I don't start til Nov. 1st

So after an early snow fall the major cities in this province and needless to say the Highways department are not cut off guard but just inept in thinking Mother Nature is going to wait until Nov. 1st before she delivers the first major snow fall of the autumn season.  What kind of bureaucracy do we put up with in this Province.  Even though the warnings were days in advance that the lovely white stuff was coming it appears our governments disregarded the need for swift action.  Didn't these folk get the sense from last years blizzard that the public as a whole want immediate action when these storms happen, not wait 4 days to hopefully have the sun melt the roadways back to good driving conditions.  Just the mere number of accidents that occurred in one day surely would pay for the additional expenditure on sanding crews.   Maybe they were just relying on the grime that has been left on the streets all summer to add some grit to the roads.  Time to put away the street cleaners and bring out the plows.

Let it Snow Let it Snow

Well on the first day of snow it was nice to see the city out with some preventative measures for easing us into the winter season. NOT!!! why is it that even though the warnings are there days before hand we were going to get hit with this snow fall.  City crews couldn't be ready to help.  Yes many of the major roadways are slush however it is the side streets in the neighborhoods that need assistance.  On many of these roads traffic is going to slow to help with heating it up enough to remove or melt the snow.  After last years screw-ups you would think that extra million bucks they took from us in taxes would go to being ready for the upcoming season.  Sure it is only a small storm that will last a couple of days but the number of fender benders that will be reported today and tomorrow would more than pay to have some precautionary measures. 

Heritage is not an Absolute

In yesterday's StarPhoenix  (Oct 18, 2010, A8) James D. Winkel attempts to expound the virtues of saving our heritage.  He beings his comments on the basis there are only two points of view regarding saving the bridge.  Keep it or Tear it down.  Then he enters into a lecture on how historical significance must be considered equal to the structural integrity of the bridge itself.  Yet another opinion that expresses an "at whatever the cost" attitude.  And today the Star publishes the results of an Insightrix poll with the slant that people are still divided on what should happen because only 43% want a new flat bridge while 40% want a steel bridge.  Why can't these people get the reporting right.  The way I add it up 43% want a concrete structure, 20% want a steel truss replica and 13% want a signature bridge.  This adds up to 76% respondents saying NO to keeping the original bridge. This is a huge majority that don't want to keep the existing structure and should be the catalyst in stopping all the nonsense of keeping a piece of garbage as a part of our road system.  As to the thought of turning it over to pedestrians and cyclists was overwhelming 80% against that notion.  I plead to the powers that be that they view the information correctly. 

As for the results of the open houses and the information the city receives at these staged events I wouldn't trust one iota of the comments as representing an overall view of the city.  But maybe the one number that should be trusted  is the percentage or residence that come out to these set-ups.  I would hesitate to think it would be less that 1% of the population of Saskatoon.  Not exactly an endorsement of the process.

The only answer now should be options as where the next "NEW" bridge should be placed.  Sorry Nutana your bridge may not be the most important to our ever expanding traffic system.

Making it thru the Long Weekend

Driving some of Saskatchewan's highways this weekend was again a joy.  It is interesting how traffic flows when their are huge numbers of vehicles on divided highways.  I like many others Saturday went from Saskatoon to Regina and back for the Rider game.  #%^!%$@%$# ok enough of that, back to my observations.  Leaving Saskatoon around 10:30am I was greeted by hundreds of others doing the same but what was amazing is for the most part the traffic was exceeding the posted speed limit by 15-20 km/hr.  Usually you might see a couple, but for this weekend it was almost every vehicle.  Sure there were still the "not 1 km over" people.  But those traveling 130-140 and even 155km/hr (I won't admit where I was in that) out numbered the legal limit.  Even the 120 crowd that is prevalent on this roadway, were few and far between. All this and the only sighting of a Mountie was around Craik (they are famous for speed control)   I'm curious as to why our Province continues to use an arbitrarily derived speed limit on this roadway.  I haven't heard of any major accidents being caused by the excessive speeds traveled this weekend on that highway.  And surely the number of vehicles per hr were dramatically increased over the norm.  Isn't it time that the traffic act catch up to the technology and construction of the vehicles using this highway.  I haven't checked but I think the 110 mark was brought in a couple of years ago because the norm had changed in driving habits which showed the 100 wasn't being obeyed by the majority of drivers.  If today's traffic is now at the 120k mark shouldn't the posted limit be adjusted to reflect the norm?  Getting from Saskatoon to Regina in 1:30 would make the trip more enjoyable and as was shown this weekend no more dangerous. 

Now a rant on those "your speeding and I'm going to stop you from doing it" folk that insist on driving in the left lane blocking traffic.  I witnessed at least 5 of these people each and everyone of them flexing their muscles and increasing the potential of an accident.  I always thought that one should be aware of their surroundings and adjust as a good defensive driver.  Driving in the left lane without any regard to what is happening around you is just stupid and dangerous.  I will drive in the left lane many times given the condition of parts of this road but I am continually checking my mirrors for traffic behind.  Even if I decide to exceed the limit by a km or 2 I am aware there maybe someone moving faster.  If the Mounties want to make our roads safer they should get out and ticket these people as their actions are far more dangerous then the person traveling a mere 10 or 20 kms over the limit. 

Riding the Rails or is it Reeling about the ride?

I have watched for days now the amount of road work that is getting done around the city with this great weather.  It truly is a blessing, however I am not sure why eighth street continues to have it's problems.  Yet again this major roadway is down to two lanes heading east.  Here it is a long weekend and one that many of us will be wanting to enjoy by getting out in the warm weather.  I wonder how many of the construction zones will be empty of workers but still have lanes blocked off or detours around them?  Ah and the "traffic division" is going to be out in full force this weekend.  What do they just work part time the rest of the week? I went through a school zone on Clarence Ave. today (one where it abuts a school that over 90% of the students ride the school bus .  Here the cops sit waiting for unsuspecting drivers to ticket.  Now I don't see a problem with enforcement but really I think it is all about the money.  Pick a school where there is an actual threat of a child getting hit.  I could name many. There is an upside though, with already the highest number of speeding/cellphone infractions we have ever seen the city coppers should be flush oops I mean coffers when it comes time to build that ivory tower of a new station they are looking for.

Have a great weekend and as always get home safe.

Road Work Now Screws-up UofS

So today I had the opportunity to drive into the University of Saskatchewan and if people have a problem getting out of Nutana with all the road work going on they should try to navigate the Uof S.  Apparently one should not want to drive from one end of the university to the other without needing to make a u-turn.  I came across a totally blocked road in front of the Diefenbaker Center after traveling across the Uof S and wondered why wasn't I warned of this impassable roadway .  Upon asking about signage from those standing around (saying they were working would be a stretch) I was told they have it up.  So making my way back to the start of my trek I found a small white sign (approx 1'x2') indicating the road closure.  WTF I thought road closure signs should be bright orange with big black letters??? I guess not on the Uof S.  What amazes me is that this is the only road you can travel to get from one side to the other inside the grounds.  I now know what to do with the Traffic Bridge!!!