St. Joseph City Commissioners have approved a slightly different plan for traffic heading to Silver Beach County Park this summer.
Speaking to commissioners Monday, City Manager Emily Hackworth said the plan last year changed Broad Street below the bluff to one-way, creating more lanes for beach-bound traffic. She said that did help with a problem that’s long been a complaint of residents.
“So the lineup of vehicles that you see every summer that winds all the way around to Main Street, absolutely improved,” Hackworth said.
Hackworth said the problem is that the traffic pattern also caused congestion on the Park Street Hill because all traffic leaving the beach had to go that way. That left many residents below the bluff with complaints that she said should be addressed. That’s why Hackworth proposed “Option 2” for this summer.
“Option Two keeps Broad Street two directions. So in the right lane, you’re going into the beach or you’re making a left hand turn, but you are exiting on Broad Street. That first block of Lake between Broad and Elm would become one-way. So you can go left there, but you cannot come north on Lake Street to enter the beach.”
Hackworth said a survey of residents below the bluff found a large majority favor this option to Option 1, which would just be doing the same thing again. She also noted a change from last year that moved pedestrians to the north side of Broad and to a path by the Whirlpool Compass Fountain would continue this summer under Option 2. The city may also put up some fencing to stop pedestrians from walking in the street.
Commissioners approved the Option 2 plan while asking staff to study the possibility of removing the Broad Street median near the beach to create more room for vehicles in future years. The new pattern will be implemented by Memorial Day.
One resident from below the bluff asked why Berrien County doesn’t just add kiosks to the parking lot at Silver Beach so there are no backups at the entrance. Hackworth said it’s her understanding the county has been considering several options for the lot.
