The difference between a Y and a T

It's about a million bucks, probably.

That's likely what the city will spend to convert the current "Y" intersection to a "T" at the intersection of Farm Hill Road and Russell Street in Middletown.

I don't claim to have great knowledge of why a "Y" is better than a "T," but urban planning expert, Middletown resident, and Planning and Zoning Commissioner Catherine Johnson does. She says the "Y" promotes and preserves the character of the neighborhood, and the flow of traffic. The "T" proponents say it increases safety (though offer very little evidence as to how).

Driving down Farm Hill, it becomes evident that the road definitely needs repair and resurfacing, and whether it really needs complete re-doing, at a time of great fiscal austerity, is another question.

Johnson proposes a solution which will narrow the roadway, preserve the "Y" and likely cost less. For a bit more, she proposes that the roadway could become a model "green" intersection.

Before anyone in town spends money these days, it's important to understand that we're not buying books for our schoolchildren because we don't have enough money in the budget.