TRAFFIC: Just have to laugh

Someone should ask questions of both the contractor(s) and whichever government office(s) are overseeing the U.S. 95 intersections undergoing modifications.

West Kathleen is at least a three-light change intersection heading both east and west. It has been a mess for weeks, maybe a month. Did they consider lengthening the east-west light cycle when they took a lane away in both directions? Does the controlling agency for the intersection even use lane traffiic sensors to shorten/lengthen/skip light cycles? (That’s another story in itself. You ever try to find the right agency for reporting a broken light cycle at a specific intersection?)

Thursday afternoon eastbound around 1430 it took only two cycles, but I was leaving the Toyota dealership and someone let me in. Three cycles to get across Government Way. If it’s too late to help the traffic flow at Kathleen, could the controller authorities help those intersections further north?

I did have a good laugh at my rearview mirror while I was waiting just east of the Home Depot entrance. A car westbound hopped into the center lane, trying to turn left into Home Depot. At the same time, a large pickup truck eastbound with left signal going jumped into the center lane, apparently trying to reach the left turn lane at Government.

They both stopped. The car driver eventually pulled to her left and the truck suddenly found a break in traffic and headed north on Crown Avenue. For maybe 30 seconds, though, they were face to face, getting closer and closer. I really did laugh out loud.

DAVE LANDIS

Coeur d’Alene