Minutes 05/25/1937 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hay 2~th, 19~Y~ These figures show 17 1/2 times as many accidents at High and Court,~ as at the ferry~ sad 9 1/2 times as many at Crawford. They show only a small number of accidents at Dinwiddie Street, because the home-going bus riders~ do not cross Hig-h St., in the stream of automobile traffic averaging one thousand cars au hour. Abolish the left turn for buses-at Court St., and build a small plaza at the foot of High St., for the U turn. From the foregoing figures and facts, it has been clearly demonstrated that the requested change in traffic will be highly beneficial to all concerned. Speaking virtually as one, a reoresentati~e number of merchants and owners on High Sro Join me in this request; together ~ ~ _ ~hey control nearly a million dollars of taxable values and many millions of gross business. TakLug 100% as the hazard of crossing High Street, from the sout~ side to the north, the re-crossing to take the bus home, adds another 1CO%hazard or 200% in all. This change in the bus routing benefits the residents of Norfolk who work in Portsmouth and the large number of residents of Portsmouth who work in Norfolk. They are mis- takenly, but cruelly subjected to au unnecessary hazard because they make two extra crossings of both High and Crawford Streets, one of the danger points, in all kinds of weather. They can cross Water Street in perfect safety ~ud this double hazard will be completely eliminated. Can you weigh a two or three minu~es delay caused by the Seaboard trains pass- ing against the safety of the people of Portsmouth? The statement has been made that buses going west on High Street will add to the traffic; but the total number of these can not exceed twenty per hour. Against this, six thousand bus riders enter the business district daily. At least'two thousand take the ferry, and cross ~ud re-cross both High and Crawford Streets, equivalent to elint thousand crossings for one person, plus the four thouss_ud crossings to return home by the remaining four thou s~ud riders~ makes a total of twelve thousand crossings per day that will be completely elimi~ nated$ this will oromoZe safety~ It is further recommended that the time poin~ be me. de at the beginning of the run instead of at the ferry~ relieving any se~olance of congestion. Buses will pull in and leave ~he ferry immediately, only stopping to unloa& and load passengers. This is the custom~ cry practice in well-governed transportation systems, since it relieves congestion in the bus- According to Mr. Freund, Superintendent of the Ferries, the boats leaving Nor - folk use only two ferry slips; thus one-half of the cars ~urn right'on Water Street; the other half goes up High and these aggregate eight-hundred cars during a twelve hour~peak. Since the ferry opera, es on a five minute schedule at peak traffic ~ud requires only ~wo minutes to unload, the buses will have three minu~es of that boat~s schedule to make the U turn plus five entire minutes of the other boat~s schedule whose traffic turns right on Water Street; a tota~ of eight minu~es clear at peak. Considering the actual elapsed timeS I believe $~is U turn plan would safely take care of four times the present bus ~raffic of Portsmouth a:~d eliminate completely 75% of the present accidents. Gentlemen: You have been shown the inherent dangers of your present routine and the benefits ~ be derived from the prOposed changes by the entire citizenry of portsmouth. And ~n their name, I request your favorable consideration. I thank you for your indulgence. Respectfully submitted, Signed) Edwin J. Rosenbaum~~ and in connection therewith, the following petitions were read: ~We, the undersigned, owners of property and merchants of the north side df Street, respectfully request that the present routing of city bus traffic on the south side of High Street to south on Crawford to wes~ on County, thence north on Court Street to High St., be chmuged to either of the following, which are practicable: 1. The bus line should make a right hand turn to Crawford to King Street, then east on King Streetto Water, thence north on Water to High, and thence west on High St. 2. Or, the bus should continue east on the sou~h side of High Street to Wet-er Streetr make a U turn ~ud then continue west on the north side of High'Street. This ter can be accomplished by widening the east extremity of High Street, eight feet on both sides, beginning on Water Street, running at an angle of about thirty degrees to nothing on ~igh Street. We request this in fairness-to our business and proper~y interests, so that we may enjoy the business resulting from shoppers in Portsmouth. We request this on the basis that we are the highest tax and rent payers ~n Portsmouth. We request this on the ~asis Of eliminating the greater-than-necessary life hazard now existing at the corner of High and Court Streets, created by the buses making a left tur~ against three lines of traffic a~ the most dense traffic point in the City. We further request this on the basis tha~ the greater volume of pedes trians are subject taa greater-than~necessary life hazard by crossing High St. ~o the south side to catch buses leaving the business district of Portsmouth. We reepeotf?ally request that one or the other be adopted and pu~ in oper- ation permsa~ently by the Council of Portsmouth, Virginial Respectfully submitted, (Signed) Chas. tyer, Jr., and 67 others.~ ~We are informed that a petition will be presented to your honorable body requesting change in the location of the bus terminal of the V.E.P. from the south side of High Street, at intersection of Crawford, to entrance a~ the ferries at Water and High Streets.