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(11/12/02)
Like
it
or
not,
many
of
us
believe
Hiawatha
can
and
should
sets
its
speed
limits
safely
at
45
MPH
through
most
if
not
all
of
its
course
in
Minneapolis.
I'd
even
support
an
unspoken,
"It's
okay
to
go
55
when
conditions
are
good,
but
you
will
get
stopped
at
56MPH."
With
the
advent
of
light
rail,
this
will
become
a
multi-modal
corridor.
The
nature
of
the
parallel
right-of-ways
presents
additional
hazards
to
any
who
attempt
to
cross
them
or
enter
or
exit
via
the
roadway
or
rail.
Pedestrians,
bicyclists,
and
automobiles
will
all
need
to
pay
attention
to
safety
as
they
cross
or
access
the
highway.
A
uniform
increase
in
the
speed
limit
to
45+,
would
not
significantly
raise
the
level
of
risk
at
any
authorized
intersection.
The
roadway
clearly
can
support
the
faster
speed,
and
frequently
does
so
even
with
the
already
posted
limits.
One
of
the
benefits
of
living
in
our
neighborhood,
is
the
speed
with
which
we
can
get
out
and
about
when
we
want.
Quick
access
to
virtually
any
point
in
the
metro
area
makes
living
in
the
center
of
the
metro
worthwhile
for
many.
A
quick
Hiawatha
lends
value
to
those
of
us
who
live
here.
It's
not
a
little
thing
to
trim
a
few
minutes
here
or
there
in
our
busy
days.
A
quick
jaunt
to
downtown
or
Lake
street
is
not
without
its
merits.
A
quicker
trip
does
increase
traffic
demand
as
it
reduces
drive
time
for
a
broader
traffic
shed.
More
people
will
want
to
drive
on
55
from
further
away
if
the
speed
limit
is
45
than
will
if
it
is
35.
Some
may
see
less
traffic
on
a
slower
street
as
a
benefit.
Others
will
see
it
as
an
unnecessary
obstruction
to
traffic
flow
in
a
metro-wide
system
that
is
beginning
to
show
volume
strains.
Some
slow-street
proponents
may
argue
against
the
outsiders,
the
dreaded
evil
suburbanites,
"Let's
keep
the
speed
limit
low
and
slow
to
discourage
them
from
driving
though
our
neighborhoods."
Fast-street
people
will
argue
the
overview,
the
regional
perspective,
"We
are
the
world,
we
are
the
metro."
We
have
infrastructure
systems
based
on
logic
rather
than
political
whim.
However,
political
whim
as
reflected
by
my
driving
behavior
and
that
of
many
of
my
friends
and
fellow
drivers
supports
a
speed
limit
of
45.
At
least
that's
the
vote
as
recorded
on
many
of
our
speedometers.
35
feels
too
slow.
I
suspect
that
the
clear
choice
of
those
who
actually
use
the
road
on
a
daily
basis
would
be
for
a
45-55
MPH
range.
Some,
who
may
not
use
the
roadway
frequently,
may
not
fully
appreciate
it's
value
to
those
who
do.
Just
as
we
can
appreciate
and
value
speed
in
our
computer
browsers,
we
should
appreciate
the
value
of
speed
in
communications
when
expressed
in
a
different
medium.
Traffic
flow
is,
in
fact,
the
lifeblood
of
our
society.
It
is
a
direct
manifestation
of
our
social
and
cultural
interaction
as
a
society.
Restricting
the
blood
flow
in
an
artery
could
lead
to
a
brain
hemorrhage,
or
other
dire
consequence.
Keeping
the
flow
free
signifies
a
healthier
system.
The
NENA
neighborhood's
fantastic
new
web
site
has
started
an
ongoing
discussion
of
the
Highway
55
speed
issue
in
its
"Backyard"
section.
Great
website,
check
it
out
at
http://www.nokomiseast.org
-
Earl
Netwal
Near
downtown
Nokomis
Village,
somewhere
in
the
urban
forest,
within
walking
range
of
55
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