Improvements to Plymouth’s pedestrian facilities were discussed during Monday’s Board of Works Meeting. City Engineer Rick Gaul gave board members an update on Plymouth’s Safe Routes to School project.
He said the city’s in the process of applying for design exceptions from the Indiana Department of Transportation. The exceptions would allow the city some leniency in cases where meeting INDOT specifications would not be possible within the existing right of way. Some of the exceptions include a slightly smaller distance between the pedestrian path and the street or between the path and other objects like fences.
However, Gaul said a challenge has come up with the project. He said for sidewalk projects like this one, INDOT generally waives the requirement for a geotechnical report, which involves testing the soil in the area. For unknown reasons, Gaul says the project has been having trouble getting that waiver, “The people from INDOT LaPorte were kind of surprised that it wasn’t waived and the people from MACOG [the Michiana Area Council of Governments] were very surprised that it wasn’t waived, and as far as I know, we are one of the first that never had it waived, so basically we have to go get a geotechnical report.”
Gaul says he’s still working to determine the cause of this apparent change in policy. He hopes that if the geotechnical report is required, grant funding will be available to help cover the cost.
Also during Monday’s meeting, a resident approached the Board of Works, saying that the city needs to do more to enable residents to get around Plymouth on foot. Odette Husband says she would like to walk around Plymouth, but it’s simply too difficult. “It’s practically impossible to cross Michigan Street,” she said. “Two weeks ago, on Sunday afternoon, I stood for a half-hour exactly, and I would still be there if I hadn’t given up, trying to cross from west to east and east to west by Harrison Street.”
At issue is the lack of an effective way to cross Michigan Street between Jefferson and Plymouth Goshen Trail. She says students living to the west of Michigan can no longer walk to Plymouth High School due to the amount of traffic, and she complained that the policies currently in place seem to favor cars over people.
Board members and Street Superintendent Jim Marquardt pointed out that since Michigan Street is a state highway, the traffic signals are out of the city’s control and under INDOT’s jurisdiction. Board member Mike Delp suggested that the city look into the idea of making sidewalk improvements to allow for a crosswalk to be placed at Baker Street and ask INDOT about the possibility of adding a crossing signal to the stoplight there. “I guess I think we ought to make at least an attempt,” Delp said. “I think you raise a good point, Mrs. Husband. It may take a while to get done, working with INDOT, but until you ask the question, you don’t know.”
Marquardt offered to discuss the idea with INDOT.
