Albion will ask DOT to make Main Street less like a ‘runway’
Photo by Tom Rivers: Main Street in Albion is shown Wednesday evening near the Bank Street intersection.
Restriping the road, with narrower driving lanes, would help businesses, downtown merchant says
ALBION – A downtown Albion business owner said Main Street in Albion is striped in a way that speeds up traffic and makes for tight parking spaces along the street.
Adam Johnson, owner of the 39 Problems bar and restaurant, said the state Department of Transportation recently restriped the road and it makes it appear wider with 15-foot driving lanes. Johnson said other downtowns have lanes that are 10 to 12 feet wide. The narrower lanes act to slow down traffic and also give motorists more room to park cars on the street, he said.
“The DOT made Main Street a runway,” Johnson told the Albion Village Board.
He sent the Village Board a letter, asking the village to support new striping on the road, making the driving lanes narrower and allowing for more space for cars to park.
Johnson isn’t pressing for the DOT to do the work right away. He wants to DOT to make the change the next time the street is redone with new paint.
The Village Board on Wednesday agreed to send a letter to the DOT, requesting the change suggested by Johnson.
“If we had narrower traffic lanes it would slow down traffic and make the businesses more noticed,” Johnson said.
