It must be that nobody lives over here but me, because I am amazed at the lack of comments on the traffic signaling on Hiawatha now that we have our new train set. (I am pleased to see that people are using it and the numbers should go up considerably in the Winter, I think).
We drove that road for years without turn signals. Now we have them up the ying-yang. I won't comment on the fact that apparently they are reprogramming the lights (at considerable expense, no doubt) to make some fixes. You'd think that this was the first light rail installation in the country, the way the traffic is being handled. Can anybody explain why when the east-west traffic has clearance to move, they move only in turn. Thus, while the eastbound traffic moves, the westbound traffic waits. And vice versa. I can't speak for all hours of the day, but during the off hours, frequently there are periods of 30 seconds or more where nobody is moving since the east or west traffic is finished and the opposite direction is waiting for their go ahead. I'm not quite sure why we need turn signals at all, but if we have to have them, can't we have the east and west bound traffic moving at the same time, with the cautionary "yield to oncoming traffic" signs, of course. Similarly, the north and south bound traffic that wants to turn across the oncoming lane must often wait for a turn signal when there is nobody for four blocks or better coming in the opposite direction. Couldn't those turn signals be turned off in times of "non-rush hour" traffic? Ray Marshall Minnehaha REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
