Pictured is business owner Pete Moraglia, who discussed the possibility of putting in a crosswalk by Pine Street on East Second Street with the public safety committee during their most recent meeting. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

A local business owner whose business sits on East Second Street has approached the Public Safety Committee and City Council about the possibility of putting in a crosswalk on the street near Pine Street.

Pete Moraglia came to the most recent public safety committee meeting to tell the committee about the concerns he had about that area of the street, specifically in regards to things like speeding.

“I own a business down there, the Chautauqua Music building, and I’m very much aware of the traffic and the speed of cars going down East Second Street,” Moraglia said. “My personal theory is as they cross the Main Street intersection they look down and they see green lights as they hit Prendergast and then they speed up to try and make those lights.”

Moraglia said a lot of businesses exist in that area, including the Lucille Ball Little Theater, making it a busy area and making crossing the street difficult for pedestrians. He also addressed the wall that sits in that area that causes a blind spot.

“I don’t expect the wall to be taken down but I think by marking crosswalks across Second Street that might slow them down, plus putting up signs on both sides, to get those drivers to say, ‘hey, this is actually downtown, I better slow down’,” Moraglia said.

Moraglia asked if there was something else he had to do to get more information to see if this would be possible, besides bringing it to the public safety committee, and Jeff Russell, R-At Large and chair of the public safety committee, said they could bring it before the whole council as well and talk to Director of Public Works, Mark Roetzer.

Moraglia also spoke at the City Council work session that followed the Public Safety Committee, and Roetzer said they would have to take a look at what is already down there, including handicap ramps, before they could decide if that was something that could possibly be done.

Miraglia has previously brought up concerns about sunken manhole covers on Second Street as well as being commenting regularly over the past few years about downtown parking. He also asked the City Council earlier this year for an opportunity for downtown business owners to have more input on the city’s proposed Local Preservation Ordinance.