To the editor:

At the Tiverton Town Council Meeting of February 27 (as if the council was repeating the Town Council action of January 2015), the Town Council refused to take any action to correct the pedestrian safety problems caused by vehicles and boats parking on the Main Road sidewalk between Central Avenue and Nanaquaket Road, and also refused to take any action to stop property owners and snow plow drivers from plowing snow from driveways and parking lots and dumping the snow on the sidewalk – forcing pedestrians into the road in order to get around vehicles and piles of snow on the Main Road sidewalk. 

 After presenting three documents and reading the first two in their entirety, the Town Council responded as if they did not hear a word contained in any of the documents.  

After being advised of the pedestrian safety problems, the potential for injuries and loss of life, and the potential for multi-million dollar lawsuits for failing to take action to correct the safety problems; the Tiverton Town Council, without questions and without discussion, refused to take any action to correct the safety problems. 

It appears that the only possible reason for failing to take action could be that the Town Council has decided (in advance of the meeting that it would be easier to deal with the ire and hostility of one safety-minded taxpayer (myself) than it would be to deal with the ire and hostility of the dozen property owners (including two churches) and the dozen snow plow drivers who plow snow onto the Main Road sidewalk, plus the  ire and hostility of the dozen property owners (including Standish Boat Yard) who park vehicles and boats on the Main Road sidewalk (or the destroyed portions). 

Of course, failing to take action means ignoring safety, ignoring possible pedestrian injuries and deaths, and ignoring the potential of multi-million dollar lawsuits (wrongful death suits) for failing to take action to correct the safety problems. 

I believe that the last Tiverton Town Council was capable of making such a decision, but I am very surprised that the new Town Council also appears to be capable of making such a decision. 

Will it take one or more pedestrian deaths, before the Tiverton TownCouncil decides to take action to correct the pedestrian safety violations? 

Roger A. Bennis

Tiverton