There are some rough spots in the sidewalks along Main, but the area is already vibrant. I don't see how ripping out curbs/sidewalks that are less than six years old and in good condition will increase vibrancy in the district.
Again, that's not true even of the corners of the intersection, let alone the entire sidewalk on the west side of Main. Also - though no one has claimed that this project will increase the area's vibrancy, improving pedestrian safety is kind of an important part of whether people will want to walk in an area.
I was thinking of some rough spots in the public sidewalk on the east side of Main. The sidewalk at the southeast corner of Cameron and Main is smooth, safe, and it's in nearly perfect condition. The curb ramps there are designed and constructed well, as opposed to the curved curb ramp one block to the south.
Instead, why not replace some sidewalks that are in poor condition? Or why not build new sidewalks for pedestrians along streets where there aren't any sidewalks or where segments of old sidewalks are missing?
Priorities...
Replacing sidewalks in poor condition and completing our sidewalk system are also important. No one has argued otherwise. But this design change is also important, and signals a shift in the mindset behind our street design in pedestrian-oriented areas.
The sidewalks and curbs at the southeast corner of Main and Cameron were re-built a few years ago. The curb line was moved. The existing curb ramps there are well-designed. What I'm suggesting is for that particular corner to remain as it is. Bump-outs and neck-downs are okay with me, but if the southeast corner stays as it is and the southwest corner is revised as the drawings indicate, then the distance across Main from curb to curb will be reduced to about forty feet at the crosswalk, like it has been reduced at Boston Avenue, one block to the east. In my opinion, it's not difficult or unsafe to walk across Boston. It's only forty feet between curbs, and vehicles are
supposed to stop. I know some drivers ignore stop signs, but most drivers do stop and do yield to pedestrians.
Moving curbs is relatively expensive. The curb at the southeast corner of Main and Cameron was moved a few years ago. Rather than moving the curb again, I'd rather see the money spent on the other side of intersection, where there's no sidewalk at all
-or- at other locations to repair sidewalks that are broken/unsafe. The sidewalks and curb ramps on the southeast corner of Main and Cameron are not unsafe for pedestrians, whereas other locations nearby are unsafe.