Traffic Panel Hears Dubois Drive One-Way Traffic Concerns From Pill Box Pharmacy Staff
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Dubois Drive became one way June 24, 2010.
Bill Winn, Pill Box Pharmacy pharmacist and owner, and Greg Winn, Pill Box operations manager, attended Wednesday’s meeting to speak about how the change affected their business. They also presented solutions to the commission.
Pill Box is at 2306 Dubois Drive.
The Winns said they were concerned with the reduction in the amount of traffic their business has seen since Dubois Drive became a one-way. They also addressed issues with customers having trouble exiting the business.
The Winns suggested two options.
Option A extends Provident Drive straight south through the Dubois and Provident intersection, then has Provident Drive turn east behind Pill Box and intersect with Parker Street. This would allow two-way traffic to legally travel from Provident Drive to Parker Street.
Option B would extend Dubois Drive. The option would be to make Dubois Drive two way in front of Pill Box, and leave Dubois one way in front of The Spectacle Shoppe and Lassus Brothers gas station. The option would include creating an opposite one-way road that starts between Pill Box and The Spectacle Shoppe. This new one- way road heads south from Dubois Drive then turns east behind The Spectacle Shoppe and intersects with Parker Street.
Bill said it must be convenient for customers to get to where they are going.
“When you’re making decisions about traffic, these decisions affect dollars and the pockets of people who are investing lots of money into this community, and I have been a part of the community for a long time,” Bill said. “I had no idea this was going to affect us the way it has and I am sure the city didn’t either. We can’t undo what has been done, we can’t unring this bell.”
Bill suggested the city look at some options of maintaining safety and creating an atmosphere that is not confusing for customers.
Kip Shuter, traffic commission administrator, presented traffic crash reports and counts that have been conducted by Michiana Area Council Of Governments.
Prior to Dubois Drive being one way, there were twice as many cars that drove in front of the pharmacy, according to the information.
“I never dreamed making Dubois Drive one way would affect us the way it has. I want people driving by my pharmacy, and when I look at those kind of numbers that shows why I am seeing some of my sales dropping off,” Bill said.
In March 2010, before Dubois Drive became a one-way, there were 6,510 cars in one day that passed in front of the pharmacy in March 2010. After the pharmacy became a one-way, there were 3,887 cars in one day that were counted to pass in front of the pharmacy in September 2013.
The MACOG study also did crash data for the Dubois Drive, Parker Street and Provident Drive areas for the three years prior to the Dubois Drive becoming one way and the three years after it became a one-way.
The total number of reported crashes on Dubois Drive prior to June 2010 is 10 on public property; six at Dubois Drive and Parker Street; four at Dubois and Provident drives; and 19 on private properties.
After June 2010, there have been seven accidents on public property; zero at Dubois and Provident Drives; seven at Dubois and Provident Drives; three left-turn wrong way into barriers; and 15 on private property.
Shuter said the number one goal of the traffic commission is to create safe traffic patterns.
Dan Robinson, commission member, who was on the commission when it was decided to make Dubois Drive a one-way, said he supported Bill’s concerns.
“I remember Bill was on board at the time to make Dubois Drive one way because he didn’t feel it would damage his business and none of us thought it would,” Robinson said. “Obviously, it has had a tremendous impact. The problem is he invested a large amount of money and he was going on the situation at the time. Had it been a one way prior, he may not have done that seeing what traffic reductions would have been.”
Robinson said the Winns made a good faith investment in the pharmacy, and he knows the traffic commission’s primary concern is safety, but said the commission can’t look at parts of the city government as individual islands.
“The community is commerce and there is no community without commerce, and it’s extremely important that the flow of traffic for commerce is considered in any decision,” Robinson said.
Cindy Dobbins, commission member, said traffic will continue to increase in the area as the new YMCA is built, and increased traffic will need to be accommodated for.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and the Winns will sit down and discuss a solution to the issue. Warsaw Traffic Commission, Warsaw Plan Commission and Warsaw City Council will need to approve any changes.
