Sandwiched between downtown and the east side's outlying areas, the Longfellow neighborhood has become a thruway. One street where this especially is noticeable is East Court Street, between South Summit and Muscatine Avenue. A traffic survey found that 3,600 cars travel on the street a day. Residents have petitioned the city to include East Court Street in its traffic-calming program, which would make it eligible for such things as speed bumps and traffic circles. The group redoubled its efforts last year when a motorist struck a neighborhood boy who was riding his bike.
Historic preservation is another neighborhood concern.
When the city announced it would replace the Summit Street bridge, dozens of residents met with the architect to offer suggestions on the design. Privately, many wish the bridge had been removed to decrease traffic. Historic preservation also is a personal concern. Many Longfellow neighborhood residents could afford a newer house in north Coralville or Windsor Ridge, but they prefer the charm of the older homes and care about historic preservation, even though it sometimes means endless remodeling projects and high heating bills. Take John and Kerstin VanGilder, for example.