Council mulls making Green Street one-way

(7/20) The Green Street water line repair project that includes a trenchless structural pipeline repair, sidewalk, curb and gutter installation and repaving is ready for the bidding process. Town Planner Sean Williams said the repairs to Green Street are tricky because the original discovery was due to damage to the road surface. Last year, a brief investigation into a portion of cracked asphalt on Green Street showed a breach to the storm drain. The galvanized pipes in question were installed in the 70’s and at over 50 years of wear, they are showing signs of severe deterioration due to the large quantity of water the pipes see.

In 2020, a stormwater study was completed recommending replacing the entire pipe system from Colony Village to George Street. However, a repair of this magnitude would cost an estimated $1,951,982 million.

Last year, the Council discussed seven options with estimates to fix the issues, ranging from band-aid solutions to full replacement. They eventually opted for a "middle of the road" repair where a lining is applied to the entire length of the Green Street pipe with an original estimate of $286,357. "Lining the pipe in this section is our best option in terms of cost," said Williams.

Williams also pointed out the Town’s desire to not only fix the pipe problems but to improve the walkability of Walkersville. He described plans to add a sidewalk to the corner of Maple Ave and Green Street and to pull the sidewalk in front of No. 3 Green Street out five feet and connect it to Fulton Avenue. "For the first time there will be a walkable sidewalk all the way from Fulton Avenue to Maple Avenue. There are a lot of kids that walk here so we have had to consider the safety factor."

The complication, according to Williams, is that by bumping the sidewalk out by five feet, it narrows Green Street from Fulton Avenue to the Town Hall (about halfway down Green Street). Williams suggested turning Green Street into a one-way from Fulton Avenue to Maple Avenue for safety reasons. Parking would also be restricted to the second portion of Green Street on the Maple Avenue side.

Although the residents of Green Street supported the changes according to Williams, Commissioner Tom Gilbert was hesitant to lend his support. He questioned the need to make Green Street a one-way road versus making it two-way with no parking. "If it's a question of keeping it a two-way road and not allowing parking or having a one-way with parking on one side, the one-way option is overall much safer," said Williams. This was confirmed by the engineers who determined the street was safer as a one-way as well.

Commissioner Gary Baker pointed out that during the Maple Avenue project, there were multiple instances of parked cars having the side mirrors knocked off and mailboxes run into. "The idea of this being a one-way makes sense to me," he said.

The Council will debate the merits of making Green Street one-way while the bids for the pipe repair are gathered and will vote on the matter later.