Friday, May 23, 2008

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.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There is plenty of money in the budget to buy books. The school board needs to make choices and they made the wrong choice for the students. They would rather spend the funds on air conditioned schools and non education related expenses. Not buying books is a headline grabber. It is time for a change.