Opinion ID: 2049120
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Traffic Conditions along Gravel Hill Road

Text: According to the parties' stipulation of facts, MRA anticipates that approximately 50 trucks per day will enter Gravel Hill Road. Appellees contend that [t]his is virtually a 50-fold increase from the non-existent [traffic] that presently exists on the road. MRA presented a traffic expert, Jeffrey Lawrence, who testified that the increased truck traffic on Gravel Hill would only add a 12.5 second increase to time spent at the traffic intersection and would not jeopardize the safety of the community. Appellees point out that Lawrence did not know how many children lived along the road, did not know where and how many times school buses stopped along the road, and testified that in reaching his conclusion with regard to traffic, he did not take into consideration any activities that take place at the Alfred B. Hilton Park or St. James Church and graveyard. Indeed, it is the school bus issue  rather than the sheer number of vehicles passing through  that formed a key component of the hearing. Resident George Herb Jonas testified that four different school buses stop along Gravel Hill Road in both the morning and the afternoon. This means that children are required to cross Gravel Hill Road at least once a day to access their homes. Appellees point out that several parents and grand-parents testified that they fear for the safety of their children crossing the street in light of the 50 additional trucks crossing their road. Parents of children who frequently walk or bike along Gravel Hill Road also expressed concern about their children's safety in light the increased truck traffic. MRA did not address these concerns about child safety and there was sufficient evidence to support the Board's findings and conclusion in favor of the Appellees.