest way to do it. <br />Mr. Russo asked how a decision can be made until there is some consensus as to what <br />the real facts of the matter are. <br />Discussion was held. <br />Mr. Russo said it appears to me that most all the safety concerns could be alleviated if a <br />patrolman was placed at that intersection for a portion of the day. Am I hearing that <br />this is not an important enough issue or a high enough priority? <br />Mayor Rinker said no, what you are hearing is that there is a physical change that has to <br />be made to the work itself, to the intersection itself to accommodate the kind of drive <br />over. As far as southbound traffic, that would not require it; but as far as the other, it <br />would. Then it's not just certain times of the day, it is posting a guard on that 24 hours a ,._ <br />day because it is going to create a more hazardous physical configuration in the <br />intersection itself. It is not just a few hours here and there or a mere inconvenience of <br />our police officers or staffing the thing properly; it is far greater.