A flyer created and distributed by a resident mistakenly stated that a vote on the plan was scheduled to take place at the meeting. However, a vote is not likely to take place for at least several more meetings said Ward 5 commissioner Dan Miller.
Nonetheless, more than 10 residents - in addition to others who a signed petition and a large group who attended the meeting - asked the commission to reject the current proposal and start from scratch.
Mt. Lebanon commissioned its traffic consultant, Trans Associates, to perform a "Mapleton Avenue/Marietta Place Traffic Calming Study" in 2006.
The $27,000 study and report recommended several options to minimize the impact of increased traffic on these residential side streets.
Miller said the original plan would merely divert traffic to Marlin Drive and other neighboring streets, so he requested and received a revised plan several weeks ago.
In accordance with a campaign promise," Miller said, "I have been taking this plan door-to-door to both alert residents to its possibility and to solicit feedback."
Residents of these and surrounding streets, including Clokey Avenue and Marlin Drive, said the recommendations to add "no left turn" and "right turn only" at key intersections during rush hour periods still only divert the problem to their streets rather than solve it.
"This plan is way too limited," said Clokey Avenue resident Jim Vanek. "I think [the traffic] is an issue with the timing of the lights on Cochran and Bower Hill and Cochran and Altoona Place. Any changes would be premature until you work out those problems."
Trans Associates' 2006 study also stated that regardless of which options are selected, "Such improvements will require signal retiming along Cochran Road and the existing left turn lane on Bower Hill Road at Cochran Road will need to be lengthened." This was reported in a May 10, 2006, letter addressed to municipal manager Stephen Feller.
Mapleton Avenue resident Lisa Brown, was the lone voice of support for the current recommendations.
"I think it's the best plan that came out of years of meetings [in] the neighborhood," she said.