South Abilene Residents Concerned With New Sams Club Traffic
By: Katie Thompson
Updated: June 14, 2012
This is what an average day looks like on Inisbrook Drive in South Abilene.
Neighborhood kids spend hours in the surrounding streets riding bikes and scooters.
So what do residents of this family friendly neighborhood think of the Sams club going up a few blocks in front of them?
"It is absolutely an accident waiting to happen," says resident JD Dunne.
Dunne works from home and sees his neighbors jogging and walking outside constantly.
He says over the years people have started using the neighborhoods as shortcuts, and says traffic coming to the wholesale chain will only make things worse.
"The problem is going to be, and I've seen it developing slowly overtime but its getting more prominent, is that as these streets are used as pass-throughs, it's not people who are aware of the nature of the neighborhood," Dunne says.
Another issue they say is the future reconstruction of two-way frontage roads into one-way. It's a project designed to make things safer, but one that could divert even more traffic through these streets.
"All of the south traffic will come up Hoy Lake and fill in through our neighborhood. Instead of going all the way in an 8 mile trip to get there," Says resident Kristy McDonough.
There is one possible solution and that is extending the dead end street Memorial Drive to Antilley Road by Abilene Regional Hospital. Whatever happens, residents say, they just don't want anyone getting hurt.
"My biggest concern is the safety of my children, and the increase in traffic that will be a result of this," Said neighborhood resident Tracie Martin.
The Sams Club hopes to begin construction by the end of this year.
It will take about ten months to complete.
Neighborhood kids spend hours in the surrounding streets riding bikes and scooters.
So what do residents of this family friendly neighborhood think of the Sams club going up a few blocks in front of them?
"It is absolutely an accident waiting to happen," says resident JD Dunne.
Dunne works from home and sees his neighbors jogging and walking outside constantly.
He says over the years people have started using the neighborhoods as shortcuts, and says traffic coming to the wholesale chain will only make things worse.
"The problem is going to be, and I've seen it developing slowly overtime but its getting more prominent, is that as these streets are used as pass-throughs, it's not people who are aware of the nature of the neighborhood," Dunne says.
Another issue they say is the future reconstruction of two-way frontage roads into one-way. It's a project designed to make things safer, but one that could divert even more traffic through these streets.
"All of the south traffic will come up Hoy Lake and fill in through our neighborhood. Instead of going all the way in an 8 mile trip to get there," Says resident Kristy McDonough.
There is one possible solution and that is extending the dead end street Memorial Drive to Antilley Road by Abilene Regional Hospital. Whatever happens, residents say, they just don't want anyone getting hurt.
"My biggest concern is the safety of my children, and the increase in traffic that will be a result of this," Said neighborhood resident Tracie Martin.
The Sams Club hopes to begin construction by the end of this year.
It will take about ten months to complete.
Comments
Why can't we be getting a Costco instead of another Sam's?
Indi I.
June 14, 2012 at 7:51 pm
