[RP TownTalk] Transportation Study/Traffic Management

[Melissa Avery]

If you don't live near the Railroad, you may not be aware of how many trains actually travel on the tracts. This railroad traffic is only increasing and going to increase as it becomes more fuel efferent for goods and services to be transported by train rather than trucking.
This is one of the important variables that should be addressed by the professional employed by the town.
This and any other proposed changes to our towns roadways should require a referendum, not a decree for the town council to make.
I fear at times the council forgets they are representing the citizens needs and desires,  not their personal pet projects and opinions. 



________________________________
From: Jonathan W. Ebbeler <jebbeler at efusionconsulting.com>
To: 'Bruce Wernek' <bruce.wernek at mindspring.com>; towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 10:45 PM
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Transportation Study/Traffic Management


Hi Bruce –
 
To your points:
 
1)      Yes I agree and this is why I said precisely this in my previous posting, at the last work session meeting, and every opportunity I have had publically and privately.  I have always suggested that any and all traffic studies be funded 100% by the Cafritz team.  The Council made this one of the bulleted items that was passed in the last legislative meeting as our initial position.   The town has always adopted the position that it is required for the developer to reimburse the town for other ancillary professional services such as legal fees and our contract planner as well.
2)      There are some fundamental legal issues with this position;  i.e. they do not currently own the CSX ‘air rights’ nor the land on the east side of the tracks (UMD does).  So push as we may there could never be a legal agreement in place by the time we have to record our comments (no later than 11/28) for MNCPPC because their team lacks the legal sufficiency and authority to sign off on such a demand from our town.  They cannot guarantee or agree to conditions for land rights they do not currently possess.
3)      While a true statement when a train is present I would suggest that statistically emergency services vehicles taking a connected Rhode Island route vs. a EW/Route 1 passage (especially in the mornings or evenings) would be quicker 90+% of the time over the course of any given month.  I have spoken to emergency services personnel and they are certainly keen on having that access built for their vehicles.
 
There are no ‘back-door’ deals being cut with the developer, the County, or anyone else.  The town and Council has as much information as has been presented via public record.  While not everyone attends every meeting, the information is readily available via meeting minutes, resolutions, Patch/Gazette articles etc.  In our letter we indicated a desire to have space available to the town for a police substation (as has been readily reported on by the Patch) and potentially a storage area for Public Works Vehicles.  An expansion of the town to the degree the developer proposes will necessitate a larger police force, public works department, and equipment.  Other municipalities have indicated concern about the need for a police substation on-site as a mandatory condition so as to not have the property be an undue burden upon their public services.  I would hazard a guess that the rumor started from this point given that a police substation could
 be interpreted as ‘town offices’ since our officers are paid RP employees.  I think this is quite different than any contemplation of moving our town hall or something to that effect.  I hope this address your question sufficiently.
 
 
Best,
Jonathan
 
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