To the editor:
I would like to comment on the article titled “Progress,” in the Aug. 30 edition of the Daily Journal, about the so called east-west corridor. The route itself is inadvisable, with all the corners, switchbacks, school zones and large churches, but that has already been addressed and ignored.
What I want to discuss is the new section written about in the story.
It is compared to a section of Whiteland Road that has been similarly constructed and divided with a two-way street with roundabouts. Having experienced this road since its opening this is what I have noticed: Although roundabouts do increase traffic flow, you can expect a large increase in the number of accidents at those intersections. The argument is that they will be less severe in nature, but with today’s cars, with their plastic bumpers and air bags, there is no such thing as a minor fender bender. All accidents are expensive.
About the divided highway: What do you do when you’re behind a slow-moving vehicle or a vehicle making frequent stops, such as a mail carrier or garbage truck? You’re just stuck. And more importantly, what if you are in front of an emergency vehicle? Where do you go? You can’t pull over to the curb and you cant stop. I suppose you could outrun them, but that would be frowned upon also.
The primary reason for a road is to enable a person to get from one place to another, not to provide a long skinny shopping center. Local government seems to have lost this vision. They have a picked a route that passes the largest amount of commercial property and discouraged the use of other routes by using unreasonably slow speed limits and unwarranted four-way stops.Â
Randy Stoughton
Bargersville
