Martini Drive at the northern border of the new QuikTrip is one-way southbound, and a Do Not Enter sign faces anyone thinking of going north from QuikTrip, but the sign was “violated regularly,” City Manager Marty Corcoran said in Maplewood City Council meeting on Tuesday.
According to an email from someone who lives in the neighborhood north of MRH to 40 South News, Martini was the most convenient and safest route into the neighborhood when it was two-way traffic, especially with no left-turn arrow at Rannells Avenue from north-bound Big Bend.
It’s two-way no longer.
City council passed an ordinance on Tuesday to make Martini one-way southbound from QuikTrip’s northern border to the intersection of Manchester Road. The bill was inserted as an “emergency ordinance” so it could go into effect before mid-July.
Corcoran said if the weather cooperates, before the week is out the curb next to the high school property will be painted yellow, and another yellow line will be painted down the eastern right of way, next to the QuikTrip property.
Parking at the curb will be by permit only 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Corcoran said the city will enforce both the one-way and the no parking signs.
Even though Martini will be one-way southbound, there was no talk of making the southern entrance to QuikTrip one-way also. Apparently cars will still be able to enter QuikTrip from Manchester Road onto Martini.
I drove that direction today to drop my kid off at a summer camp and it is simply frustrating. This has eliminated the only direct entrance (from that direction) into the middle and high school.
Let me get this right…..Martini is a city street that has NO CURBS next to the Quick Trip property…So the city, gave or allowed a business, a gas station, to have our city property for FREE….Additionally, Martini is now ONE WAY Southbound—but–you can still drive Northbound without getting a ticket. WOW. So the city council gave away OUR city property to a gas station for FREE and the ONE WAY is really not a ONE WAY…….Just wanted to get it right!