Thank Rob Perry and Shane Bower! (And Kamal Johnson, Of Course!)

Yesterday in the later afternoon, over the course of just 6 or 7 traffic light changes at 3rd & Warren, I observed three lines of stopped cars headed south on 3rd Street so backed up from the 30 second red light at Union that the final car in line was forced to stop on the crosswalk between the southeast and southwest corners at Warren.  The silver car shown above had to have been stopped on the crosswalk for at least ten seconds with 10 or 11 cars ahead of it and while pedestrians had the right of way to use the crosswalk.  Just 6 or 7 of the cars in line eventually made it past the green light at Union that lasts just 20 seconds.  The remaining 4 or 5 cars at the back of the line that did not make it past Union formed a new line and, of course, more cars got in line behind them, all waiting for another 30 second red light that should only last 20 seconds.  I didn't see any trucks or tractor trailers, but that would have made things a lot more interesting.  

This unwelcome and dangerous situation is becoming more and more common.  Of course, like most of the trucks and tractor trailers found on the truck route portion of 3rd Street, plenty of cars are passing through town without their drivers stopping to visit or spend money downtown.  There must be hundreds of vehicles daily -- if not thousands -- coming from Fairview Avenue and from Route 23B that make their way to South 3rd Street -- either via State or Columbia -- and directly out of town.

The other few lines of waiting cars I observed on South 3rd that did not reach as far as the crosswalk at Warren were shy by just a car or two, with 8 or 9, maybe 10, cars waiting for a 30 second red fucking light so that a 20 second green light might allow them to advance a few hundred feet to the next traffic light with the same short green light and long red light so that they might get the hell out of town and on with their journey and life.

Yes, the green light at Allen also only lasts 20 seconds, its red also lasting a ridiculous 30 seconds. Of course, vehicles that congest in the block between Union and Allen compound the congestion behind them between Warren & Union. What we have is a dangerous but easily preventable two block shitshow, all thanks to DPW Superintendent Rob Perry and our so-called Police Commissioner, Shane No Show Bower.

 A not too uncommon sight and situation of late.   

You see, a few years ago at a council meeting, I asked Rob Perry why the two traffic lights on South 3rd had 30 second red lights and 20 second green lights, and why it wasn't the other way around as all other intersections with traffic lights along the truck route are timed.  Perry responded that a few years prior he had flipped the timing for the green and red lights on South 3rd because too many drivers were racing to "beat the red lights from State to Allen."   

Then there's this.  The green lights for Union and Allen traffic at South 3rd Street last 30 seconds, while the red lights last just 20 seconds, just the opposite of what drivers contend with on South 3rd, a main artery in and out of town, part of the truck route, and a much busier street than either Union or, especially, Allen.  Getting thousands of vehicles in and out town safely, quickly and efficiently along South 3rd is less important than keeping Allen and Union from being congested with "traffic" that barely exists. 

Doesn't this make all the sense in the world?  Is our DPW Superintendent a genius, or what?  

However, according to the city code, the DPW Superintendent has no authority to make decisions about traffic control devices, including signs and traffic lights.  As Rob Perry stated at the same meeting, "We're in the pick it up and put it in the ground business."  Only the Police Commissioner has the authority to make decisions about traffic control devices, including modifying traffic light timing.  Doesn't that make all the sense in the world, too?  Oh, sure, Shane Bower really cares about vehicle congestion on South 3rd Street that resembles downtown Manhattan.  Shane Bower really cares if a line of 12 or 13 cars stretching for an entire block are forced to wait in line for two traffic lights as they head out of town!  Shane Bower really cares if a driver gets so fed up with spending 5 minutes on South 3rd between Warren and Allen that they blow past the red light at Allen to finally get the fuck out of Hudson.  Shane Bower really cares about a car or truck blocking a pedestrian crosswalk for ten seconds while waiting at the end of a line of twelve cars waiting at a red light that last 30 seconds. Shane Bower cares so much about this issue that he never shows up to Informal Council meetings to explain anything about what he has been up to as our traffic guru and police commissioner.   Why would he bother if he doesn't have to?  Plus, Rob Perry is taking care of the traffic light timing on the truck route, making sure that things are running as smoothly and safely as possible here in Hudson (where No Show Bower does not live).

Auto congestion brings lung congestion, all of it completely 
 unnecessary and avoidable.  The message is clear:
Rob Perry and Shane Bower don't care if we all 
die of either lung or brain cancer.