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Home My WebLink About000193 REPORT TO COMMUNITY TESTIMONY FROM RANDY PORTER 6/2/1993 TESTIMONY FROM RANDY PORTER 000193 CIB0008 'ty Report to cornmum Porter Testimony from Randy 612/1993 . burg Recorded for: CIty of Rex BLAIR D. KA YE fltJ,}J Ex..()fficio Recorder Deputy Last February, MaYor BOYle asked me to chair a SOUTH ARTERIAL/VIKING DRIVE COMMITTEE Report to Community June 2, 1993 the Opening of a Southern arterial, and what impact these Ricks College's request to close one block of Viking Drive, COmmittee of local residents. Our assignment was to study events would have on the community, The College made the request, but given the problems have come from a citizen's group, a highway traffic drivers have USing this street, the request could easily engineer, the city government, or some other entity. COmmittee members were Dick Davis, Clayter Forsgren, Summers. Mounts. JUdy Walker, Brent Kinghorn, Mack Shirley, and Gary Jim Morris, Jim Flamm, Bruce Sutherland, Glen Pond, Mary Ann The issues we looked at included funding, safety, middle SChool and other items. public Sentiment, traffic conditions, the effects on the new Everything was on the table. There were no "sacred constructive. cow" issues. The meetings were always open, forthright, and included in the final report to the mayor. But each committee member submitted an oPinion which was this group because of the organizations they represented. I didn't try to get a consensus on recommendations from no matter what. Others favor it no matter What. But most We found there are some who oPPOse CLosing Viking Drive --- ------------------------- 000193 concerned about the costs of Opening a southern arterial. people are somewhere between these two Points. Some are Center. And some are worried about the effects SeVenth Some are worried about reduced access to the ManWaring however, was concerned with safety. South may have on the middle school. EverYone we talked to, We studied several funding sources for a southern arterial. These include the city's street fUnd, land gifted to the city by Ricks College, an as yet to be determined assessment to the College, and possibly an unscheduled COllege has agreed to maintain four blocks of Viking Drive amount from the state highway urban fund. Additionally, the thus freeing money from the city's street fund. This money ,., ., ',dg,t,d tow',d, "v"th So'th. ~'.:~~~~:.:e _t::t .t:~ ~:l]::e'll l~vel vI Jla:t"tl~ip'H",_ 1 I L " n 1!-h!. {l:t"::I~~ill{l' vI ..t1:l; L"'-ll.l~t.) crossings daily along Viking Drive while school is in request is safety. There are nearly 12,000 pedestrian The primary reason the College has for making this deal of reSPonSibility for the safety of its students, In making this request, the COllege obViouSly feels a great when two new bUildings are completed south of Viking Drive. session. This number will increase to approXimately 23,000 employees, and visitors. Viking Drive, approXimately 87% a[ Ihgm were on COllege A traffic stUdy revealed that of 4641 drivers USing 2 - - ------ ----------------------.--------------------- related business. This seems to indicate that most cross town drivers prefer to use other east-west roads. There was general agreement within our committee that the city and Madison School District should work closely to mitigate any anticipated safety problems arising along SeVenth South near the middle school. The committee agreed nearly unanimously on six other key iSsues: 1. The safety of Ricks College and middle school students. 2. Opening the SeVenth South arterial before cLOsing Viking Drive. 3. Completing the Seventh South arterial to the highway interchange as qUickly as Possible. 4. Keeping the ManWaring Center within easy access to local residents. 5. Minimizing the construction costs for Seventh South. 6. Reducing the traffic congestion along Second South. Viking Drive is unique because it's a public road bisecting a private institution. In many wayS, Ricks COllege is a victim of its own success. It keeps growing. But its success isn't always univerSally appreciated. Further, in its willingness to share its facilities and services with the community, some have come to think of Ricks as a public entity without private property rights. Locals are somewhat dismayed when Ricks, exercising its right of private ownership, seeks to remedy ~ unsafe condition; in front of nnA~t its bUildings. Concern for safety isn't unusual. But because of the magnitude of the onntga 3 ._----------------------.~-~-----.~- College's influence in the community, some in the community tend to overlook the magnitude of the safety problem. The COllege. of course, isn't demanding Viking Drive be closed. But if the situation were somehow reversed ego the College owned a private road which bisected pUblic property, the voters would have a right to demand its closure. LOOking at it in this light suggests the College, like everyone else, is subject to city government decisions. Not the other way around as some believe. My overall sense from listening to the pros and cons of the request leads me to believe Viking Drive should be closed. I realize this is distasteful to some. But I think a majority of peoPle will support the proposal if it can be done without creating an additional hardship on themselves as taxpayers and College patrons. Drivers simply want a qUicker and safer way to get across the city and they see Seventh South as the answer. If this means haVing to close Viking Drive, that's okeh with them. The most compelling argument for closure, though. has to be concern for the safety of peoPle's sons and daughters who attend Ricks. Knowing there may be up to 23.000 pedestrian crOSSings daily along this street, with nearly 5000 cars and perhaps SchOol buses interspersed among them, makes it incumbent upon the city administration to open Seventh South and close Viking Drive. The city may a fidUciary responSibility to take this action now rather than fHH'\ 1 9 3 4 - - ----"'- ------------------.--------- 000193 risking some future event which may lead to a legal action against it. ~.../:: ~. r isk-i nq'some--future' event wh.ich -may. "lead..t-o"a--"I~I!l:-.l-&G-t.i on .. g ,Ii !'Iii t..i.t. .--.. I -.-._-------~ 5