The dangers of Grant Avenue
I was distressed to read a recent letter writer’s opinion that the biggest cause of accidents on Grant Avenue is “lack of depth perception in some older drivers.”
To the contrary, I firmly believe the main problems are due to drivers, of any age, on Grant Avenue turning onto Roosevelt Boulevard who insist on only turning into the inside lanes, rather than moving up farther to turn into the outside lanes. They are backing up all the drivers behind them, who in turn then block drivers in the opposite direction on Grant also trying to turn onto the Boulevard. This creates both directions being in a total standstill, with no one being able to turn at all.
There are many crossovers on the Boulevard where a driver on the outside lanes can soon transfer to the inside lanes. And of course, a lot of accidents come from speeding drivers, of any age, trying to beat the light, but instead get caught in the middle as the light changes to enable drivers on the Boulevard to make a left turn onto either direction of Grant Avenue.
Long ago, PennDOT experimented with that intersection by first having one direction of Grant Avenue traffic have the right of way to go straight or to make a turn onto the Boulevard. After they got a red light, then the other direction of Grant Avenue got their right of way to do the same in the opposite direction. I felt that this solution was much safer, both for drivers and for pedestrians. But unfortunately, the experiment ended and the traffic signals went back to the dangerous way that they were before and still remain.
I assume the experiment failed due to drivers being upset that they had to sit at their red light for an extra two minutes. I’ll never understand why people are so impatient when they drive, which is much more of a danger than anyone’s lack of depth perception. I’m glad that I am no longer a longtime resident who lived within a block of that dangerous intersection.
Gail McSorley
Rhawnhurst
Fix our school funding
It’s called a tax increase and it won’t produce quality education or reduce school violence.
We have had three real estate tax increases where 56 percent of the funding goes to schools, a temporary 10 percent tax on alcohol sales, stimulus money and actual valuation of vacation homes, etc.
Jerry Jordan, school union president, doesn’t feel teachers should contribute to health care, while retirees receiving Social Security pay for Medicare and supplemental insurance plans. Former school superintendent and finance director Arlene Ackerman and Michael Maisch couldn’t explain where the money came from or where it went.
What school activists want is a permanent source of funding, like un-metered water from a faucet, which will come from our pockets, and that is insane.
There is a solution. Appoint Chaka Fattah as finance director and the money would roll in with zero accounting and responsibility while only quality people get appointments.
Michael E. Hartey
Burholme
Kudos to Ed Morrone
Kudos to the Northeast Times sports editor Ed Morrone’s recent appearances on The Comcast Network’s High School Sports Show.
Your acumen on all high school sports in the Northeast and all of the Philadelphia area makes you sound like you’ve been a sports broadcaster for years.
Love reading your articles. You make me feel like I’m in the locker room with the coaches and players.
Your paper should be proud of the way you bring sports knowledge to the television screen. Keep up the great work!
Rich Friedman
Torresdale
