ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, August 17, 1996 TAG: 9608190052
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
Plans to ease early evening traffic congestion by widening a short stretch of Franklin Road through Old Southwest have run head-first into vehement opposition from the historic neighborhood's community association.
Building three lanes of traffic instead of the present two through their neighborhood could create a "concrete ribbon" dividing the community while bringing more traffic at higher speeds through Roanoke's first historic district - merely to ease 20-minute weekday evening back-ups, a member of the neighborhood organization said.
The widening would take place along a shady nine-block stretch of Franklin between Elm Avenue and Janette Avenue, which is just north of an on-ramp onto southbound U.S. 220.
City traffic engineer Bob Bengtson said the widening is being considered as part of plans to resurface that stretch of Franklin. City officials said they can save money by doing both projects at once, and improve traffic flow on the edge of downtown during evening rush hour.
Bengtson said the widening would reduce "cut-through" traffic, in which drivers travel narrower streets through the neighborhood to avoid evening back-ups and traffic lights on Franklin.
Because Franklin is wide enough for three lanes for most of the stretch through Old Southwest, the widening would occur only on two sections, one 50 feet long and the other 150 feet, Bengtson said. The city would need only 3 additional feet of space in those sections. Then the entire stretch could be re-striped to provide two lanes for traffic heading south and one for cars going north.
The job already has been put out to bid, but Bengtson said he doesn't know the cost because the bids haven't been returned.
The plan drew strong opposition from members of Old Southwest during a community meeting Thursday night. The group appointed Joel Richert, a longtime Old Southwest resident, to argue against the widening at Monday's council meeting.
"Doesn't the city ever learn?" Richert said Thursday. "They keep shooting themselves in the feet - and the private parts."
Richert said widening roads almost inevitably increases the speed of traffic on them, regardless of whether posted speed limits are changed. And "when the traffic speeds up, more vehicles appear to take advantage of the improvement," she added.
Critics also say the widening could lead to future "improvements" - the bulldozing of trees, sidewalks, walls and even buildings, she said. "Each step is logical and innocuous, but the end result is devastating."
"We're adamantly opposed to any widening of Franklin Road and what it continues to do with our neighborhood," Richert said.
Richert said Old Southwest also wants council to consider placing stop signs at every intersection along the residential streets through the historic district.
"There's speeding in the neighborhood. ... It's getting to be more of a child-oriented neighborhood, and we're concerned," she said.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Map by staff: Franklin Road widening. color.by CNB