Cape residents question whether Broadway lights are bright enough

Between the presentations on future Transportation Trust Fund projects and Capital Improvement Program needs, there's been much discussion recently about the best ways to improve Cape Girardeau.

At Monday night's city council meeting, after a discussion on capital improvements, the topic turned to the Broadway Street corridor. The project designed to enhance the primary entrance to Cape Girardeau's downtown included plants, bike racks, wider sidewalks, a new street surface with decorative enhancements and new lighting.

Since its completion in 2012, public response to the new corridor has been largely positive. But council members said they have heard many people comment on the lights. They hang suspended over the street, illuminating the road and crosswalks. The concern some have is the light points straight down, illuminating little of the sidewalks.

Councilwoman Loretta Schneider said she's noticed the issue and previously has brought it up to city staff. Councilman Joe Uzoaru said complaints about Broadway lights are among the most repeated to him.

Mayor Harry Rediger on Monday requested staff perform an internal study over the course of 90 days to see what steps the city could take to shed a little more light on the sidewalks.

He said he was not interested in replacing the lights, which are fulfilling their intended role, as city manager Scott Meyer pointed out. The placement of the lights "is really about the safety of the car interactions and pedestrian interactions, when crossing," he said, and that anything in the roadway is clearly visible under the lights.

"I think the biggest misconception is that lights are there for public safety. They are there to silhouette cars for traffic safety," Meyer said in a Friday phone interview. "Not that they don't also serve a nice purpose when the kids are out playing -- it's nice for them to be under a streetlight and to be able to see them -- but the primary purpose is for street and vehicular safety."

Meyer said he's walked and driven through the corridor to examine the issue himself. From what he's seen, Meyer said he believes designers assumed lights would spill out from shop windows to illuminate the sidewalks.

The study remains in its early stages, so staff are analyzing options, Meyer said. Electricity access is available around the bases of the trees, which are used primarily for strands of decorative lights, which could present some possibilities. City staff also plan to consult with business owners along the corridor.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Broadway Street, Cape Girardeau, Mo.