Will trucks be back in downtown?

Some people are happy about the proposed move of the Church stoplight to Fifth and Pine. Do we even know the configuration of the movements at that corner? I don’t.

What I do know is that secreted in Appendix A of the Multimodal Transportation Plan is a map that shows Pine to the byway and back will once again be a through truck route. And there will be new stoplights at First and Pine and Superior and First. Why? The city tells us that those lights are going to reduce cut-through traffic in south Sandpoint on Lake, Superior and South Boyer. Really? Lights don’t make traffic flow like a roundabout does; they only guarantee you passage through an intersection. To avoid lights is why people cut through town.

What does through truck traffic on Pine to and from the byway (which was built in part to make a way for trucks to get through town) do for us? More waiting at lights. Belching diesel fumes at intersections. In the case of Fifth and Pine, probably a lot of trees going down to make the light visible.

For good measure, the city has thrown in a curve/couplet, closing off parts of Oak, Church and Boyer and First Avenue at Bridge and Church.

So Sandpoint City Council — take a fresh look at your MMTP. Get the trucks off Pine to the byway and back and don’t put a whole bunch of stoplights in that aren’t warranted by the data. And tell staff to stop negotiating with ITD for a project (curve/couplet) that isn’t warranted according to ITD until maybe 2040. Write and call the council and show up at the May 3 meeting to say no.

CARRIE LOGAN

Sandpoint