Pleasantview volunteers bullied, intimidated over traffic barriers

City traffic officials willholda closed-door meeting Wednesday to respond to hundreds of complaints about controversialmeasures to stop drivers fromspeeding and shortcutting in Pleasantview.

Earlier this summer, the city put up a barricade to stop traffic from continuing south on 106th Street past 56th Avenue. Another barricade stops traffic on 109th Street and 54th Avenue.

Coun. Michael Walters admits the city made mistakes in the way changes were implemented.

He said the issue has become divisive and people on the volunteer committee have been bullied and intimidated.

"They've been too exposed, and people have been directing their anger at them, and reallythis is a city project that the city needs to take responsibility for," he said.

Wednesday's meeting with Walters, the volunteer committee, transportation planners and engineers is behind closed doors. That's to protect volunteers from more harassment, Walters said.

Frustration and anger

The frustrations in the community were illustrated Tuesday when CBC News interviewed resident Steve Atkinson at the barricade on 109th Street.

A man in a minivan shouted at Atkinson in the middle of his interview with a CBC reporter.

"This is what?" the manasked, gesturing at the barricade. "A waste of time. A waste of money."

"One out of ten thousand, " he added before driving away.

"I think he's referring to me being the only resident that's happy about it," Atkinson explained.

"He took it personally that I was responsible for getting this done."

The man in the minivan isn't the only driver who has shouted at Atkinson.

Atkinson said when he has asked some drivers not to make U-turns when they've encountered the barricade, they've snapped back at him.

While Atkinson has benefited from a quieter, safer street, he said traffic has increased elsewhere in Pleasantview.

Given the strong feelings he's heard onthe issue, he isn't surprised to hear members of the volunteer committee have been harassed.

"It's not a stretch to imagine that frustration would boil over to the people who are overseeing this," he said. "It's not fair to take it out on the people who are trying to help us."

A public meeting will be held in the future to address the issues.