Grand Forks council members want signs to explain rough pavement
June 4, 2012 at 1:00 am in Grand Forks Herald
Historic Granitoid roads will mostly be resurfaced
A deteriorating stretch of Minnesota Avenue and Fourth Avenue South on Grand Forks’ Near Southside will receive a new surface this year, except for one block. Instead, that block will probably get some signs. Continue Reading
Completely insane.
The granitoid surface was among the earliest paving done in this state, if not THE first. This is proof that the Minnesota-Fourth Corridor was a high-traffic area more than a hundred years ago. They didn’t pave low-traffic roads in 1900.
NOBODY who lives on the Minnesota-Fourth Corridor is an original resident from 1900.
Therefore, EVERYONE there had to know that the road was high-traffic BEFORE they bought their home.
TEAR THAT CRAP UP, WIDEN THE STREETS AND DO THIS JOB RIGHT.
Signs are not a substitute for properly-paved roadways. The granitoid is a civic embarrassment. Should have been replaced forty or more years ago. The only reason it was placed on the National Registry was to make an “end run” around proper paving and widening which might encourage more traffic. Nobody cares about cobblestones, the true intent was to discourage traffic by retaining a poor roadway. But they already knew that they were moving into a high-traffic neighborhood, and that traffic would get worse as the City grew.
There is no valid excuse for granitiod on a city street post-1950.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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You have a valid point… I however I see a need to show how the streets used to be like long time ago.. Historically? I think at least one street with the bricks need to show what they use to be from the past.. It seems that grand forks loves to delete history from their past.. Remember the Charles Thurber hanging? grand forks wants that dark side of the history to go away too..
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It would really be nice if some company started up that could surface streets again with something that would last 100 years. Today, one is considered lucky if you’ve paid off the specials on the last street project before the next street project is done, and you are guaranteed a couple of fixing projects between major projects.
Plus, the city needs more and more workers doing maintenance.
At the time they did it, they wanted it to look like cobblestones but there’d be no real reason to make the seams today.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Republican Road is what I call Columbia nowadays. What a spine jolting experience that is for us and visitors to our fine city. Oh well-the rich got their huge tax cuts and we can’t afford good roads anymore. Who you vote for has consequences folks.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Kool-aid drinkin Jeff, yep thats what we call it….
The official mouthpiece of the DFL.
Anything bad = GOP
give it a rest already.
You have shown repeatedly that you arent capable of formulating a personal opinion.
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Another great republican response-right from Faux Noise. Do you disagree with the fact that the rich fat cats pay less taxes than when the interstates were built and we had resources for good roads-as your fat cat republican buddies pay less taxes the roads and infrastructure and falling apart. You would have to be blind not to see that. Who’s drinking the Kool Aid?
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i dont know Jeff.
I wont sit here and pretend that i know exactly what every person pays in taxes, nor their political affiliation.
I DO however, know that both Dems and Repubs make up the “Evil 1%”.
The difference between you and I is simply this, i dont just willy nilly blame evry thing bad in the world on the party i dont support.
Same goes for the news.
You refuse to ever hold individuals accountable based on them as individuals, EVERYTHING is DFL/GOP with you.
Until you wake up and do your own research on topics and OPEN your mind, you will never be taken seriously.
Here is an interesting thing for you.
I have been debating who to vote for in the Mayoral election. Do you realize, i have spent so much time focusing on what each brings to the table that i dont know which is a Republican and which is a Democrat.
and quite frankly… I dont care.
I voted for Conrad.
I voted for Dorgan.
and i voted ONCE for Pomeroy.
Try taking the blinders off for a change, it makes it easier to dislike ALL politicians equally that way.
After all, the Kennedys arent exactly eating at a Soup kitchen, now are they?
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If you can move a house on the Historic Register, why not this embarrassing pavement? If they really are saving just one block of Granitoid, rip it up (carefully) and move it downtown. Has anybody even considered this? Make a sidewalk out of it. Put it in the Town Square. Seriously, if it’s just one block, I could get a bunch of friends together and get one block moved downtown in a weekend. As it is, the Granitoid looks and works terribly. And as for all of the awe surrounding it lasting 100 years, it’s pretty obvious that it hasn’t.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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I can understand wanting to keep the street in some form because when I was a kid you had a lot of those streets like Chestnut and Walnut (If you think it’s rough in a car you should have tried in a bike with no shock absorber…..) Maybe they could pull it and then re-set it through some park area or such….Like the musuem piece it is…..
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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That’s what I said! hahaha
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I was in a bit of a hurry so I really just skimmed a few……I guess I should have read the one just before mine though huh?
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Actually I think this is a good idea because of what’s already happened to the other streets with those bricks. I remember as a kid that you not only had the brick running own Chestnut and Walnut but also the old trolly rails that were embedded in the brick. It would have been nice to keep some of that aside for future generations to see the early streets of Forks…But not on the actual streets that have to endure the weather, the salt, and the winter scraping…
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Really??? I like that section of road, it is both historic and adds charector to a historic block. That road is in great shape for being 100 years old! It really isn’t that rough when you drive over it. Instead of destroying history learn to respect it! This road proves that we can’t make things like we used to. Columbia road is rougher than this block!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Columbia is much more used than that block too.
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Granatoid has been around longer than the Sioux nickname, so don’t expect it to go.
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Until we have money to spend ensuring all intersections have either a “Yield” or “Stop” sign, i say save the money.
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Yes, I don’t understand the unmarked intersections??? How hard is it to put up a sign??? Decide who has a yield sign and put one up.
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Aside from roundabouts which are thankfully few here (one too many–at the airport), have you forgotten the basic right-of-way rules?
Why would we post signs at every intersection when right-of-way as the default works just fine as long as people can think?
Most EXISTING stop signs could be removed in favor of yield signs, though.
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right of way rules are great and all but frankly i’m tired of the guy in front of me trying to come to a complete stop every single intersection simply because they dont know the other side has a stop sign.
The safest way is to get rid of unmarked intersections period.
It alleviates doubt and ensures smooth flow of traffic.
Unmarked intersections in residential areas create potential for accidents.
with so few in this town unmarked, why not just fix that.
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You don’t like round abouts….I guess there are some things we see eye to eye on. I hate having to move 63′ of tractor and trailer around those damn things that are designed for cars
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They are building a roundabout in Duluth near a retirement home. That has a few elderly people concerned.
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I bet…After a long life time of right and left turns to suddenly have to run around and figure where to get out would seem a bit daunting. I can see that there’s some place where these might be a better way to go, but honestly most of the ones I’ve come across are in areas that really don’t seem too heavy with traffic. I get the feeling they probably get pushed through by someone who came from the east where there’s several and just don’t like the idea of waiting a few seconds at a stop sign or light.
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So slow down for one block, that may take about 4 seconds. Walk faster into walmart and you will get the four seconds back.
The circle at the airport is not a roundabout.
There are no intersecting roads, it is just a spot in the road that is hard to clean snow from. I heard it was originaly supposed to be a roundabout but the other roads were changed and they just left the circle in the plans.
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Capt, if I am not mistaken, unmarked streets are in the hundreds.
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As to those who are complaining about that being a bit too rough in a modern car with pretty good shocks……..Think about when those streets were new and either horse and buggy or some of the earliest cars ran on those streets without any shocks…..I’d like to see some picture of the old trolly cars that used to run through town on those streets…..Anyone know where there might be some?
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