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Removal of the Victoria Not-So-Calming Circle
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Removal of the Victoria Not-So-Calming Circle
July 14, 2012
By Jessica Root
Intern Reporter for the Tribune
Contributed Photo
City workers removing the calming circle.
Months ago means to reduce thru traffic on Mulberry Street and Victoria Drive were installed. This included five speed humps on Mulberry Street and six speed humps on Victoria Drive as well as a calming circle on Victoria Drive right in front of Victoria Circle cul-de-sac.
Theresa Hutcheson is a resident of the neighborhood that Victoria Drive runs thru. She lives on Victoria Circle, and although she is glad to see the amount of thru traffic in her neighborhood has decreased since the installation of the speed humps, she has never been happy with the calming circle.
On July 9, the calming circle was removed. Hutcheson played a major role in the process leading up to the removal.
Her household never received an invitation to any meeting nor any notification of the installation of the claming circle because her cul-de-sac was not considered to be in the impact area of the calming circle. Hutcheson disagreed. She had to use the area where the calming circle was installed to go anywhere.
The circle area would get congested because the circle did not fit properly in the street. Cars would turn left around the circle and stop to wait for oncoming traffic. Hutcheson recalls times when cars would wait on Station Drive to turn left, but could not because of the cars lined up to turn left off of Victoria Drive.
“It was actually a little scary to sit and watch what happened at the calming circle. Cars would swerve if they didn’t see the calming circle until they were right upon it. I was afraid one of them would someday swerve into one of the adjoining yards in the cul-de-sac and possibly hit a child playing. There are lots of children in the cul-de-sac,” Hutcheson said.
The installation of the calming circle was discussed by Michael Park, city traffic engineer, at a public works meeting on February 1. Hutcheson was not invited to this meeting or any of the following meetings about the installation.
Frustrated that she had no say in the installation, Hutcheson was determined to play a part in the removal of the calming circle. She petitioned to have the calming circle removed by gaining the support of her neighbors through 30+ signatures.
“Every person was very happy to get rid of it. All but one person I asked signed it,” Hutcheson said.
Hutcheson was out-of-town when the calming circle was finally removed, but her neighbor sent her a photo of the removal.
“Lots of people have complained. I gathered the required signatures on the petition, and the city was easy to work with,” Hutcheson said.
The intersection at Victoria Drive and Victoria Circle is now a two-way stop.
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