If you've ever been stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic along Mill Avenue, you know the frustrations of too many people in too small of an area, with too little room to get by. Fortunately for us, we may no longer have to worry about the gas guzzling, fender-bending, moving parking lot we call Mill Avenue.
In a recent annual Tempe city staff and council meeting, the idea of turning Mill Avenue into a pedestrian walkway was once again brought up, briefly. With the goal of this meeting focused on the vision and future of the city, some proposed this walkway be implemented and completed by 2010.
So what does all this mean for the fine folks of Tempe?
Honestly, we're not really sure. Actually, it seems as though the city isn't sure either.
But here at The State Press, we had our own little discussion and came up with a couple of things. Let's tart with the benefits.
I'm sure we all know at least one friend that's been cited with a jaywalking ticket while trying to cross from one bar to another. We understand this is illegal, but man, it sure costs a lot of money if you miss the light and decide to go anyway,in traffic, without a crosswalk, in when you're drunk.
So does this mean people can walk freely without the threat of expensive jaywalking tickets or open container violations? Did someone say huge beer garden? With the absence of roads and the ensuing traffic, why not allow bar-to-bar visits with a beer in hand? Sounds good to us.
There's also the benefit of getting rid of all cars and opening up the space for pedestrians. This means no more window-rattling music coming from cars that barely clear the ground. No more smelly exhaust from traffic nearly a mile long. No more bumping into pedestrians because there are too many people and not enough sidewalk. It means actual open space for people to walk about and maybe even a bench or two that isn't filled with a bongo-banging transient.
Now this all sounds great, but where will all the traffic go? How about the Flash bus? There's always the option to divert the traffic toward Ash Avenue, but that could possibly cause the same problem plaguing Mill.
So, for now, we say "rock on." Let's get this thing started. But there is a lot more to this proposed project than simply getting rid of Mill Avenue. And here at The State Press, we'll be looking forward to seeing what happens.
In the meantime, keep walking in the crosswalks and keep the beers within the bar. And if you're cruising Mill just to play your loud music and shout to the local scenery, get a life.
