[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=51036.32

New Boulevard crosswalks will prevent improper use of medians

Joseph Malan
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Plans to renovate Michigan Boulevard are moving forward, City Planner John Pugh said Tuesday.

American Structure Point of Indianapolis is finishing designs of the project and construction should begin sometime in spring 2010.

Pugh said it's a good thing construction will begin soon because he doesn't like seeing Michigan City residents running across the busy lanes of the four-lane road.

"Part of the concept of making (the road) user-friendly would be narrowing it up somewhat," Pugh said. "We'll also look into putting in some crossings so people can get across."

Mayor Chuck Oberlie said the crossings would be modeled after the crossings on Franklin Street, so that pedestrians would have the right of way in the crosswalk.

However, no additional stop signs or signals should be needed.

"I don't see the need for more signals," Oberlie said.

Oberlie added that parking along the street that is not required will potentially be removed. For example, if there's a parking lot for a building along the boulevard, that lot would have to be used before parking along the street is allowed.

"The objective is a pedestrian-friendly street," Oberlie said.

Like Pugh, Oberlie also doesn't like seeing pedestrians run across the road and standing on medians in heavy traffic.

So, the new medians will be designed in a way that will dissuade people from crossing the busy street just to make it to the median, he said. The pedestrian crossings will solve that problem, he said.

Oberlie confirmed that full construction of the new Michigan Boulevard is on schedule for spring 2010, barring unforeseen circumstances. Though it's still a year away, Oberlie said, he will begin conducting meetings with businesses and residents living along the boulevard late this spring to tell them what they should expect.

[Ang]

"The objective is a pedestrian-friendly street," Oberlie said

Wonder if they'll hand out bullet-proof vests? Or has the north end of the Blvd gotten better?

[davew]

Wonder if they'll hand out bullet-proof vests? Or has the north end of the Blvd gotten better?

No, and pedestrian friendly street, can it be any friendlier. I never see anyone using the sidewalks they walk out in the street any time they want. They walk down the middle of the street etc etc.

[Homey]

Wonder if they'll hand out bullet-proof vests? Or has the north end of the Blvd gotten better?

Good question Ang No, I wouldn't drive around the Blvd area after dark...sometimes it's scary during the day I don't like to be eyeballed and threatened as a pedestrian walks in front of my car. It's just not in my comfort zone

[mcstumper]

Good question Ang No, I wouldn't drive around the Blvd area after dark...sometimes it's scary during the day I don't like to be eyeballed and threatened as a pedestrian walks in front of my car. It's just not in my comfort zone

Lived here almost 15 years and I may have had that happen to me 2, maybe three times. I hear stories of what the Blvd was like back in the 70's and 80's, and it sounds ten times better now. But why go against the grain and make rational assessments. Irrational negativity is the name of our game in this town.

[Homey]

I've lived here my entire life and when I was a teenager, lived on the eastside. We walked all over the boulevard, even into Canada and was never scared or confronted. No need to explain how the city has changed as it's pretty obvious. For a smaller town, territorial lines have been drawn and safer neighborhoods are pretty obvious to see. Negativity is common because we remember what we once had - something that may not be recaptured in our lifetime.

[Ang]

I used to live in the 100 block of Jackson St, right off the Blvd. by Eastside liquors. NOT a great place to live. What kept us feeling safe and comfortable is the fact that the house we rented was owned by our friend who is an MC police officer and our house was on his beat. The first month we lived there, some kid tried stealing my car. Fortunately, our friend was doing a drive-by and caught him. It was crazy.
Oh, another nice thing about our neighborhood was that it was a "neighborhood watch" neighborhood and those neighbors definitely watched. But, you have to really. There is so much crime and violence over there and it's nice to know the neighbors come together to protect and watch out for each other.
That's also in Willie Milsap's ward, and I believe he really wants to improve that whole area, but it's going to take more than making the Blvd "pedestrian friendly"