Published: August 29, 2008 12:13 pm            

Drivers avoid Scribner closure by cutting down West First Street

Rush hour has taken on a new meaning for Melanie Prior, an office assistant at the New Albany law firm Young, Lind, Endres and Kraft, located at the corner of Spring and West First streets.

Since Scribner Drive southbound has been closed beginning at the Elm Street intersection, Prior has found a once simple task cumbersome.

“It’s hard to get across the street just to get to my car,” she said.

Prior usually gets off work around 5 p.m., when traffic is piling up on West First Street, which for many motorists has become a new cut-through to Spring and Main streets since the Scribner Drive closure.

She has seen cars backed up all the way to Elm Street along West First Street, and feels it’s a dangerous situation.

“If people would go all the way to State Street and turn, it would be a lot better,” Prior said.

The detour route outlined by city officials calls for drivers exiting Interstate 64 coming from Louisville to follow Elm Street to State Street if they are trying to connect with Spring Street or Ind. 111.

But not everybody follows the plan.

The route is a month-long experiment to stop people from using Scribner Drive as a connector to Ind. 111, which city officials claim has led to traffic problems and the deterioration of the street.

A public meeting on the subject is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library. Residents will be given the chance to voice their opinions on the street closure, but some aren’t waiting that long.

Prior’s signature is one of many found on a petition in the Floyd County Circuit Court Clerk’s office, located on the fourth floor of the City/County Building.

The document contains five pages of signatures from residents — many who frequent the downtown area daily — who are opposed to the closure.

Employees of the clerk’s office started the petition right after the blockade was implemented.

“For attorneys coming from Louisville, it’s a real hassle,” said clerk’s office employee Laura Townsend, who believes if the barricade stays, then a turning arrow should be added at the Scribner Drive traffic light northbound to turn left at the Elm Street intersection.

Townsend said employees who work at the City/County Building have a difficult time walking across the street because of more traffic coming from West First Street.

She doesn’t buy into the claim that police officers were having a hard time pulling onto Scribner Drive because of excess traffic.

“We don’t recognize that there’s a traffic problem there from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. when we’re here,” Townsend said.

Her co-worker, Joni Dobbins, said getting across the street is pretty elementary.

“They have eyeballs and can look both ways, what’s the big deal,” she said.

Sgt. Todd Bailey, public information officer for the New Albany Police Department, said he has not heard rumblings of traffic accidents in excess to normal mishaps along Spring Street.

An issue that was raised during the first few days of the experiment was motorists driving around the blockade, continuing down Scribner Drive.

Deputy Mayor and Director of Development Carl Malysz said people caught avoiding the blockade would be cited.

Townsend said she stills sees people doing it and believes they will continue to drive down Scribner Drive unless a police officer is constantly posted at the blockade.

Prior hasn’t made up her mind if she’ll attend the public meeting, but believes the blockade will become a permanent fixture.

“I think they’ll probably keep it like this,” she said.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.