Traffic Concerns Raised In Browne’S Addition

When Browne’s Addition was originally built in the late 1800s, its narrow streets were used by trolleys and carriages.

Today, so many automobiles and pedestrians crowd onto the streets that neighborhood leaders say there is a serious safety issue.

“There’s a lot of concern about speeding in the neighborhood,” said Steve Neufeld, chairman of the Browne’s Addition Neighborhood Council and Steering Committee.

On Wednesday, the neighborhood council is hosting a meeting to talk about the problem. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.

Don Ramsey, the city traffic engineer, has been invited to talk about potential solutions.

Neufeld said neighborhood leaders have talked about adding stop signs, painting more crosswalks and lowering speed limits.

The residential intersection of Second and Cannon near a Rosauers store is considered as dangerous as any in Browne’s Addition. It is at a main entrance to the neighborhood and has a lot of pedestrians using it.

Neufeld said there are frequent collisions there, including a automobile mishap last Saturday.

He said the triangular yield signs that now provide some traffic control at Second and Cannon could be replaced with stop signs.

Elsewhere in the neighborhood, a traffic circle was installed at Cannon and Pacific in 1990 and has helped slow traffic at that location.

Ramsey is expected to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of traffic options.

In other business, the neighborhood council will talk about a city ordinance to provide property tax breaks for multifamily housing projects in their neighborhood.

The Latah/Hangman Neighborhood Council also is meeting next week. The council meets Tuesday at 7015 S. Moran View in the Eagle Ridge housing development.