GONZALES — Gonzales City Council members voted not to block off Second, Sixth and Eighth streets during their March 5 meeting.
“What we’re trying to take advantage of is the Alta Street project that we’re already doing,” said Public Works Director Harold Wolgamott. “During this construction, for various reasons Second, Sixth and Eighth streets have been blocked and no one’s complained.”
Wolgamott looked at the overall traffic analysis Highway 101 used to go by the area and did not encourage taking 101, making the traffic take Alta Minor. Alta Minor is favored for the locals and trucks to use to follow Alta Street.
“The traffic engineers looked at the traffic and decided the less conflict there is between side streets coming into the main road, the less accidents you’re going to have,” said Wolgamott. “To avoid all these conflicts if we stop everybody at Alta Minor, make that our Frontage road and make Alta Street the thoroughfare, separate the two by motion streets, the consideration is what streets do you block.”
The City Council discussed the idea and thought that the lack of complaints was due to the fact that most of the residents thought the detours were temporary.
“I think I would prefer to get the public to weigh in on this,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Liz Silva. “My personal thought is I don’t really like the suggested changes. I like to keep things simple.”
When Silva was growing up, she was used to Ninth Street going all the way out to Alta Street. When Ninth Street was blocked, she said it took a while to get used to.
“I think this would cause more confusion,” Silva said. “I think you’d also inhibit any delivery trucks that are going to any of those businesses along Alta Minor.”
The vote to deny the idea of blocking the three streets was unanimous.
