Common Sense?

I heard the rumble through town when we reported a serious vehicle accident near the Super Wal-Mart this week.

I remember when the Supercenter was built. And I remember thinking, why are they leaving the traffic lights at the Market Avenue crossroad, in front of Five Brothers, and not moving them to where the traffic is going to be….in front of the new and more spacious Wal-Mart?

No higher level thinking there. The lights were put at Market because Wal-Mart was at Market. Now Wal-Mart is at Commerce. Logic dictates that the lights move. But logic doesn’t always prevail with the Illinois Department of Transportation. Or the Illinois Department of Anything.

I can attest, in this week’s accident, traffic lights probably would not have prevented the collision.

But come on, O’Reilly’s is about to open. The intersection has the bank, a few popular restaurants and other businesses that generate plenty of traffic.

I’ve been going east bound when some yahoo tried to zip across from Commerce in front of me. It’s dangerous.

And it happens all the time.

So, why does the state keep and maintain stoplights a quarter mile from where they are needed?

I have actually asked an IDOT traffic operations expert. He’s getting back to me. If and when he does, I’ll report back.

I want to know the parameters for installing traffic lights.

I suspect they are going to tell me there isn’t enough traffic at Commerce. To that, I’d say, there’s twice as much there than there  is at Market, and Market has traffic lights.

One thing I’m willing to bet.

Common sense will not be one of the parameters.