Eureka Mulls Traffic Problems

Looks like some on the Eureka City Council are considering forming yet another committee- a Transportation Management Committee. This one will deal with traffic problems in Eureka. I have to wonder if Eureka has traffic problems unique to itself or do we have the same problems every other town does?

No mention of any specific cures for any problems but I'm sure planting trees along the streets will be one suggestion, as always. They claim trees alongside streets slow drivers down. They probably do, since they limit driver's visibility. Not sure I like the trade off.

I suppose my own pet peeves regarding traffic are just like most everyone elses:

I certainly don't like people racing down the street as fast as they think they can get away with.

The thing that sticks in my mind probably more than anything else, though, are pedestrian vs. vehicle conflicts. I know I'm not the only one and, just by chance, a letter to the editor today in the Eureka Reporter takes the words right out of my mouth. Well said, Trish Palmer. You beat me to the punch.

First, you have the problem of pedestrians who only look once, if they look at all, before crossing the street. I see that all over town. Henderson Center's usually a good place to see that happen. Not a good way to walk.

Then, as Trish mentions, you have the drivers that want to be nice and stop for someone standing at a crosswalk. No one else stops, thus creating a dangerous situation.

I saw that happen the other day on H Street in Eureka. Driver in the right lane stops for three adult males waiting at the crosswalk. Nobody in the two lanes to the left stops. If the three guys would have been like so many other people crossing streets in Eureka, they wouldn't have looked and might have gotten hit by the cars that didn't stop.

As it was, they were attentive and waited for the cars to pass before crossing the street, something they could well have done without the nice driver stopping to let them cross.

Ms. Palmer also mentions the accident that occured when a similar nice driver stopped for a pedestrian causing a rear end collision. I believe there were more than two vehicles involved in that one. A nice driver stops for a pedestrian. Another driver, not noticing or expecting the nice driver to stop, ends up slamming into nice driver from behind.

Well, at least she was being nice.

Nice drivers can pat themselves on the back for being nice but, as far as I'm concerned, they should let the pedestrians find their own way across the street, not create a potentially dangerous situation for everyone involved by stopping at the crosswalk.

When I cross the street, I don't want cars to stop for me. I wait for an opening and then go. It's safer for everyone that way.

I don't know how a Transportation Management Committee could address the problem of pedestrain vs. vehicle conflicts.