Bill Estes of the Cleveland City CouncilCLEVELAND, Tenn. - City officials have made progress in addressing safety concerns for Highland Avenue, especially at the Eighth Street intersection.
In the last week, civil engineering firm Canon & Canon performed traffic studies -- vehicular and foot -- for the city, said City Councilman Bill Estes. By next week, one of two communication poles in the southwest corner of the intersection is expected to be removed to improve the sight distance.
Estes said residents along Highland Avenue have witnessed crashes and had out-of-control vehicles destroy their property. And they aren't alone in their concerns, he said.
"A prominent real estate businessman told me today that he was happy to see that something was being done about the situation," Estes said.
In a late October council meeting, Estes described his concerns about the Eighth Street-Highland Avenue intersection, which is between the Mouse Creek Greenway and Arnold Elementary School.
He cited a dangerous mix of speeding vehicles, increased pedestrian traffic and limited sight distances, and he urged fast action. He said strong enforcement of the speed limit would not be enough.
"Something needs to be done at that intersection before someone is paralyzed, before a kid is hit," Estes said then.
Cleveland Utilities has two poles at the intersection for lines for Charter Cable and AT&T.
"We take the situation very seriously," said Bart Borden, vice president of Cleveland Utilities' electric division. "We have been aggressive in following up with the communication companies regarding the matter."
Once Charter Cable and AT&T switch all their lines to a single pole, the other can be removed, Borden said. That could happen by the middle of the month, he said.