This city needs street smarts

What is wrong with people? Suddenly nobody knows how to drive. Especially when they get to Stravanger - Aberdeen Drives.

Every time I drive by a collision in that shopping area, I just shake my head. Traffic is always a mess there but what rots me the most is, it is so easy to fix!

Dennis O'Keefe! Here is some free advice that will get you elected again and again for the next fifty years!

NO LEFT TURNS ON STRAVANGER DRIVE or ABERDEEN DRIVE!!!! RIGHT TURNS ONLY!!!

See easy.

I hear what you are saying, "People will do it anyway and cause accidents!" I know. You make it idiot proof and the world makes better idiots. So, put in a concrete barrier to stop people from turning left. I am sure the insurance companies will pay for it. Look at all the money they will save instead of having to pay out thousands for fender-benders and whiplash.

Oh, I know what you are thinking, "I need to go to Costco, so I have to turn left when I leave Tim Horton's." No, you do not. Turn right. Turn left at the lights by Boston Pizza follow Stravanger Drive around the loop and you will end up next to Walmart. You don't need to turn left. Even better, other cities have U-turn lanes at intersections.

Also, put service road connections between the stores. So, when I leave Reitmans I can drive across the parking lot and go to Dominion. I should not have to drive onto Stravanger and join the gridlock there. Service roads! They are cheap and easy to install.

While I am at it. Let me fix Torbay Road for you too.

If you hit Torbay Road between Major's Path and Stravanger during morning rush, lunch time or at five o'clock, you are in for a good twenty-minute wait. Unless there is a fender-bender then you can cancel your plans for the day.

Once again, easy solution.

The traffic lights at the Torbay Road - Major's Path intersection is not in sync with the traffic lights at the Torbay Road - Stravanger Drive intersection. So even if the light is green by Major's Path, you cannot move because traffic is backed up due to the red light at Stravanger Drive.

If one car comes down Major's Path, the lights turn red at that intersection and five hundred cars on Torbay Road are grid locked.

Here is the solution. The traffic lights at Major's Path and Stavanger Drive must be in sync. The lights should stay green for a full ten minutes to let the traffic flow to Torbay and Stravanger Drive. By that time there will be a line up on Major's Path turning left. Then they can go through when their light turns green.

I can hear your protests. "So, what about when I drive by at ten o'clock at night? I'll have to wait for ten minutes for the light to change!"

No, you don't!

The traffic lights can be put on a timer. The ten-minute lights will only happen between 7:00 - 9:00 AM, 11:00 - 2:00 PM and 4:00 - 6:00 PM. The rest of the day they will operate as normal.

These are simple solutions that cost next to nothing and will save a lot of frustration for people. The city of St. John's needs some street smarts.

It just makes sense.

I have had a lot of time to think about it. I wrote this entire blog sitting in Tim Horton's parking lot waiting for the idiot in front of me to turn left on a Saturday afternoon. I hope when he gets to Costco, he finds out Tim's gave him my coffee with one sweetener and two milk because I just realized I have his coffee with four sugar and four cream!

Tim Horton's, I feel another blog coming on!!!