[RP TownTalk] Traffic, trains, etc.

[Sue Collins]

It might be bad trying to drive around town but guaranteed it's not any easier for us full-time pedestrians.  Has anyone ever tried to cross Queensbury Road at Lafayette during the morning rush?  Lots of luck.  About the only time you CAN get across the street is if there's a train coming by and traffic is completely stopped.  

Stop sign runners; we might as well not even have stop signs on Lafayette; I walk home from work every evening and coming down Lafayette, people just blow right on past the stop signs; and that's including commercial vehicles, not just private cars.  Red lights at Rt. 1 and Queensbury?  Ha!  I try to cross at the crosswalk w/ the walk signal and red light; if it's inclement weather or dark, I carry a lit flashlight so drivers can see me.  But it never fails, I'll be in the crosswalk and people come right through the red light, almost hitting me.  In fact, many of them flip ME the finger for being in the crosswalk!  Sigh....  

And as for blocking the intersection at Rt. 1 and Queensbury, that seems to be "driving as the norm."  It's gotten to where I'm surprised if I see drivers NOT blocking the intersection.

Now as for trains; as other posters have noted, the trains were here long before any of us, people need to realize if you move in near a railroad track, it's like moving near BWI; quite simply put, you will have noise.  And my apartment is right at the tracks, near the bridge and crossing so, yes, I know what the horns are like.  

The new train crossing barriers seem to help a bit when it comes to drivers crossing the tracks when the lights start flashing but needless to say, there's still a lot of them that just drive merrily across.  Or, if the lights aren't flashing and the traffic to Route 1 is backed up to the tracks, I've seen lots of drivers, instead of waiting for traffic to clear so they can cross the tracks safely, sitting ON the tracks. If one of those fast freights come along, that could be very interesting.  

One more thing about the train tracks; they are NOT for people to use as their own private jogging/walking trails (I've seen this quite frequently); and people who are at the station with their kids to watch trains should not let the little ones play on the tracks at all; a lot of people might not believe it, but a train can come of out nowhere and be on top of you very quickly.  

Thanks for letting me have my say; as they used to say on Hill Street Blues, "Let's Be Careful Out There."