Comments on: Meeting #1 Minutes: December 4, 2008 http://franklinstreet.us/archives/102 Portland, Maine Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:50:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Jay York http://franklinstreet.us/archives/102/comment-page-1#comment-18 Jay York Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:21:26 +0000 http://franklinstreet.us/archives/102#comment-18 I have lived on Oxford Street for 22 of the 32 years I've been in Portland. I currently live and work right across the street from the terminus of the path that follows the old Oxford Street. I see on a daily basis who and how many people use that path. Usually between 6 and 15 young people use the path at 7-8AM and then again at 2:30-3:30PM Monday-Friday. The morning crossings happen at the heaviest traffic time on Franklin. The majority of students coming from the same neighborhood use the legal (and safe) crossing at Cumberland and Franklin Arterial. The use of the path at other times is sparse. Considerably less in winter. The last time the city "repaired" the fences blocking the path on both sides of Franklin was more then ten years ago after I brought it to their attention. They did a job a child could take apart and I'm sure that's what happened. Portland Housing Authority owns the property on the west of the path and for many years had struggled with car vandalization in the Franklin Towers parking lot. They finally erected a fence that runs between the path and the parking lot from the Arterial to Oxford Street. This now makes the path running behind their garage an isolated and dangerous area. I have witnessed screaming young girls running from that area after being approached by men. My inventory of the debris discarded there over the last year includes a mattress, clothing, underwear, condoms, needles, beer bottles, knives, pocketbooks, human feces, and even a cash box. The back of the garage is now covered with graffiti. I find it very unsettling that you believe the act of destroying city fences signifies the need to install an expensive crossing less than 300' from an existing crossing. Who are the people you're talking to from East Bayside? If it's not high school age immigrants and their parents then you need to involve them. Is Peter Noyes on your committee? What about some of the businesses that employ the people who use Franklin Arterial to go to work. Maybe if you asked the right people the right questions you might learn a lot more. Jay York I have lived on Oxford Street for 22 of the 32 years I’ve been in Portland. I currently live and work right across the street from the terminus of the path that follows the old Oxford Street. I see on a daily basis who and how many people use that path. Usually between 6 and 15 young people use the path at 7-8AM and then again at 2:30-3:30PM Monday-Friday. The morning crossings happen at the heaviest traffic time on Franklin. The majority of students coming from the same neighborhood use the legal (and safe) crossing at Cumberland and Franklin Arterial. The use of the path at other times is sparse. Considerably less in winter. The last time the city “repaired” the fences blocking the path on both sides of Franklin was more then ten years ago after I brought it to their attention. They did a job a child could take apart and I’m sure that’s what happened. Portland Housing Authority owns the property on the west of the path and for many years had struggled with car vandalization in the Franklin Towers parking lot. They finally erected a fence that runs between the path and the parking lot from the Arterial to Oxford Street. This now makes the path running behind their garage an isolated and dangerous area. I have witnessed screaming young girls running from that area after being approached by men. My inventory of the debris discarded there over the last year includes a mattress, clothing, underwear, condoms, needles, beer bottles, knives, pocketbooks, human feces, and even a cash box. The back of the garage is now covered with graffiti.
I find it very unsettling that you believe the act of destroying city fences signifies the need to install an expensive crossing less than 300′ from an existing crossing. Who are the people you’re talking to from East Bayside? If it’s not high school age immigrants and their parents then you need to involve them. Is Peter Noyes on your committee? What about some of the businesses that employ the people who use Franklin Arterial to go to work. Maybe if you asked the right people the right questions you might learn a lot more.

Jay York

]]> By: Jay York http://franklinstreet.us/archives/102/comment-page-1#comment-14 Jay York Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:42:00 +0000 http://franklinstreet.us/archives/102#comment-14 If, as this site states in "What's Wrong with Franklin?", the arterial is unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists then why has this committee made no recommendations for immediate action to reduce the unsafe and illegal crossings of Franklin Arterial? Even a temporary fix by repairing fences and closing gate openings would be better than no action until (or unless) someone is injured. Five of the photos accompanying "What's Wrong...." show unsafe and illegal crossings of Franklin so this committee must be aware of them. The majority of people using these crossings are school age children, many immigrants. Is their safety of less importance than your study. If, as this site states in “What’s Wrong with Franklin?”, the arterial is unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists then why has this committee made no recommendations for immediate action to reduce the unsafe and illegal crossings of Franklin Arterial? Even a temporary fix by repairing fences and closing gate openings would be better than no action until (or unless) someone is injured. Five of the photos accompanying “What’s Wrong….” show unsafe and illegal crossings of Franklin so this committee must be aware of them. The majority of people using these crossings are school age children, many immigrants. Is their safety of less importance than your study.

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