What about Pine Street?

 

If a person has liked and followed the City of Florence government’s Facebook page and in the settings checked the box for live streaming the city council meetings (are you lost yet? eyes glazing over?) They will notice if they click on the comment button in the upper right corner of the screen, they can read the live comments. Inevitably, no matter the agenda item being voted upon, or comment being made “from the podium” by a “member of the public” during a “live stream”, someone will post “We need to fix the roads” No truer 6 words have ever been written when it comes to Florence city streets. Which brings me to the latest fiasco: What to do with Pine Street?!?

I rarely think of myself as one, but my mirror loves to remind me that I am a senior citizen. As I can see “Four score” on my next 20-year birthday cake there are things I can remember that are definitely historical. The widening of Pine Street is one of them. Having been a resident of North Florence for most of my life, I can remember that before Pine Street was “4 lane” it was a two-lane street which was rarely used. Wood Ave. was the main thoroughfare. 

But the city “fathers” had a plan that would create a transportation portal that would be the height of efficiency. Pine St. was to be widened and connected to Cleveland Ave with 4 lanes all the way to both Wood and Chisholm Rd.! This was all part of a “master plan” to create one big loop around the downtown area. Pine was to hook up with Dr. Hicks Blvd which would intersect with Florence Blvd to Cox Creek Pkwy back to Wood Ave. At the time, this was to be the North Florence version of an interstate highway! And except for a few modifications and street widening here and there, this remained for the next 60 years!

Now there is downtown growth (the necessity of this latest project is another posting entirely) which is bottle-necking Pine Street, and the campus of UNA has made a portion of the street into one big crosswalk. What to do? Different proposals have been made and scrapped, but one thing is certain. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT PINE STREET!

Maybe the millions going to parks and recreation for floating RV parks in a flood zone could be better spent on roads? Ask a commenter during a “live stream.”

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖

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Hi, I'm Caterpillar. I'm a grrrrrreat dog, a good boy. If you want specifics, I'm a two year-old Mastiff mix looking for a pad to hang out in. Please come give me a once-over at the Florence shelter in the industrial park: