Scribe: Joanne Karunakaran Conveners: Bagsby Pharr, Tony Lopez Location: Court Square Lawn 1:30:00
Attendees: George Curran, Tom Domonske, Alan Finks, Joanne Karunakaran, Erich Knight, Tony Lopez, Anne Lorimer, Grayson Pritchard, Bagsby Pharr, Jeffrey Tang
Question: Where are our sidewalks? How are we accommodating cyclists?: City planner (from City Planning Commission) said new roads will have sidewalks. Harrisonburg’s roads not originally designed to pay for/include sidewalks; planners now re-evaluating this.
Need: Improved timing of traffic lights. There is often a wait at stoplights disproportionate to the traffic passing. This is a both a waste of time and gas.
Suggestion: cameras (many installed but not all are activated) to monitor traffic according to flow.
Question: Is this a monetary issue? Pressure gauges under road v. cameras? Suggested : Cameras – but there are complaints. Complaints: Still not timed correctly if they ARE working!
Suggestion: Turning off car at light to avoid idling.
Opposition: Illegal
Suggestion: Link intersections, the way they used to be.
Assumption: Traffic flow seems to be coordinated to enhance flow in and out of JMU.
There are new traffic flows that need to be anticipated and accommodated.
Good: City’s Bio-diesel busses – but they are mostly run for James Madison.
Suggestion: Let’s get more people using the bus system!
Opposition: Inconvenience, inefficient connections
Suggestion: Talk to person in charge of city lights
Suggestion: Traffic Circles, as used effectively by a number of European countries.
Opposition: Besides public difficulty to adapt to new traffic pattern, greatest difficulty is putting then into already-developed areas (very costly).
Discussion: Rosetta Stone employee noted that they work best at intersections of compatible roadways, rather than at a major road encountering a minor street.
North – South travel seems quicker and less interrupted than East-West travel, observed JMU faculty member.
Discussion on potential issues of road extension to Erickson Ave.
Q. from JMU faculty member: Are rideshares (carpooling or a shuttle service) in place for (3,000+) RMH employees to new location?
Opposition to idea: $2,000 cost!
RMH proposes more parking spaces instead.
Discussion on parliamentary processes for procuring change and need for taxes for transportations sector to be allocated very specifically.
End session.”
