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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, October 17, 2011 Page 16 having more traffic on their street than they believe they should have or studies support. Whether that is a fact or not, however, Councilmember McGehee opined that Josephine Road was carrying less traffic than it is built to carry; and actually less than many roads in Roseville are currently carrying. Councilmember McGehee opined that she didn't believe County Road C-2 should be opened; and thought the City should "live smarter," citing the difference tem- porarily closing Wheeler Avenue had made, and read written testimony from a resident on Wheeler to that effect. Councilmember McGehee further opined that some neighborhoods, like the residents on C-2 and people with young families, should remain neighborhoods and kept safe. Councilmember McGehee spoke in support of asking Ramsey County to widen County Road C, allowing it to become a larger collector; and also supported talking about other alternatives to address traffic and speeding issues. When she was originally contacted about traffic and speeding problems on Josephine Road, Councilmember McGehee noted that she had suggested a number of alternatives to alleviate those issues on Josephine Road; however, she was met with comments that those suggestions would prove "inconvenient"to Josephine Road residents. Councilmember McGehee opined that any efforts to balance traffic were not via- ble, given the construction of the Pulte Homes development at Josephine Woods, which already provided a link between Lexington Avenue and C-2 with Hamline Avenue; even though that route is slower and more difficult, it could still be ac- complished. Councilmember Johnson observed that this had been a lengthy process for resi- dents and the City Council; and recognized that everyone was passionate and sin- cere about their homes, their sense of community, and their neighborhoods; all of which had touched him. However, Councilmember Johnson noted that he was al- so touched by the other 33,000 voters in the community and their needs. While remaining sensitive to the passion about County Road C-2 and Josephine Road concerns, Councilmember Johnson concurred with Councilmember Pust's observations and conclusions of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan Steering Commit- tee previously referenced on the serious traffic congestion during peak hours re- sulting from Highway 36 commuter traffic and difficulty in getting traffic through Roseville from east to west, resulting in that traffic disseminating into neighbor- hood streets. Councilmember Johnson advised that with C-2 not being connected, it created one less east/west connector at a key point of the day that he would like to have available, and opined was needed. Councilmember Johnson concurred with Councilmember Pust's regrets that the most recent traffic study didn't reflect traffic coming off Highway 36 during peak points of the day. Councilmember Johnson stated that this was a difficult deci- sion, as he had friends in the community on both sides of the issue; creating a lot