To the Editor:
I have often asked myself why I enjoy Main Street shopping in Pemberville and Perrysburg but not so much in Bowling Green. BG has many very nice shops, so what is the difference? Thinking about my personal shopping experiences, I believe the answer is access and safety.
I am in my 70s and need the aid of a walking stick for balance and to help me not fall on uneven pavement. In Pemberville and Perrysburg, I feel safe exiting my car with my walking stick in hand. Not so in BG, because of the four lanes of usually speeding traffic. I customarily open my driver’s side door with not enough time to collect my walking stick. I then walk around my car and open the passenger side door to reach for my walking stick.
Both Pemberville and Perrysburg have two lanes of traffic (north/south) and wide streets. Also, Perrysburg has diagonal parking spaces which means I can exit my car, holding my walking stick, with no fear of being hit from oncoming traffic. Both towns have handicap parking spaces and speed limits of 25 mph which, in my experience is adhered to by the town’s drivers.
BG ‘s Main Street has no handicap parking spaces, and exiting your vehicle is hazardous with the problem of speeding cars and commercial trucks, even though the speed limit is posted at 25 mph.
I have been told that BG’s Main Street must have four lanes of traffic because it is a state highway. If this could change — citing public safety, business and general community needs — it would make Main Street more accessible and “user friendly” for BG’s residents and visitors. At the very least, for general safety, law enforcement should be proactive in ticketing speeders.
Joy Potthoff
Bowling Green
