Friday, March 29, 2024

Traffic control cited

Bridgeport Daze parade route hits roadblock

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BRIDGEPORT – Traffic control during the Bridgeport Daze parade came under scrutiny at the regular meeting of the city council June 19, when Public Works Superintendent Stuart Dezellem raised the growing issues of public safety and city liability during the event.

“Our community does not respect the Public Works Department; they do not respect the employees; they do not respect road closed barricades,” said Dezellem. “It’s gotten to the point where the person who is trying to close down the highway for a safe route for the parade just throws up his hands; he can’t get the traffic to stop driving down the road, or cars to move off the highway.”

Dezellem said when nothing else worked to get a parked car removed from the parade route the city had to call in a tow truck before an owner came forward and moved the target vehicle.

“It’s not a safe environment,” said Dezellem. “The city is liable plus the person from the Chamber who is signing the application is signing their liability that this is a safe route for a parade.”

Dezellem added that drive-arounds don’t just happen during the parade but also when street crews are making repairs and drivers disregard traffic cones put in place for the safety of workers. He suggested that more public education is in order.

“The answer is we need more help from the organization that’s putting it on,” said Dezellem. “We need somebody in an orange vest at every intersection and state patrol or Douglas County Sheriff at each end of the detour.

Dezellem added that a consideration for extra volunteers may be the need to have them complete a certified flagging course so they know the proper procedures and conduct to staff a closed street.

Dezellem recalled that the community used to be more cooperative during the parade but “during the last three or four years it’s gotten to the point where there is no respect at all. He said that from a public works standpoint he no longer feels comfortable putting his name to the parade as it’s now conducted.

Mayor Janet Conklin said that in the past when the city issued a parade permit, a liaison from the Chamber of Commerce met with either the mayor or a representative from the council to provide an update on what was going on with an event.

Chamber president Zeke Martinez spoke on behalf of the chamber and said the issues raised by Dezellem were the first he had heard indicating there is a problem.  Martinez said the chamber is willing to work with the city to correct the issues and offered several suggestions toward that end.

Council member Anthony Jenkins suggested one possible solution might be shortening the parade route by having the entries assemble closer to the downtown stretch of Columbia Avenue, perhaps at the base of the hill at the intersection of 13th Street and Columbia. Jenkins said the parade line could form on either side of intersection and shorten the parade to a half dozen blocks where most of the spectators gather anyway.

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