Southface Community Association

News from Joe Pelka

Jul 01, 2000

2000
For many years, the association has been working with the city to improve egress from Southface (making left turns onto Vindicator), during peak traffic periods. Requests for traffic signals for either end of Bison Ridge and Vindicator have been denied. Dealing with the city has been a frustrating experience at times. Despite this, the Board has continued to pursue this issue.
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We believe that a solution may be at hand. The city has made the following proposal:

Move the present pedestrian traffic signal that is offset from Owl Ridge and Vindicator, to serve the entire intersection of Owl Ridge and Vindicator. This new set-up will still serve as a pedestrian crossing for the middle school students. It will also stop traffic on Vindicator, when a sensor detects a car waiting to make a left turn to go east bound on Vindicator. If no waiting car or pedestrian triggers the signal, it will remain green for Vindicator traffic.

While this proposal may not be the Board's first choice for improving the safety of left turns onto Vindicator, we are supporting the city's plan. Some drivers will have to go out of their way to use the new traffic signal. However, we believe this slight inconvenience is worth the effort to make a safe, protected left turn, especially during peak traffic times. This plan may increase traffic on Owl Ridge and Bear Cloud, due to drivers using the new traffic signal. Again, the Board believes that any increased traffic on the two streets is worth the increased safety that the new signal will provide.
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Southface residents with questions and/or comments regarding this proposal are asked to contact Southface Board member Joe Pelka at: 533-1544, or at: jrpelka@hotmail.com

NEW FIRE STATION
A ribbon cutting ceremony for Fire Station #18 is scheduled for: Thursday, 27 April 2000, 5 PM. The station is located at Centennial and Vindicator (behind Walgreens), and will greatly improve fire department response times to Southface.