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Morscruethal Behaviors or Just Lip Service?
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By Bob Dyer
Beacon Journal columnist
Published on Friday, May 09, 2008
Ask and ye shall receive.
But it might not happeneth right away.
A couple of weeks ago, Bill Donovan of Fairlawn became approximately the 729th reader to voice a complaint about some ''No Turn on Red'' signs near Akron's main post office.
The moaning began in 2005, when the city widened the ramp from southbound Wolf Ledges to the westbound Akron Expressway and added a concrete island.
City traffic engineer Dave Gasper ordered the signs because he feared confusion involving a yield sign on pesky Conn Road, which enters Wolf Ledges from the east.
But to most drivers, the ''No Turn on Red'' order was forcing them to sit needlessly at a red light, squandering their time and gasoline, increasing pollution and raising their blood pressure.
Banning the red-light turns also interrupts the normal flow of cars coming down the ramp. Instead of a car here and there squeezing onto the expressway, a big surge would enter soon after the light turned green.
Well, stew no more. Gasper has agreed to remove the ''No Turn on Red'' signs and see what happens.
But be forewarned: If you guys don't behave, he's going to put them right back up again.
''We will keep an eye on it,'' he says, ''because we had problems before the signs went up with confusion over who should go first and cars turning in front of cross traffic.
''The yield sign [on Conn] has to stay up, [because] we need a way to determine the right-of-way at the island.''
Lightweights
Speaking of not turning on red, here's another situation that has drawn a bunch of electronic mail.
Bob: Can you tell me why someone thought it was necessary to put up a ''No Turn on Red'' sign at Main Street and Market Street in downtown Akron?
When you are on Main heading south, you can no longer turn right onto Market between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. I can't tell you how many mornings I sit there and wait for a green light with no traffic coming down Market Street.
What a waste of gas.
Is it because the oncoming traffic has a left-turn arrow? My thought is if you're not smart enough to watch for that traffic, maybe you shouldn't be driving. How about a ''Right Turn With Caution'' sign?
Here's hoping you can help.
Mardi Gauer
Springfield Township
Mardi: I can't help. But Mr. Gasper could.
If you didn't read the first item, Gasper is the guy who keeps doing all this stupid stuff to try to make our lives miserable. But he claims he has ulterior motives.
''We installed the 'No Turn on Red' signs at Main and Market due to the heavy pedestrian volumes at this intersection,'' he says.
''There have been two pedestrian/vehicle accidents in recent years, both caused by cars turning into pedestrians.''
Guess we just need some tougher pedestrians.
A lot on your plate
Tired of being forced to carry advertisements for your state?
In Ohio, it's ''Birthplace of Aviation.'' Not to be confused with North Carolina's ''First in Flight.''
Well, some enterprising soul is selling customized slogan stickers for your license plate. Not license-plate brackets, mind you, but stickers that go right on the plate.
The seller shows an Ohio plate that reads, ''The Pothole State.''
Finally, some truth in advertising.
Bob Dyer's Streets column appears each Friday. He can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
Ask and ye shall receive.
Get the full article here.
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