[Winona Online Democracy]
----- Original Message -----
From: "marcia chaffee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> Lee,
> I am glad someone agrees with me. The lack of planning for Winona
traffic
> makes me feel unsure of what is going to happen next, unsafe and unable to
> move. I spent forty years living in a first ring suburb of the cities and
> could move more easily (and still can when I visit) than I can in Winona.
> There seems to be no consistency in the placement of stop signs. For
> example, the uncontrolled intersection of 4th and Center (?) surrounded by
> stop signs nearby makes no sense to me. We also have way too many 4-way
> stop intersections. We need to open our purses and buy more stoplights. A
> stop sign every time someone complains is not the solution.
I believe that 4th and Center is controlled by stop signs on Center.
I personally don't object to 4 Way Stop signs. If used properly, they are
one of the most efficient intersections. The real problem is that too many
area drivers either do not know the correct way to negotiate such an
intersection, or they openly flout the law.
I do not see stop lights as necessarily more efficient. It has been my
experience that during one of the frequent outages of lights on Hwy 61 that
traffic moves more quicly through those intersections than when the lights
are working. This is especially true for the Huff street intersection which
has become much slower since the changes for the left turn arrows there.
This is another case where the problems at the intersection were caused by
driver error - over half the drivers using that intersection proved that
they did not understand the correct manner to make a left turn off of Huff.
>
> I grew up on Broadway when it was a narrower street with less traffic, but
> even then it never crossed my mind to run into the street. I don't know
why.
> Maybe I had been told about the dangers or watched closely long enough to
> have made me aware that traffic is dangerous. We had sidewalks until we
were
> old enough to ride on the street with our bikes. (even though it was
> illegal, I think).
>
> Of course I am in favor of slow limits around schools!
>
> It is nice to wish that we should all be nice and polite and slow down. I
> think we have to deal with today's reality: more cars, more people
> travelling,and people who would like to drive at different rates of speed.
> If people cannot get to work or appointments without a lot of difficulty,
> they get cranky and then are not good drivers.
To me, this seems to almost suggest that traffic laws should be re-written
to accomodate those of us least willing to obey current laws. This sound
like a recipe for disaster to me.
>
> In 55 Alive state-run classes for seniors, instructors teach:" the safest
> speed is the speed of the existing traffic", that we should not be
> self-appointed "Sheriffs of the Road" and sit in the left lane because we
> think that is "fast enough", and to step ON the accelerator on freeway
> entrances. Arizonans joke about the Snowbirds (usually Minnesota or Iowa)
> who are driving slowly on the freeway and causing accidents all around
them.
Moving at the predominant speed of freeway traffic is the safe thing to do.
Applying that guideline to traffic in a congested urbanized area with
pedestrians, bicyclists, joggers, skateboarders etc. on the road is just
asking for trouble. If we applied that rule to Broadway, how long do you
think it would be before traffic were moving at 50MPH?
>
> I am now stepping down from my soapbox so that I can get something else
> done.
>
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