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<br />4 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />now there's 24 feet in the center devoted to left turn lanes <br />and if you look at the dirt patterns it's not quite clean - <br />there's some room there. (inaudible) concept known as two way left <br />turn. It operates very well. That would a1'10w us to reduce the <br />roadway width from 72 to 64 feet or 62 feet - a savings of <br />ten feet. We'd have 14 feet in the middle for left turns. Now <br />that we reduced it, we can pull ,in five feet on either side or <br />ten feet on one side (inaudible) room for a bicycle trail, <br />but with 18,000 vehicles a day, do we want a bicycle trail. <br />(inaudible) We thought we could pull the curbs in five feet on <br />each side or ten on one, but the cost of doing that is very <br />high. The cost benefits aren't there. We felt that was one <br />alternative and we took that to the Task Force and they agreed <br />that the returns are very poor for the costs. . <br /> <br />We had a second concept in which we placed a number of <br />median islands along the roadway and we feel median islands have a <br />number of advantages and disadvantages and we tried to present <br />both and come up with a concept of what would work. (inaudible) <br />if you have a very wide roadway you have an opportunity for <br />pedestrians to cross half a road at one time. They don't have to <br />watch both directions and make a dash - you have a raised <br />refuge area in the middle where you have some physical protection. <br />You can do it on County Road E by running out in the left turn <br />lane and hoping that no left turn person doesn't see you so you <br />can make somewhat the same maneuver (inaudible)' you can use a <br />median island concept to tell drivers where they might be <br />expecting a left turn to come from the opposite direction. <br />Presently a1most any place where there's somebody in that left <br />turn (inaudible) you can regulate the number of left turns <br />so you have them at specified locations where you want them. <br />In other words, try to, instead of having a quarter or half a mile <br />of continuous left turns, spot them along the roadway. As' <br />far as access to the highway you can regulate where the crossing <br />can be made which is important where you have a number of <br />.driveways adjacent to one another or crossing one another and <br />this will provide a safer environment on the roadway' because you <br />only have to look for three motorists. In certain, locations you <br />also have to look to the north-northwest and north-northeast to <br />see if anybody is coming out the driveways on the other side. <br />A median island has been found to provide the best control <br />because it's physical. Any other plans are still subject to <br />where is the driveway going to come in on the roadway itself. <br /> <br />Lastly, an advantage is that you take that 72 feet of <br />pavement and reduce it by placing something visual, vertical in <br />the middle of the roadway even though not much more than a raised <br />island with some (inaudible) or something like that which is kind <br />of a bituminous product that has an appearance of grass. You <br />