To the editor:
I read the article "Rallying Support" (Sept. 1, Page A1) with bemusement. I congratulate Debra Cochran for her appointment to head Greenfield Main Street and her enthusiasm for helping to make downtown Greenfield a destination for residents. My thought is "good luck." The recent pandemic has just made long-standing problems worse.
You face an entire generation, maybe two, that does not believe anything happening in Greenfield is as good as what is happening in Indianapolis. I had this discussion with a friend just last night. We have attended numerous events that were of very high quality where the attendance only filled the venue halfway or less. The exception is at the library, where the room is always filled. The attendees are almost all older people. Another variable is the events usually only last until 8 p.m.
The second deterrent is traffic at State Road 9 and U.S. 40. I moved here with my family in the late 1980s. The four or five studies since then all come to the same conclusion. Heavy truck and large volumes of car traffic have to be removed from this intersection. Traffic on State Road 9 often backs up several blocks south of U.S. 40. And that is on a Saturday morning. And backups at all the other entrances to the intersection are just as long. One of the last studies stated how many thousands of cars pass through this intersection daily. And the last study pointed out how buildings at this intersection will likely be destroyed if all traffic is not reduced and truck traffic is not eliminated. Already, one can watch trucks with trailers get very close to the former Masonic building when trying to negotiate the tight turn from southbound State Road 9 to westbound U.S. 40. Even evening outdoor events are disturbed by truck traffic. I regularly attend Concerts on the Plaza and have to contend with the sound of trucks idling then starting up from a dead stop during these concerts.
I wish you the best in your efforts, Debra Cochran. Maybe you can jump-start plans to make the changes necessary to encourage use of downtown. It has so much potential.
Jim Matthews
Greenfield
