Everyday we're reading about more fatalities, especially with motorized two wheel vehicles. Students of this blog know that I take a weekly cruise down Tilghman to 2nd, and then back up Linden to the stadium area. Whenever I post about these patrols, I always mention the wheelies, double parking, driving in the wrong lane and utter disregard for lawful driving.
Everybody sees these things, and everybody knows that the police have been standing down on enforcement. Mayor Tuerk and Chief Roca have to take some blame for the current consequences.
A traffic crackdown is long overdue. When I say the administration has to take some blame, I'm being polite, they own most of it. City Council has to speak out. School starts soon, and children should be able to safely cross streets. Pee Wee shown above on his bike is cute, but that's not the reality we're dealing with.
Driving is no longer a pleasure but an exercise in defensive driving. The speeding, tailgating, aggressive lane changes and accidents seem to be at an all time high. There appears to be a lot of stress and inattentiveness on the roads. A recipe for more damage and increased insurance rates, not to mention death.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a dollar for every driver I see with their eyes on their phones as they drive through Allentown.
DeleteI also wish I had a dollar for every pedestrian I’ve seen crossing the road with their heads buried in the phones.
Off topic, but the city’s been working hard on basic maintenance at the UT amphitheater the last few days. The “riparian buffer” near the Union Street bridge has been mowed over, and the weed walls along the creek have been trimmed back nicely to allow for an unobstructed view of the creek.
ReplyDeleteThat can only mean that it’s time for another ArtsQuest-sponsored concert tonight.
It’s funny how things get done right when trying to impress out-of-towners, but don’t get done when it’s primarily just for city residents.
They might not be saying it out loud, but through their actions City Hall is telling residents what it thinks of them. Maybe it’s time we listen.
All my out of town friends who come to visit immediatley notice the insanity of the drivers in A-town as soon as they cross the border. In truth, I recall this happening 30 years ago when I'd drive to work here, locking up my motorcycle at least once a week from drivers pulling out as if I was invisible. It is a great city to learn defensive driving, ergo, if you've got the right of way, make sure no one is flying thru a stop sign / red light etc.
ReplyDeleteThe real changes that I've seen since I've lived here came after covid. I believe that is when the police started standing down whether instructed to because of fear of infection or not. From observation since that time I've seen that the music started blasting louder right along with the car pipes and dirt bike / 4 wheelin mob cruising and of course drivers who think red lights/ stop signs are just a suggestion.. Guess it's just the new normal for Allentown from now on.
You are completely spot on. When are more people going to speak out?
ReplyDeleteThe noise problem is linked to this. I avoid going to Allentown because stop signs and red lights mean nothing in the city.
ReplyDeleteIt’s bad everywhere but worse in the Queen City.