By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
Residents on W. Washington St. and Bunche Ave. will see a change in parking over the next several weeks. At its June meeting, the Glasgow Infrastructure Committee decided that due to safety and congestion concerns, drivers will no longer be allowed to park on certain areas of those roads.
According to Public Works Superintendent Jim McGowan, both roads will see yellow-painted no parking areas created along their south sides.
Beginning with W. Washington, McGowan explained that the road itself is around 24 feet wide.
“By the time you take off the nine-foot parking there, you’ve barely got enough for two lanes,” he explained.
Councilman Freddie Norris asked if there were plans on making the street one-way. The street will continue being two-way, according to McGowan.
“But we definitely don’t need them parking on both sides of the street,” he added.
It was noted that traffic coming from the square often congests the street, in some cases requiring motorists to pull to the side to let oncoming traffic through before proceeding.
Councilwoman Marna Kirkpatrick pointed out that in order to park “the correct way,” drivers would need to pull around at the end of the street or alternatively use one of the driveways along the road.
Discussions ran a bit differently for Bunche Ave. as McGowan originally suggested that no street parking would be allowed. He went on to add that the pavement width is roughly 15.3 feet.
“We need access to Twyman Park,” he said. “It needs to be two-lane traffic.”
Kirkpatrick asked if, hypothetically, one of the residences along the road held a family event and could not accommodate guests’ vehicles in the driveway, whether they would be penalized for parking on the street.
Rather than McGowan’s original proposal, the committee instead agreed to a measure identical to the one passed for W. Washington.
McGowan confirmed that no parking would be permitted on the south side of either road. Implementation is expected sometime within the next four to six weeks as the areas are painted.
The committee also revisited the matter of street lights along Veterans Outer Loop near Riverlake Church.
The project would see the erection of four new street lights in the area, with two on city property and two on county property. The construction cost was quoted at $4,500 for the city, along with an additional $60 in monthly utilities.
McGowan said the permit for the project had already passed state regulatory measures. However, he was unsure how soon the city could begin construction as half of the project is located on county land.
“The thing about it is, when I spoke to the county they indicated that they were going to have to look at their summer,” McGowan said. “They may have to wait until December or January to budget.”
The possibility of the city completing its half before the county was also raised.
“I asked the state if we could go ahead and do our part now and they do theirs later,” he said. “I think it’s something that we need to wait on and see what the county will do with it.”
Councilman Joe Trigg noted that should the city move ahead with only its portion of the project, the results may be disorienting to drivers. McGowan added that the quoted price assumes both parties would be working in tandem.
McGowan noted that whenever the project begins, it is within his department’s budget.
Key facts:
– Glasgow Infrastructure Committee approves new no-parking zones on parts of West Washington Street and Bunche Avenue
– No parking will be allowed on the south side of both streets once areas are painted
– Officials cite congestion and safety concerns, especially for two-way traffic
– Changes are expected to be implemented within four to six weeks
– Bunche Avenue plan mirrors West Washington after debate over guest parking
– Committee revisits plan for four new street lights on Veterans Outer Loop near Riverlake Church
– City’s share of the lighting project is quoted at $4,500 plus $60 in monthly utilities
– County budgeting timeline could delay when the street light project begins
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