In other business, the commission approved eliminating parking on the east side of Lincoln Street between Center and Sheridan streets. There were congestion issues previously.[[In-content Ad]]
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Dubois Drive became one way June 24, 2010.
Bill Winn, Pill Box Pharmacy pharmacist and owner, and Greg Winn, Pill Box operations manager, attended Wednesday’s meeting to speak about how the change affected their business. They also presented solutions to the commission.
Pill Box is at 2306 Dubois Drive.
The Winns said they were concerned with the reduction in the amount of traffic their business has seen since Dubois Drive became a one-way. They also addressed issues with customers having trouble exiting the business.
The Winns suggested two options.
Option A extends Provident Drive straight south through the Dubois and Provident intersection, then has Provident Drive turn east behind Pill Box and intersect with Parker Street. This would allow two-way traffic to legally travel from Provident Drive to Parker Street.
Option B would extend Dubois Drive. The option would be to make Dubois Drive two way in front of Pill Box, and leave Dubois one way in front of The Spectacle Shoppe and Lassus Brothers gas station. The option would include creating an opposite one-way road that starts between Pill Box and The Spectacle Shoppe. This new one- way road heads south from Dubois Drive then turns east behind The Spectacle Shoppe and intersects with Parker Street.
Bill said it must be convenient for customers to get to where they are going.
“When you’re making decisions about traffic, these decisions affect dollars and the pockets of people who are investing lots of money into this community, and I have been a part of the community for a long time,” Bill said. “I had no idea this was going to affect us the way it has and I am sure the city didn’t either. We can’t undo what has been done, we can’t unring this bell.”
Bill suggested the city look at some options of maintaining safety and creating an atmosphere that is not confusing for customers.
Kip Shuter, traffic commission administrator, presented traffic crash reports and counts that have been conducted by Michiana Area Council Of Governments.
Prior to Dubois Drive being one way, there were twice as many cars that drove in front of the pharmacy, according to the information.
“I never dreamed making Dubois Drive one way would affect us the way it has. I want people driving by my pharmacy, and when I look at those kind of numbers that shows why I am seeing some of my sales dropping off,” Bill said.
In March 2010, before Dubois Drive became a one-way, there were 6,510 cars in one day that passed in front of the pharmacy in March 2010. After the pharmacy became a one-way, there were 3,887 cars in one day that were counted to pass in front of the pharmacy in September 2013.
The MACOG study also did crash data for the Dubois Drive, Parker Street and Provident Drive areas for the three years prior to the Dubois Drive becoming one way and the three years after it became a one-way.
The total number of reported crashes on Dubois Drive prior to June 2010 is 10 on public property; six at Dubois Drive and Parker Street; four at Dubois and Provident drives; and 19 on private properties.
After June 2010, there have been seven accidents on public property; zero at Dubois and Provident Drives; seven at Dubois and Provident Drives; three left-turn wrong way into barriers; and 15 on private property.
Shuter said the number one goal of the traffic commission is to create safe traffic patterns.
Dan Robinson, commission member, who was on the commission when it was decided to make Dubois Drive a one-way, said he supported Bill’s concerns.
“I remember Bill was on board at the time to make Dubois Drive one way because he didn’t feel it would damage his business and none of us thought it would,” Robinson said. “Obviously, it has had a tremendous impact. The problem is he invested a large amount of money and he was going on the situation at the time. Had it been a one way prior, he may not have done that seeing what traffic reductions would have been.”
Robinson said the Winns made a good faith investment in the pharmacy, and he knows the traffic commission’s primary concern is safety, but said the commission can’t look at parts of the city government as individual islands.
“The community is commerce and there is no community without commerce, and it’s extremely important that the flow of traffic for commerce is considered in any decision,” Robinson said.
Cindy Dobbins, commission member, said traffic will continue to increase in the area as the new YMCA is built, and increased traffic will need to be accommodated for.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and the Winns will sit down and discuss a solution to the issue. Warsaw Traffic Commission, Warsaw Plan Commission and Warsaw City Council will need to approve any changes.
In other business, the commission approved eliminating parking on the east side of Lincoln Street between Center and Sheridan streets. There were congestion issues previously.[[In-content Ad]]
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