Team Gahan’s breathtaking passive/aggressive answer to the question of making a safe pedestrian crossing at Main and W. 1st.

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You simply cannot make up these things.

The question about the hazardous situation for walkers at Main and W. 1st, where each corner now is occupied by multiple thriving businesses (as well as the YMCA), and parking is scattered on all sides of them, was asked at the last merchant meeting.

David Duggins replied somewhat honestly (for him), by saying the city had no plan at all to do anything to remedy safety at Main and W. 1st.

With even more time to think about it, Team Gahan now has issued an improved excuse for inaction.

Crosswalks on Main Street – At this time crosswalks at corner of Main and First would present a safety hazard as there is no light or stop sign to protect pedestrians and signal a safe crossing. Pedestrians would be invited to walk in an unprotected area.

Wait … but who other than the city of New Albany possesses the ability to install design elements to protect pedestrians?

In other words, it’s Team Gahan’s stretch of road to do with as Oz pleases, but there’ll be no fundamental safety improvements — and because there can be no fundamental safety improvements, there’ll be no fundamental safety improvements.

This may be the most idiotic example of circular logic that I’ve ever seen in New Albany, and that’s saying a lot.

By refusing to take action, and by deploying its inaction as the reason for it doing nothing, City Hall actually commits an “action,” if only in a destructive breach, because it detracts from the value of these businesses and perpetuates conditions that are plainly unsafe.

This is true just as surely as if Main were a one-way street, though because there are no design elements at this intersection to slow traffic, it might as well be a one-way street.

Someone’s going to get hurt here, and when it happens, Jeff Gahan will have the blood on his hands. Period.

I’ve been asking this question for months, but I didn’t ask it at the merchant meeting. Rather, it was asked by a businessman who literally has invested millions in downtown New Albany.

And this is the best answer that Gahan’s minions can provide. Think about that.

How do these people sleep at night?

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