HomeMy WebLinkAboutDelegation Presentation - Parking Issues on Huron Court - MageeAugust 6, 2008
Old Huron Court is located in the South end of the City and is located just off of a dead
end street called Old Huron Place.
Old Huron Court has semi detached homes as well as single family homes. The semi
detached homes are on the outside of the court with single family homes on the interior
and half of the outside court, closest to Old Huron Place. There are no sidewalks. With
no sidewalks the driveways are longer. Many of the lots for the single family homes, on
the outside, are pie shaped lots with small road frontage, hardly enough for a
vehicle. Many homes have appropriately designed their driveways for more then one
vehicle parking, besides parking one behind the other. There are no 'NO PARKING'
signs allowing for parking on both sides of the street. With most households being two-
car families, or greater, parking is often a challenge and hence driving and most
importantly WALKING is impaired and safety is severely compromised. The passage of
emergency vehicles is seriously compromised by both side parking; especially in the end
of the Court that curves and houses the semi-detached homes. In fact, there was
recently an accident with the garbage truck, unable to navigate the corner. There is a
walkway that connects Biehn Drive to the Court which is one of two locations where mail
is delivered. My mail is at this location. With vehicles parking in front of and at either
side of the walkway the logistics of picking up your mail are, in my opinion, less then
acceptable. First, you can't stop and pick up mail at the end of the work day or in the
morning because vehicles are already parked. Therefore you either stop in the road,
which I must confess I have done myself, or you go home and walk to the mail. When
you walk to the mail you are forced to walk IN the roadway as opposed to the side of the
road because vehicles are parked there. When you get to the mailbox you have a blind
spot and are forced to walk onto the road without knowledge of oncoming traffic, which is
travelling closer to the curb to avoid the parked cars on the other side of the
road. Children run back and forth using this walkway as well and their safety needs to
be first and foremost. With many having an assumption or expectation that it is a safe
place for kids to play, because it is a quiet court, there are children of all ages playing in
the roadway. With parking again on both sides, these kids are literally in the middle of
the road, as opposed to off to one side. Again, because the cars parked on both sides
impede the vision of the driver and the children, as they make their way around the
bends and obstacles, it is a hazard that needs immediate addressing.
Backing out of your driveway is also a hazard and the fire hydrant across from my home
is often blocked.
Parking for visitors is very difficult as the majority of the road is occupied with residents.
Personally, one of the selling features of this home for me was the absence of a
sidewalk as I am often out of town. While it has been suggested that we need sidewalks,
I do not believe such is the case -- If we have one side of the road to walk on. If parking
was limited to one side only; there would be a SAFE place to walk and a safer place to
play, as children always will.
Today, it is dangerous, not safe and a life altering accident -waiting to happen.
Moira Sharon Magee