Hello to September, Friday, 12:30pm
I just returned from picking up a sandwich at Doughboy' s Deli on Bridge
Street, just past Brown Street. I parked my truck in the parking area
across from the sweeping uphill curve of Bridge Street, before the Lincoln
Street intersection.
12:20 pm, Friday Sept. 1. When I pulled out of the parking area and turned
Left up Bridge Street, I first saw two boys on bicycles leaving the
driveway of the large house at Lincoln Street and shakily riding up hill on
the Left-hand sidewalk of Bridge Street. Two were on a kind of small
mountain bicycles and had helmets on. I was first in line heading UP Bridge
Street. Intuition told me they wanted to cross Bridge Street somewhere. One
rode across, while the second hesitated while turning his head to his Right
to look at me. I activated my 4 Way Flashers and stopped. At that point, a
3rd Tall Boy, without a helmet shakily pedaling a regular type bicycle
headed up the Left hand Sidewalk from the same driveway. At that same
instant, a line of 6 - 7 Cars started coming down Bridge Street, too darn
Fast in my mind and they were NOT Stopping. I AM still stopped on the
Right hand Lane with 4 Way Flashers on. A man came running up the Left hand
Side walk shouting in a foreign language. I Laid on my Horn - and the
downhill traffic finally stopped. The tall black boy then rode across
Bridge Street to the Right side to join his two friends.
One other observation. At noontime as I saw just now, traffic quickly backs
up on Brown Street, coming to the Intersection with Bridge Street. With the
old Bridge' s location, someone at that intersection, wanting to turn LEFT
onto Bridge Street, had a clear unobstructed line of sight of oncoming
traffic moving across the Bridge.
Now, with the Sharp Curve on the new Bridge, drivers wanting to turn LEFT
from Brown to Bridge Street, DO NOT have a clear line of sight at oncoming
traffic on the new Bridge Street. This leads to impatient and frustrated
Drivers waiting to turn LEFT from Brown Street. Squealing Tires have been
seen and heard by this writer there. At afternoon rush, workers parked at
an angle across the Intersection on Bridge Street, facing the Building will
start backing up into Bridge Street traffic coming downhill.
I ask: Does The City have any plans for the traffic and possibly, initially
unfamiliar drivers who are expected to arrive at their new workplace:
Maine Medical Center's new, to them, Offices at Bridge Street and Dana
Court ?? Maybe arrangements could be made to have an agreed number of
employees meet with City officials and WPD Officers at staggered times on
Weekdays to participate in a Traffic Orientation Program, with enough days
for having ALL the employees participate in the Traffic Orientation.
Before Winter arrives.
Dennis Marrotte
