Oetinger new Bike Week orders for Rte. 3

City Council tonight will consider a few new twists to the special traffic orders that have traditionally been put in place for Motorcycle Week. Police Chief Tom Oetinger is asking for three orders that focus on reliving gridlock at the intersection of Rte. 3 with Roller Coaster Rd. (to the west) and Watson Rd. (to the east).

The 81st annual rally begins on Saturday, June 12 and ends on Sunday, June 20. Council approved the usual temporary traffic orders for Bike Week — one-way traffic and motorcycles only on Lakeside Ave., no 4-wheeled vehicles over the Weirs channel bridge from Thursday through Sunday, etc. — back in March.

"Movement is our friend," said Oetinger in explaining the new requests to a meeting of the Police Commission last Thursday. He said the traffic pattern on the northern reaches of Rte. 3 is "not working now" and "we need to try something new."

Oetinger wants Council to approve:

— Closing Roller Coaster Rd. to eastbound through-traffic on the final Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.,

— Preventing northbound traffic on Rte. 3 from turning left onto Roller Coaster Rd. during the same hours, and

— Allowing him — on an as needed basis — to force vehicles traveling westbound on Watson Rd. to only turn right onto Rte. 3 at the Tamarack Restaurant.

Oetinger's original request had the orders going into effect at 8 a.m. on each of the three days but he apparently modified the plan because of input he received at the commissioner's meeting. Weir's business owners protested that it would be difficult for their employees to get to work if Roller Coaster Rd. was closed that early in the morning.

Councilor Judy Krahulec (Ward 1), who attended the commissioner's meeting told the chief she thought bikers would circumvent the "no left turn" restriction by simply riding up the road a little way and making a "u-turn". "They'll find some way to do what they want to do," she said.

Oetinger conceded that his plan is not foolproof but again insisted it was worth at try. In his formal letter to council that makes the request for new traffic orders, the chief said the situation would be closely monitored and, if necessary, he will "consult with the City Manager to recommend suspension of these amendments if they produce unanticipated or undesirable results."

Oetinger wrote that Rte. 3 traffic is slowed by heavy traffic entering the offending intersection from both sides and by vehicles turning onto Roller Coaster Rd. and Watson Rd. As a result, he said, Rte 3 traffic backs up "as far south as Tower St. and into Meredith to the north". "Similarly," Oetinger continued, "traffic on Watson Rd. will back up almost down to Lakeside Ave. and Roller Coaster Rd. traffic is backing up to and onto Parade Rd."

When traffic comes to a halt, Oetinger wrote, "it is very common for both motorcycles and four-wheel vehicles to engage in exhibitions of rapid acceleration, 'burning rubber', 'fishtailing' and lifting of the front wheel of motorcycles."

Oetinger said only local residential traffic would be allowed to travel eastbound on Roller Coaster Rd. during the hours of restriction. Warning signs would be placed at the Parade and traffic control personnel would be positioned at the Rte. 3 intersection.

The chief said the right-turn-only measure off Watson Rd. would only be used when traffic on Watson Rd. backs up onto Scenic Rd. He predicted the measure would be "used sparingly, for short periods of time".

Oetinger said he would suspend the practice if it were to cause significant problems in Meredith.