An Open Letter to City Council
Dear York City Councilmembers,
I am writing an open letter to follow up from questions that were asked at the March 7 Council meeting. First I want to say thank you for the answers to questions that I noticed were posted on “justmelaniew.com” from Administrator Crawford. A couple answers were somewhat informative; others, to be honest, incompletely addressed the question. I would like to address a few of these questions and the answers given.
1) Q: What’s the estimate by the City of how many people walk to and from interstate to town each day, week? When this trail is built, what the estimate would be on how many people would use it on a weekly, daily basis?
Crawford stated, “4% of York residents walk to work.” I didn’t ask how many walk to work in total; I asked specifically how many walk to and from the I-80 interchange area. Four percent is a non-answer and misleading. An “assumed 2% increase per usage for the first three years” tells me nothing either.
2) Q: What law enforcement has City Council talked to?
Crawford responded, “A law enforcement representative was part of the original planning process.” Did this law enforcement representative discuss the project with the City Council? Crawford’s reply does not answer this. If the Council had spoken with law enforcement, I asked who that officer was. While I understand that person may not want to be identified specifically, I think it is worth knowing if that was the Police Chief Tjaden, Sheriff Vrbka, someone with the State Patrol, or someone else entirely.
It also appears that no conversations with law enforcement have taken place since the original planning process. That specifically concerns me since the route of the trail has changed since the Grant was awarded. Has any member of the City Council discussed the safety of the present trail plan with anyone in law enforcement?
Worries about bullying brought by local school and City officials were heard by the City and the route near the school was moved due to those concerns. That’s a good thing! You have heard significant concerns from citizens with intimate knowledge of and proximity to the railroad bed route. My wife and I have personally discussed this trail and its present route with 7 different law enforcement officers. Four of which are or were York police officers and 3 of which are or were officers with the Nebraska State Patrol. Six of the 7 have significant reservations about this trail and/or its placement and seclusion on the railroad bed. Will the city hear our concerns as well and take appropriate action to change the route?
3) Trail safety questions:
In response to my questions and concerns about trail safety, two studies were mentioned. One was a study of safety perception from rural Missouri trails. This is not an apples to apples comparison. It is specifically the connection to the I-80/Hwy 81 interchange area (3 truck-stops, a Walmart, multiple gas stations and fast-food dining) and who and what frequents this exit that concerns us. If I lived next to a rural/secluded trail near Wayne, Alliance, or McCook Nebraska (similar populations) for example, I wouldn’t have the same concern and I don’t think the law enforcement officers my wife and I have discussed this with would have the same concerns either.
The second study was from 29 years ago! I don’t think I need to say anymore.
I realize that Olsson Engineering is designing the trail. I also realize putting a trail on an old railroad bed makes designing and building said trail fairly simple. But no one from Olsson has to deal with the ramifications of this trail after it’s built. No one from Olsson is having their property taken away in order to construct this trail. No one from Olsson has to worry about who is frequenting and what is happening on a secluded trail in their backyard that connects to the crossroads of two major cross-country highways.
In conclusion, I can understand the safety concerns for those who walk or bike to work at the interstate area and why the city wants to fix that. These concerns can be addressed without putting a trail in an area which will raise a whole new set of safety issues. As City Council members, my wife and I and others who will be affected by this specific part of the Access York project are asking you to carefully consider and research our concerns. Please talk about and discuss specifically this part of the project with others in our city. My neighbors and I are rarely finding anyone who supports this specific portion of Access York in our community! I would be more than happy to discuss these and other concerns more fully with any of you if you would be willing to take the time.
Sincerely,
Dalane Epp