Is the Ingersoll re-striping really working?
I recently logged on to MapQuest and pulled up the satellite image of Des Moines. I counted the number of streets, driveways and parking spots on Ingersoll Avenue. The parking spots I counted are in front of Bauder’s drug store, Manhattan Deli, Zanzibar’s, and Big Tomato Pizza. The parking spots in front of these businesses and others close to them require cars to back into traffic. The total number of spots along Ingersoll Avenue comes to 187.
The Des Moines City Council, obviously without consulting business owners on Ingersoll or taxpayers who travel Ingersoll daily, have decided to put bike lanes on the street and limit vehicle traffic to one lane each. Brilliant! Does anyone really believe adding bicycle lanes to the mix are going to make Ingersoll safer? I can only hope the first bicyclist hit is injured, not killed.
Mayor Cownie recently stated that people refer to Ingersoll Avenue as the “Ingersoll Raceway.” I’m 62 years old and have spent my entire life living within three blocks of Ingersoll. I travel to and from work and frequent shops and restaurants everyday on Ingersoll Avenue and have never in my life heard anyone call the street the “Ingersoll Raceway.” Do some people drive too fast on Ingersoll? Sure, but name one street in town where people don’t drive carelessly.
This is just another example of elected officials thinking they know what is best for the people they supposedly represent. When these people come up for re-election, I would ask every voter to consider whether or not they represent you, or merely dictate to you how they think you should live.
Scott Little
Des Moines
Correction: Last week, we mistakenly credited the photo in Scene Scribe to C.J. Mathes; the photographer’s name is C.J. Matthews.
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