It was this past fall that a semi going north on Bowman and turning right to go east on Voorhees struck the above traffic light, and left one of the lights hanging by a cable. City cameras were used to determine the company’s owner, and a possible insurance payment of $130,000 will be pending. But as passed by the City Council Public Works Committee during Tuesday (Jan 9th) night’s meeting, the entire repair project is about $250,000.
As City Engineer Sam Cole explained, the city was already planning to do some curb and sidewalk work at that intersection, while leaving the traffic light as is. But now, with damage to the light, there are all kinds of modern code compliances that must be followed; in addition to infrastructure work involving the gas station at the intersection’s southeast corner. Cole says, all kinds of factors came together.
(1st Picture) Danville City Engineer Sam Cole (middle) and Community Development Administrator Ashton Greer (second from right) during Public Works Committee meeting. (2nd Picture) Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr and the Public Works Committee.
AUDIO: (It) completely wiped out one of the poles; it’s no longer there. And then dented the main arm, for the mast arm; and it’s an old aluminum pole. You can’t really repair those. And we can’t put it in the same spot because of code issues, with today’s standards. It turns out that you’re not supposed to have a light pole in the middle of the sidewalk. People can’t get a wheelchair by an 18 inch space. So it makes sense why they’ve upgraded the codes, but we’ve got some work to do there.
Cole says it will probably be spring at the earliest before residents see the actual repair work happening, and the entire process will take several months.
Meanwhile, Danville Community Relations Administrator Ashton Greer says Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr wanted to open up the need for a new city logo to the public; and as it turned out, his hunch was right. Great suggestions have been submitted, and voting has begun. The top five, chosen by the public, will come back to the city for a final selection and a $500 winner. But it’s likely that more than one of the final five or more will be used in some way.
AUDIO: The other logos, you know, we may end up using them for other things as well. They’re just so incredible. Such beautiful graphics, and a great demonstration of what are city is. It would be a shame not to use several of them.
Go to the City of Danville website at https://www.cityofdanville.org/ or Facebook page to vote on the new city logo; or stop by the north or south Mad Goat Coffee location for a paper ballot to make your selections.
