To the editor:
I applaud the Lake Mansfield Improvement Task Force for their efforts. Without citizen committees like this, nothing would get done. Living on the hill my whole life, I have some history around the lake. I have walked around, skied and kayaked across, skated and camped out nearby when kids could do such a thing.
When safety is touted, the recommendation is the road can only be one-way. Consider this: generations have gotten along with no problems. The Great Barrington Chief of Police has told us that there were two minor incidences with no injuries since the early 90’s — hardly unsafe. From the task force report itself a 2013 study revealed low traffic flow. One evening I stopped my walk and watched two women walking their dogs and talking in a blind spot in the road around the S curve. They never moved when one, then another car came around the corner. This is self-serving and illegal, and this is newly defined as unsafe. So, safety has been redefined over the years. I think the past gives us good insight as to the safety issue.
When a decision is made there are unforeseen ecological consequences. One being the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants put into the air by driving around four miles. Five hundred and fifty vehicles per day would put 495 more pounds of carbon dioxide in the air, not to mention doubling that when someone is dropped off at the lake and picked up. Another consequence is the amount of pavement that is proposed for parking. As we are all concerned about the environment, isn’t cutting down the trees to add a bigger, paved parking lot contributing to global warming? Furthermore, Taconic Avenue traffic safety issue is going to become worse as the people go around one way or the other.
I feel that the recommendation for the road to be one-way is very short sighted. The people that have built this town to be the “Best Small Town in America” have done so with few problems using the lake road. Many people who live and work every day depend on this road, while the elderly must have a speedy path to the hospital. Unfortunately, there are only four north-south routes in Great Barrington due to geology. Restrict the lake road direction and you have only three options, which will lead to a major problem in the Main Street portion of town leading to yet more safety issues.
In response to criticism of the petition for the two-way road, I have a thought. In a democratic society, the first vote stands as much as the last. So, whether a poll was taken late or early has no bearing. Also, to be democratic, the task force needs to listen to all of the people as they said they would. In their own report 45.67 percent of the respondents said a narrowed two-way road while 23.1 percent and 31.14 percent said one-way and closed road respectively. The latest overwhelming opposition is mostly due to the recommendation of a one-way road. Whether the ecological path is more important or the two-way road, this will come down to a democratic vote. Myself, I think that we could have both. Kyle Zick of the design team stated in one of the meetings that both a two-way and the other ecological aspects can co-exist.
Let us be reminded of a similar situation with the school vote a year ago; the all or nothing approach got nothing. I urge the Selectboard to move forward on this project with one caveat, the two-way road.
William Foster
Great Barrington
