 No poles for Murray project?
Members of the Murray Road Improvement Project Advisory Committee, along
with CPO 1, are planning to request that utility companies place their cables
underground as part of the project. This was done for the Cornell Road project,
and improves both the look of the project and the safety for pedestrians and
motorists.
It is more expensive to put utilities underground, and could extend the
time required to complete the project, as was the case for the Cornell work.
The groups feel the effort is worth it for the following reasons:
Appearance: This area is a central part of the Cedar
Mill Town Center. The recently completed section of Cornell Road between
Murray and Saltzman included underground utilities, and it makes visual sense
for the adjacent area to look the same. Well-designed infrastructure, complete
with “invisible” utilities,
will contribute towards the success of our Town Center.
Pedestrian and Driver Safety: There will be increased pedestrian traffic
in this area once the street and sidewalk improvements are completed. There
is very little room to spare on the street and the final design will require
a number of buildings to be removed. Sidewalks will have to be narrower in
some areas to prevent further building impacts.
Sidewalk space needs to be maximized for safe pedestrian traffic. Not having
utility poles intruding into sidewalk space will make pedestrian and wheelchair
traffic safer and will increase visibility for drivers.
Utility Safety: Underground utilities lead to fewer utility outages due
to weather or traffic accidents.
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