The new diet appears to have worked so effectively this morning during the drop off rush that more people than normal felt it safe to cross at Sonn Drive – traffic was at a virtual standstill and people could weave between the cars without problem. The other interesting effect was the attempt by more than a few cars to “get ahead” by staying the right hand lane up to and past the Osborn driveway entrance. People following the new traffic patterns were far too polite and let these folks in. Maybe a police presence providing “coaching” on the right lanes for a few days would help.

Oh, and one other joyful note. The city has still not re-painted the cross walk of Old Post Road over the Playland Access Parkway. Given all the money spent this summer on sidewalks (thank you), curbing, and road painting, it seemed like a sure bet that the safety of kids getting to Osborn from the Indian Village side of town would have been increased with a little paint. Wouldn’t have cost much. Maybe someone will get this done “real soon”.

Bob,

Given this new traffic pattern is just that – “NEW”, maybe the drivers passed the right turn only lane entrance point accidentally. I don’t doubt that there will be days that selfishness will take place and this will occur, for now everyone should get the benefit of doubt!

You say that “people were far too polite” “and let these folks in”…that’s the problem around here……
NOT ENOUGH POLITENESS OR COURTESY!!!

“traffic was at a virtual standstill and people could weave between the cars without problem”.

When you refer to “people” do you mean just parents, parents with “children” or just “children”???

Aren’t we suppose to be teaching the children to use the crosswalks? These are children raging in age from 5-11, and we are teaching them to cross a very busy street by “weaving thru traffic”????

The diet is only on the southbound side, correct?
Don’t these parents & children still have to cross the northbound lanes to get to the “virtual standstill”???

What happens if someones foot “accidentally” comes off the brake pedal while “people” are “weaving” thru traffic???

Sorry, but Sonn Dr./BPR is not a safe place to cross and it should never get a crosswalk, especially when you have a Crosswalk w/a Crossing Guard right there at Osborn Rd.

Teaching convenience before safety is a recipe for disaster!!!

Jim – Maybe my comments were too tongue in cheek. I do not endorse crossing at Sonn Drive (although I must admit to having done it myself in the past). The “people” crossing were a mixture of parents and children, some (children, not parents!) in strollers, most walking.
I support walking, but had hoped – as did others – that the changes made by the City (thank you City Council) would increase the volume of pedestrians crossing at the intersection of BPR and Oakland Beach/Osborn Road. Widening of the landing at BPR/Oakland beach, narrowing of the road to direct northbound traffic away from the sidewalk and create more buffer space were intended to address safety fears of some potential walking parents. While it may take time – and some educational reinforcement of both pedestrians and drivers – yesterday’s results seemed mixed. Slower traffic – yeah! Pedestrians crossing “at the light, not in between” – booh! The convenience of cutting through “virtually stopped traffic” seemed irresistible yesterday to too many.

City Council caved into Franklin Ave/Sonn Dr. self-entitled Osborn School newbies who complained about the BPR east side pedestrian sidewalk diffential to the road curb.
City spent precious capital dollars for one neighborhood
with the road diet improvement between Sonn and Oakland Beach and the Franklin /Sonn residents are still breaking the law.
The Deputy Mayor should suggest changing the Safe Routes to School Committee to Safe Routes to My Best Friend’s School Committee. DM Keith’s best friend was one of biggest Sonn Drive complainers.

Garnet Graduate –

Don’t you think it’s more accurate to state that the city council FINALLY listened to the Osborn community’s concerns regarding the dangerously close sidewalk to the speeding traffic on the BPR? Isn’t it great to have a RESPONSIVE and RESPONSIBLE city government after so many years of hearing “we’ll send it to a committee to review our options”, then never hearing any updates?
And the city spent money not just for this project, but for other areas around town as well, all aimed at making the city safer for pedestrians.
Don’t you think that’s money well spent, or would you rather see more children getting hit by autos?

Garnet Graduate,
Best friend, enemy, acquaintance, or what have you….
WHO CARES!
It needed to be done and everyone is safer for it!

It’s a shame I wasn’t Steve Otis’s “best friend”, maybe the children getting hit by cars at Midland/Palisade would have stopped w/Jarrid!!!

Maybe you should join the fight for safer streets instead of knocking those who care and those who are making a difference!!

Fair is fair. Biking to Osborn yesterday and today, the traffic pattern was much “cleaner” than on “opening day”. Didn’t really see a material back up of vehicles and the vehicles moving south on BPR seemed to have learned the new traffic pattern. I also saw what might have been a larger number of pedestrians “taking the long way” to the school by walking up to and crossing at Oakland Beach instead of jaywalking at Sonn. That said, there continue to be (who really would have expected otherwise) a pile of people crossing with their kids at Sonn.

One engineering note – the curb cuts at Sonn and BPR appear to have been made facing out into BPR. This would seem to force people using the “ramps” to walk out into BPR. Better would have been to have the curb cuts directly on to Sonn and facing each other. Not sure what it would cost money to fix this mistake, but it is a mistake.

Bob,
It’s amazing how individuals will put themselves, their children and others in harms way for the sake of CONVENIENCE!!!!

It is bad enough the parents are crossing there, but to include their CHILDREN is SELFISH and PATHETIC!!!

ABSOLUTELY FREAKING AMAZING!!!

Yesterday I was a passenger in a friends car and we stopped at my bank(capital one) on Purchase, I always use the rear entrance and parking lot.

Some idiot thought it was okay to enter the lot from Elm St. If that wasn’t bad enough then he floored it to get into a space because he was in a rush.
Then leaving there some woman decides to JWALK at the intersections of purdy/purchase and had the nerve to educate us on the law of a CROSSWALK!!!!

I guess some people need a tragedy to actually happen to them DIRECTLY as a WAKE UP CALL!!!