On Monday, the Portsmouth City Planning Commission gave its approval to a six-month trial closure of Third Street.
Shawnee State University asked for the closure several months ago because of the pedestrian traffic from housing and campus buildings on the north side of Third Street to the main campus on the south side.
In September, Mayor Jane Murray asked the university to perform further studies, primarily that of the impact of detouring the traffic onto Fourth Street.
SSU Communications Director Elizabeth Blevins said the school agreed, and they formed a work group to look at the parameters of the study.
“We met with representatives from the university; the traffic engineer we’ve contracted with, who helped us with the study we did earlier in the spring; and then our architect. And then we met with Larry Justice (City Engineer’s Office), and (City Service Director) Bill Beaumont, and fine-tuned what that study would include.”
Blevins said the university proposed to the Planning Commission on Monday the temporary closure of Third Street to study the affects on Fourth Street. The closure would last from January through May.
“The Planning Commission voted to approve the proposal,” Blevins said. “It now goes before City Council and we will need to get approval from City Council in order to move forward.”
Mayor Jane Murray said the issue will be on her agenda at Monday’s City Council meeting.
Frank Lewis may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232, or flewis@heartlandpublications.com.
2, Will there be a "guard" at each entrance checking stickers, etc.? What about all the other ingresses and egresses?
3. Will there be signs up to notify the traveling public?
4. What about the utility easements in that Right of Way?
5. Who has jurisdiction for traffic control during the interim period and afterward?
6. What has the Traffic Committee done and not done vis a vis the city council's direction? Who's in charge, who's the Traffice Committee's Chairman?
7. Will there be barriers at each end?
8. Will there be rumble strips?
9. Will there be any overview and control?
10. What details was presented at the Plan Commission?
11. Will there be detail at the City Council meeting?
12. What about liability on the pavement, the sidewalks, snow season coming up, etc.
13. Who does snow removal, etc.
14. What has the City Solicitor provided for the legalities on this situation and circumstances?
15. Who does the traffic accidents be reported to, etc. City Police or SSU security?
16. Does anybody know and who and who will inform the public? Keystone Kops?