Mutual Trust

I drove into Wichita today to get a haircut. Yeah, yeah, I know that I could get one at the local Valley Center barbershop (actually, I think there are two or three of ‘em), but I enjoy going to the one across from Minisa Park on West 13th Street. Going to a new barber is a little like going to a new doctor. It takes awhile to get comfortable.
The drive in was uneventful, and the barber wasn’t busy so I got in the chair right away. We talked mostly about the oncoming closing of the 13th Street bridge over the Little Arkansas River, which was just a few feet from the front door of the shop. The powers that be plan to close the bridge entirely, causing traffic to have to re-route either to 19th or 21st Streets or up to 11th Street. In any event, the fact that North High School is on the other bank of the river will cause traffic tie-ups the likes of which haven’t been seen in awhile.
There was even a petition circulating in the community asking for reconsideration of the total closing of the bridge and the extended time needed to create a new one. There will be a meeting today at 3pm at the Riverside Café with city officials to discuss the issue.
My guess is that the petition will be ignored and the city officials will come to the meeting more to say what will happen rather than listen to concerns. I’m not personally involved in this, but have some experience with traffic flow to and from North High and along 13th Street. I think that they may have to close the street entirely in order to do the project, but I also think they can do some things to help alleviate the problems.
What about a temporary walking bridge across the river? What about traffic control signals at some of the intersections in residential areas that will suddenly be called upon to handle 10 times or more the normal amount of traffic? What about working 16 or 24 hours a day on the bridge in order to finish sooner? What about starting in March instead of the dead of winter so there would not be so many down days due to snow and cold? What about NOT re-doing the 13th and Broadway intersection, just a few blocks to the East, at the same time?
I don’t know if these are even feasible ideas, but they need to be thrown out there. And it could be that city planners have already thought of these things and for one reason or another have discarded them. That’s OK. We just need to know that we’ve thought of everything to try to make things as good as they can be during this time.
All too often, the government folks come to a meeting like this with a condescending attitude and the citizens come with a belligerent attitude. Both of those are inappropriate. Let’s see what happens here, and trust that things will work out the very best way possible.