Strasburg Council considering third lane along Wooster Ave
STRASBURG (WJER) (April 25, 2022) – Council is reconsidering a plan to add a third lane to North Wooster Avenue.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because members discussed the same proposal last year and voted against it. Village solicitor Terry Seeberger reintroduced it as a resolution during last Tuesday’s council meeting, although Councilman Martin Zehnder wasn’t happy about it.
“Who do you people think you are to do something like this, to try to ram it in again? We already voted on it… We voted no on this… We voted not to put the three lanes in!”
The proposal council is considering calls for what’s commonly known as a suicide lane for continuous left-hand turns between the corporation limits. Mayor Steve Smith says he requested the change based on feedback from an advisory committee that included representatives from businesses, the police and fire departments, and the Strasburg school district. Police Chief Dave Warrick Police Chief Dave Warrick says the road’s current configuration is a safety issue.
“We have tons of rear-end collisions on Wooster Avenue. It’s the passing on the rights on Wooster Avenue. It is mainly from backed up traffic, and the majority of them are from people turning left because it has backed up traffic.”
Smith says the road is wide enough for three 12-foot lanes with two feet left over on both sides.
“We’re leaving the parking alone between the traffic lights other than we’ll put a turn lane both northbound and southbound at the traffic lights inside that block so there would be a loss of a parking spot or two at each end of the block.”
Numerous residents had objected to the three-lane proposal during a public hearing last year. The resolution introduced Tuesday is scheduled to have two more readings before council members vote on it.