During a recent government meeting, city councilors discussed potential changes to Burnett Road aimed at improving traffic safety and promoting pedestrian and bicycle use. Councilor Shumsky highlighted the need for a strategic rethinking of the roadway to slow traffic speeds and reduce automobile space, emphasizing the importance of planning work that may require funding through grants or city appropriations.

The council is considering a moratorium on new developments in the area, which has been a topic of ongoing debate. Councilor Shumsky and others expressed concerns about existing traffic volumes and the need for effective design solutions to manage speed. They noted that the moratorium's intent is not to reduce current traffic but to address safety issues stemming from it.

Lee, a city planner, confirmed that there is only one significant undeveloped parcel left that could increase traffic, previously proposed for a Tesla dealership. He explained that the existing traffic levels are likely to remain unchanged, regardless of the moratorium. Instead, the focus should be on engineering solutions to control speed, potentially through Complete Streets policies that could be funded with federal DOT money.

The council discussed the financial aspects of implementing these changes, with estimates for initial planning and analysis ranging from $50,000 to $75,000. Immediate interventions, such as speed humps, were mentioned as potential short-term solutions, while larger projects would require phased funding and grant applications.

Council members expressed a desire for concrete action and cost analysis to address traffic concerns effectively, with some indicating their support for the moratorium as a necessary step toward long-term improvements in the area.