Warsaw Traffic Commission Discusses Handicapped Parking Spaces Near Fribley Field
Warsaw Traffic Commission Discusses Handicapped Parking Spaces Near Fribley Field
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Amanda Bridgman-abridgman@timesuniononline.com
Warsaw Traffic Commission Discusses Handicapped Parking Spaces Near Fribley FieldThe Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission met Wednesday and Mayor Joe Thallemer swore in Lance Grubbs as the Commissioner. Grubbs replaces Steve Foster, who resigned at the end of 2019. Grubbs worked as a Warsaw Police officer for 21-1/2 years, starting in 1977. After that, he went on to work at the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute as their traffic safety specialist Law Enforcement Liaison (LEL) assigned to the northeast region of the state. Grubbs has lived in Warsaw his entire life, he said, and is still the northeast region LEL and also works part-time in the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office. Discussion continued at Wednesday’s Traffic Commission from last month about putting in one or two street handicapped parking spaces on East Market Street in the area of Fribley Field and near Dollar General during Wednesday’s meeting. City Planner Jeremy Skinner said he spoke with Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer about possible locations and that Plummer selected two ideas. One would be just west of the Fribley Field entrance to the concession stand area, where there is a ramp. The other would be just east or west of the entrance outside of the Discount Warehouse plaza. Skinner said there are no requirements to have a handicapped spot on the street. Off-street parking requires one handicapped spot per 25 spots, he said. Skinner said that while it’s not mandatory, the city tries to shoot for one handicapped spot per block, when it’s easy access. Skinner asked the commission to approve the two spots at the meeting, and said the street department would get out and paint them in March. Thallemer, looking at the map, asked about the off-road parking lane at Fribley. Thallemer wanted to know how the Parks Department is currently using that off-road parking lane, and if they would perhaps be interested in marking a handicapped space there. Skinner said he never thought of that and didn’t give Plummer that choice when he asked him to select two locations because he was just focusing on on-street parking. However, Skinner said he believes generally people who need a handicapped space will park as close as they can if the choice is there, and that off-road parking lane would be closer. City Councilman Jack Wilhite said it made sense to him to get handicapped people off-road, off of Market Street, for safety purposes if possible, so he was for looking at what that off-road lane is used for, too. The Commission agreed to table any action on the matter until next month’s meeting. Also Wednesday, the commission: • Heard a 2019 annual traffic report from Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker. In 2019, WPD investigated 1,088 motor vehicle crashes, up 47 crashes from 2018. Of those crashes, two were fatal. Whitaker said one of those was the fatal crash involving 8-year-old Gidieon Cook on Husky Trail and the other was a fatality on Lake Street that was a hit and run where the perpetrator was later apprehended and charged with a crime. Crash data also shows that wrecks continued to increase on U.S. 30 in 2019, up to 193 from 166. A notable increase was the 172 reported crashes on Center Street this past year. In 2018, there were 119. Wilhite asked Whitaker why the spike in crashes. WPD Capt. Joel Beam said 13,000 vehicles travel Center Street everyday. “So, more vehicles, more crashes,” Beam said. Skinner also noted that Market Street was closed for construction in 2019, probably causing traffic to go to Center Street or Winona Avenue to get around. “So that probably played a part,” Skinner said. In 2019, WPD also issued 4,720 citations, warnings or arrests for traffic violations, including 1,682 for speeding and 1,167 parking tickets. • Heard from Beam that the funeral procession for WPD Officer Jason Dobbins will be disrupting traffic today around 12:30 p.m. The procession will begin at Warsaw Community Church and end at Oakwood Cemetery. Beam said he encourages any community members and businesses on the line of route to come outside and line the streets to show their support. The route is north on Ranch Road from the church, then east on Center Street, north on McKinley Street, west on Fort Wayne Street, with a stop at WPD to get Dobbins’ final 42, then north on Lincoln Street and west on Sheridan Street to Oakwood Cemetery. Dobbins died Saturday from complications while recovering from emergency heart surgery. • Heard from Thallemer that railroad crossing intersections will begin seeing improvements in the next couple of weeks from Pope Street to Lyon Street. Thallemer said the project is expected to last about eight months, and that more information will be released soon. Thallemer also said starting in May, the Indiana Department of Transportation will begin improving the safety on Hickory Street and putting in seven new stoplights, replacing all of the stoplights, on Ind. 15. The stoplights will be connected together and will work to help keep traffic moving when trains come and go. He said more information about that project will be released soon. The next Traffic Safety Commission meeting is 1 p.m. March 4 in City Hall.
