WEIRTON - Safety concerns arise as fire trucks report difficulty gaining access on Pleasant Avenue and prompt the Weirton Traffic Commission to recommend a solution to City Council.
Capt. Bob Hinchee attended the traffic commission meeting on Thursday to discuss parking restrictions along Pleasant Avenue. He said there have been numerous calls where crews have not been able to get through due to the amount of cars parked along the street.
Hinchee said most of the calls in the area have been emergency medical calls, which delays their arrival, but there is also concern as to what would happen in the event of a fire.
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UNDER FURTHER REVIEW – Members of the Weirton Traffic Commission reviewed a request made to prevent parking along Pleasant Avenue to address issues with public safety vehicles and their ability to gain access during emergency medical and fire calls in the area. -- Angelina Dickson
Ward 4 Councilman George Ash said neighbors have called him in regards to the issue and said there has never been a problem in the area before. He suggested the Traffic Commission consider recommending no parking 25 feet from the curb intersecting with Wells Street in addition to no parking along Wells Street directly across from the intersection.
"The reason there may not have been as many issues in the neighborhood before now is because it is an aging neighborhood and we're recently getting higher volumes of calls in that area," said Hinchee.
Chairman Romie Castelli asked what his fellow commissioners thought about the parking restriction. There was a consensus that a 25-foot parking restriction on both sides of Pleasant Avenue and no parking along Wells Street across from the intersection should be enough room to swing the fire truck up the street.
The traffic commission voted unanimously to make the recommendation to council.
(Dickson can be contacted at adickson@weirtondailytimes.com)
