City to try different direction on Depot Street

Sunday, June 14, 2009
By Brian Mosely

With the mayor breaking a tie vote, Depot Street will soon be running the other way -- towards the public square -- for a 60 trial period, after a discussion between Shelbyville city council members Thursday.

However, the switchover is likely several weeks away as the public works department focuses on repairing Shelbyville's underground storm water flume first.

The temporary measure also will close nearby McGrew Street, which has been considered dangerous to oncoming traffic.

The topic wasn't on the council's agenda, but was added by councilman Thomas Landers, who proposed reverting the two block section of Depot to a two-way street, saying that the 90-day trial period had passed.

However after debate, that vote was defeated by a vote of 4-3, with some council members wanting to try having the street with traffic running westward - toward the square.

Council member Kay Rose said that "some people don't like change" while councilman Lee Roy Cunningham spoke of the difficulty of "pleasing everybody."

There was also concern what the impact on the move would have on merchants on the square and Depot. Merchants have expressed their desire to have the street one-way, but prefer to have traffic travelling inbound.

"I hate to keep changing it back and forth," Rose said. "I think we should make a decision and then leave it that way or leave it alone."

Councilman Al Stephenson said he didn't want to go against the wishes of the public, but he was concerned about safety issues, due to the fact that the left turn from McGrew Street onto Jefferson has been called dangerous by Shelbyville police because of poor visibility.

Mayor Wallace Cartwright said that the majority of people who have spoken to him about Depot "like it the way it is," while others want to see the inbound route tried. He added that the businesses on Depot also like the upswing in traffic.

Saying he wanted to keep everybody happy, Cunningham proposed trying Depot going one way inbound for 90 days, but that motion was lowered to 60 days.

Public Works director Mark Clanton said that repainting the street isn't much of an issue, but signs that were made for the first one-way experiment "was a big expense" and will have to be redone for the experiment with the new direction.

When the vote came to a 3-3 tie to have the street run toward the square for 60 days, Cartwright broke the stalemate by voting for the measure.

Comments

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Why can't people just leave things alone. If you keep changing it, sooner or later there is going to be a wreck. Someone is gonna get hurt. I drive that way twice a day, to and from work. There wasn't anything wrong with it in the first place. I understand there are businesses on that street that want more parking, but there is plenty parking on the square and around the back of the square. Some people seem to be lazy and don't want to walk.

-- Posted by rights4all on Sun, Jun 14, 2009, at 10:36 AM

I agree put it back to the orginal. Why waste time and money on this we have plenty of other issue that need attention.

-- Posted by johnnyreb on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, at 8:48 AM

should have never been changed in the first place.

-- Posted by slingshot on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, at 9:35 AM

What exactly are we trying to accomplish with making it one lane ? Wasn't the original thought to make it safer ? Then we put diagonal parking that takes up one of the original lanes. Now we run the traffic one way, then the other. I think we ought to run it both ways and leave it alone. I think we the vote should be on what can we focus our time on that would actually benefit the city.

-- Posted by jimmyrocks on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, at 6:48 PM

How about a hot dog cart?

-- Posted by Evil Monkey on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, at 11:16 PM

I think this whole deal is over making it easier for people to park to help the store fronts there.

But what they dont understand is you need traffic flow for people to see your store not turn them away by making them go in one direction. I hate it and avoid the whole area. It is sad to say that our leaders have allowed everything to be built on N. Main St. so everything else is dying out. We need more activities planned around our square to draw people in.

-- Posted by johnnyreb on Tue, Jun 16, 2009, at 7:16 AM

This whole thing reminds me of my sister, who gets bored and rearranges her living room furniture every two weeks.

-- Posted by Nobody'sFool on Tue, Jun 16, 2009, at 12:14 PM

+ 1 lol

-- Posted by twospd on Tue, Jun 16, 2009, at 2:55 PM

If they had just made new sidewalk and not planted trees on both side of Depot Street it would been better. That small section of sidewalk takes up alot of the street. Which would make it easier to side park. The roots from the trees sooner or later is going to cause problem. It seen like everybody that has big trucks or cars are the one parking, on the left side of the street coming off the square, that causing the problem. Just the same as going around the courthouse. You can hardly go down the inside parking at the courthouse, on the curve. Just like the trees they planted on the square, have many people do you see setting under those trees? Also putting bricks down as a sidewalk wasn't good either. If you not careful you can hang your toe of your shoe and fall. Then who going to pay for that hospital bill? It a City Siewalk????

-- Posted by tnwoman1948 on Wed, Jun 17, 2009, at 4:48 AM