By Noelle Edwards
nedwards@salisburypost.com
Pat Kerns is frustrated. She lives near the one-way portion of Heilig Avenue and says she sees cars going the wrong way every day.
Heilig is one way in the block before it hits Main Street, in the direction away from Main. In other words, people are supposed to turn from Main Street onto Heilig, not the other way around.
It’s a bit of a blind corner for people driving the wrong way; large buildings loom on either side, making it hard to see what’s coming.
Kerns said that hasn’t stopped people from driving the wrong way, and she said they usually go through there faster than they’re supposed to.
Salisbury Police Lt. Melonie Thompson said she’s heard from a number of neighbors who are upset by people driving the wrong way.
She said it’s the only one-way street in Salisbury she’s heard complaints about.
The Police Department has sent officers to stake out the area, and Thompson said they’ve cited people who were driving the wrong way.
She said for the most part, police officers have seen people who live in that area driving the wrong way.
Kerns said she most often sees trucks from Restoration Plus going the wrong way for a few hundred feet, then turning into the business’ parking lot, which has a turn-in on Heilig.
Thompson said she has heard lots of complaints about Restoration Plus trucks but officers have never seen any when they were watching.
Craig Hiatt, owner of Restoration Plus, said company policy prohibits driving the wrong way down a one-way street.
“I’m aware of no problem involving my company,” he said.
He said the only complaint he has heard about his company’s trucks going the wrong way was two years ago.
He said no other neighbors have approached him about truck drivers disobeying the signs, and the Police Department hasn’t approached him about the issue either, he said.
He said he has seen lots of other people going the wrong way.
“I would welcome somebody to come out here and make sure people don’t do it,” he said.
He mentioned police officers have sat at the end of the road to keep people from driving the wrong way.
“If they can get that stopped, that would be great,” he said.
Hiatt said often drivers turn into his parking lot to avoid the intersection with Main Street. He said city vehicles do so sometimes.
“I certainly don’t mind them doing that,” he said. “I don’t stop and get phone numbers and addresses.”
Hiatt said people who have a complaint about Restoration Plus vehicles should come talk to him about it.
“Calling the Post is probably the last thing I’d do,” he said.
Thompson said there’s not much else the Police Department can do to fix the problem.
“I don’t think it’s signed the best way possible,” she said. She said the city’s Engineering Department might be able to put up flashing signs for a few weeks to help people form better habits.
Hiatt suggested making the whole street one-way.
City traffic engineer Wendy Brindle didn’t return a call Tuesday.