We, the residents of League Estates, are deeply concerned about the reopening of Hunter Street, which is being used as a cut-through road from Jonesville to Main Street. My family has cherished this neighborhood for the safety and peace it provides: a sanctuary where our grandparents, pets, nieces and nephews spend time and play outside without fear of traffic hazards or other safety concerns.

The reopening of this cut-through threatens to end this calm and poses a significant danger to our community’s safety. The city is apparently spending $70,000 to reopen this cut-through and install "traffic calming devices." 

The road was originally closed in 2022 due to neighborhood concerns for increased through traffic. A traffic study showed over 1000 cars per day were using this neighborhood as a cut-through.  That is approximately one car every 45 seconds in a 12-hour period.  Now, more than 4 years later, that number will likely be increased as the city has grown.  

People who do NOT live in this neighborhood are making these decisions, prioritizing the convenience of an indeterminate number of people over our safety. Our roads are narrow and full of potholes and cracks. They are not meant to withstand heavy traffic. 

This is not a matter of convenience but one of safety. According to the Federal Highway Administration, residential areas with high through traffic tend to have more pedestrian accidents.  As a resident before the road closure, my wife was almost hit by speeding cars on at least two occasions while out walking. 

The influx of traffic could potentially lower our property values, as they are influenced by our location and walkable streets. Oddly, they've chosen to avoid S Pliney Circle, which is classified as a state road/highway. Why should the residential part of the neighborhood suffer when it's the least logical re-routing?

We must prioritize resident safety and community integrity over 5-minute traffic shortcuts. Instead of opening the cut-through, we urge the local authorities to consider alternative traffic management strategies, such as removing the "beautifying" medians downtown or improving the traffic light patterns. These moves could alleviate congestion without compromising our safety.

We need your support to reinforce our message to the city council members that our neighborhood's safety must come first. Please sign this petition to stop the reopening of the neighborhood cut through from Jonesville Road to N Main Street and help us protect our families and our community.

We’re asking that the city postpone these road construction changes and revisit this matter at the next council meeting on August 11, before spending 70k on permanent changes.