City engineer calls for change to keep I-24 Business Loop open
If Paducah City Engineer Rick Murphy had his way, Downtown After Dinner festivals would close Broadway at Third Street.
Murphy said he based his recommendation, given to an advisory panel Thursday, on two factors: safety and keeping the Interstate 24 Business Loop open. His view is not based on any requests by Broadway merchants, or the desires of street vendors, entertainers or artists, he said.
Last year, the festival closed Broadway at Fifth Street. The Paducah Renaissance Alliance board of directors’ latest plan calls for closing Broadway at Fourth Street.
Murphy’s plan called for getting traffic in the right-hand lane of Broadway to turn on Fourth. Barricades and uniformed police officers would close the right-hand lane between Fourth and Third. Traffic in the left-hand lane would turn onto Third.
“We need uniformed police officers. People respect the badge and the utility belt and the gun,” Murphy
said. “Volunteers in reflector vests and cones don’t command that kind of respect.”
Eugene Nunez, owner of Martin Fierro Grill on that block of Broadway, asked if he would be permitted, in Murphy’s plan, to operate his valet parking service.
Murphy said if an exception was made for one business, an exception would be needed for all. Cars at the valet parking at Nunez’s front door would have a hard time merging back to the left hand lane if traffic stacked up, he said.
Panel member Jeff Spicer suggested a pedi-cab service to bring diners from parking areas to downtown restaurants.
PRA Executive Director Steve Doolittle said no firm decisions have been made on the closure of Broadway. The PRA will present its plan to the city permit committee of Murphy, fire and police officials, and the city risk management officer, perhaps May 17.
As a second choice for street closure, City Risk Management Officer Cindy Medford suggested closing Broadway at Fifth street.
In other discussion of the festival, Spicer suggested locating artist displays and some music in the Market Square area to draw visitors to that location. He called for better quality entertainment and suggested selecting acoustic musicians to play to minimize noise.
The committee will meet again at the PRA office at 10:30 a.m. May 6.
Doolittle said the meetings are open to the public by City Attorney David Denton’s interpretation of Kentucky open meetings laws. While he said he did not agree, he said he would comply. Doolittle said closed meetings encouraged candor from participants.
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