The Town of Speedway has released a vision for its future that is quite ambitious. The idea is to make the town a destination for racing fans. Personally, I’m not a racing fan, but I do like the design for the most part.
The first of two simulation videos now on the front page of the Star displays a quite attractive Main Street lined with multi-story buildings. The second is a simulation of how traffic moves in the roundabout. I’m a bit discouraged that they didn’t include pedestrians in this display, but at least the article explains that they won’t be forgotten in these separate paragraphs:
“Planners also are calling for changes to Georgetown, in part because of concerns raised by the Department of Homeland Security. The most likely option would be to close the road between 16th and 25th streets, opening it to pedestrian traffic only. The plan also suggests shifting 16th Street to the southeast, eventually meeting Holt Road in a second roundabout.”
“The plan also highlights sidewalks along major thoroughfares to make the area more pedestrian-friendly. Paths designed to handle bicycle and in-line skate traffic would tie into the area’s trail system. The business district along Main Street would undergo major changes, with the hope of creating a thriving area similar to Downtown Indianapolis. Plans call for multistory buildings on each side of the street with both retail and residential uses.”
It is an encouraging sign for our future that a town built around the automobile industry is moving in a direction that would encourage other modes of transport. The momentum is slowly shifting.
As of the Morning of 6/30/2009 the Speedway Fire Dept as shut down Engine 201 due to staffing issues so as a citizen of Speedway you should be alarmed the town manager forced the fire chief into the move with out any knowledge of the firefighters or the citizen of the town knowing this. These cut will now cause a void in fire protection to the south end of Speedway. Hopefully someone will read this within the town a stick up for the safety of the town’s people.