Two Gainesboro Streets Becoming One-Ways To Ease Flow

Gainesboro Aldermen voted to make Quarles Avenue and Maple Street parallel one-way streets to ease traffic flow.

At February’s meeting, the Board decided to seek advice from MTAS representatives about how to best help traffic move safely and efficiently through the area. The city had voted to make Quarles Avenue one-way, but MTAS suggested Maple Street flow parallel in the opposite direction. Council Member Nancy Pruett said Quarles Avenue is too narrow to provide on-street parking and maintain steady traffic flow.

“It has lots of homes on both sides and very little parking,” Pruett said. “So, if you park, there’s no way two cars can get through. So this way, it’ll be for safety reasons because we have a lot of children in the neighborhood and you’ll just have cars coming in one direction.”

Traffic on Quarles Avenue will flow eastbound and traffic on Maple Street will flow westbound. Pruett said Maple Street is normally less busy but becomes clogged during services at Gainesboro Church of Christ. She said when people park on the street for church, it becomes impossible for traffic to move both ways down the narrow road.

“There’s only one house on that block and if they park on both sides, people can’t go up and down during church time,” Pruett said.

In other business, the Board voted to table discussions about accepting a bid for a salt-spreader. Gainesboro Mayor Lloyd Williams said the city received one bid, but said the city needs documentation that they have tried other potential providers.

“I mean this ain’t like a rushed thing to do, so if you guys want to try to get some more bids on it, I don’t think it’s going to snow,” Williams said.

The Board also gave the Gainesboro Fire Department authority to begin purchasing self-contained breathing packs with grant money from the Tennessee Fire Marshall’s Office. Assistant Fire Chief Isaac Davis said there has been a glitch in the Fire Marshall’s computer system preventing the department from receiving a copy of the grant contract. He said the state officials have told him that if items are purchased before the final copy of the grant contract is returned, the purchases will still be reimbursed through the grant money.

“One air pack with no bottle, no mask, is $6,300,” Davis said. “A bottle is another $1,000 and a mask is another about $500.”

Davis said he is trying to keep the department from behind the eight ball because providers are set to increase the prices of the air packs at the start of April.

The Board also approved low bids for renovations of the Montpelier Avenue sidewalk and South Murray Street sidewalk. Both bids came from Anthony Spivey at $2,700 and $3,800 respectively. The Board added terms to both bids, requiring that the project be placed on a two-month deadline to get underway.