Annual Dog Day Afternoon & Pet Photos this weekend
October 13, 2009
Richard Anthony Savoie
October 15, 2009
Long-awaited repairs to one of Patterson’s busiest streets coupled with speed limit changes could soon test motorists’ patience.
By December, a $1.84-million facelift of Catherine Street should begin. The Patterson City Council awarded Morgan City’s Gray Brothers Construction the contract at last Wednesday’s council meeting.
The project includes closing in ditches along Catherine Street and constructing a sidewalk.
A $134,000 contract to blacktop neighboring Park Street was also approved. Work is expected to begin within three weeks.
According to Patterson Mayor Mike Accardo, Park Street will likely bear the brunt of traffic exiting Catherine Street.
Accordo said the streets posed a hazard and that, in places, “two cars cannot pass each other at the same time.”
Throughout road construction, Park Street will be reduced to one lane. The project should last six to seven weeks, the mayor said.
The Catherine Street upgrade should last 210 days, barring no rain delays, Accardo said.
Monies to make over the thoroughfare were provided by the state Legislature, which allocated for the street improvements at the end of the 2008 fiscal year.
Although improvements to Catherine and Park streets are long overdue, the U.S. Post Office and businesses in the area are bracing for the challenges ahead.
St. Mary Parish school bus driver Lee Condolle said the work is greatly needed, but expects problems.
“Frankly, I don’t know how we’re going to make a few of the turns that are presently very narrow,” he told the council. “And then, getting children down Catherine? Well, that’s going to be another story.”
Motorists dodging street construction are also facing another challenge: changing speed limits.
The city council enacted a law lowering speeds citywide to 25 mph – excluding school zones, which have lower limits posted.
Patterson Police Chief Patrick LaSalle said motorists will have a 5 mph cushion before speeding tickets are issued.
Mike Drive resident Noel Pisani argued the 25 mph change is not slow enough. He described an incident in which he saw a vehicle hit a child on a bicycle, which threw the boy to the sidewalk.
“Twenty-five is still too fast. I tried it yesterday. It’s extremely fast for that street,” Pisani argued. “It’s fast for Leo. It’s fast for all of them. It’s entirely too fast.
Pisani, who asked the council to consider a lower speed limit, said when his wife was nine months pregnant, a speeder ran a stop sign and nearly hit her.
“It was a matter of inches,” he said.
However, LaSalle said his office will aggressively seek speeders.
“We write more tickets than any department in this area when it comes to traffic,” the police chief said. “Lack of enforcement for traffic? I don’t think so. But if you’re asking for more patrols in your neighborhood, then you’ve got it.”
Pisani countered, “When it comes to speeding, I don’t know what it’s going to take for speeders to realize they’re playing with people’s lives. I’m asking you for whatever it takes for these hard-headed people to understand.”
The street may indicate “Stop,” but few people follow the directive at the corner of Park and Third streets in Patterson. The city council agreed last week to erect a stop sign at the corner, which is located near Hattie Watts Elementary School. * Photo by HOWARD J. CASTAY JR.
