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I believe that most Fargo residents are not aware of this, but it needs to be stopped: The Fargo City Commission recently voted, by a 3 to 2 vote, to approve a proposal by the engineering department to eliminate the right turn lane at 32nd Avenue and 25th Street, one of the most heavily used turn lanes in the city.
The City Commission says it wants to "assist" pedestrians in crossing 32nd Avenue. How many pedestrians are involved here? Engineering and the commission have no pedestrian count. But they have counted thousands of cars using 32nd and 25th, with many drivers liking the convenience and safety of that right turn lane.
Thirty-second Avenue is not a "walkabout" street. Most people, by far, drive to Essentia Hospital, professional offices, supermarkets, strip malls, and restaurants along both 32nd and 25th. The small number of pedestrians who want to cross these streets do so now by following traffic lights that are appropriately timed.
The majority on the commission also wants to make driving lanes "narrower" to supposedly "slow down" traffic on 32nd. The way to keep traffic within posted speed limits is through enforcement. Think about what narrower traffic lanes will do to our winter driving, which is difficult enough without the proposed "enhancement."
If this kind of poorly thought out plan isn't stopped, drivers will be forced to live with a bad re-design for many years. It's an expenditure of millions of dollars in local, state and federal tax money that doesn't need to be made. What needs to be done is fix the potholes!
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Larry Gauper lives in Fargo.
This letter does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Forum's editorial board nor Forum ownership.
