Tuesday, October 05, 1999
Signs to drivers: Don't block
BY TANYA ALBERT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Rush-hour traffic cruises through the intersection of Fourth and Plum streets Monday.
(Josh Biggs photos)
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Drivers who block the intersection when their green light changes to red are being asked nicely to stop. If that doesn't work, they could face a not-so-nice $76 ticket.
The Fort Washington Way closing and the Reds' playoff bid have added drivers to Cincinnati's downtown rush hour. And next week, Tall Stacks '99 is expected to draw another million-plus people to the riverfront.
So, city engineers are trying to keep traffic moving.
Thirty-eight black-on-white “DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION” signs went up last month on traffic light poles at 18 intersections in the central business district.
“Anytime between 5 and 5:30, you can't make it through the light,” officer worker Peter Weickgenannt of Villa Hills said as he pointed to the corner of Fifth and Walnut streets. “Friday night it was blocked with cars, and a bus was hanging out in the intersection.”
The problem is drivers who pull into the intersection when other cars are already stopped there. The light changes, they are stuck and so is the cross traffic. Then, no one moves.
It cost $3,600 to put the signs up. Now, the city, after a request by Councilman Jim Tarbell, is looking into whether it's worth having police ticket drivers who block intersections.
“Before we got out and had a heavy-handed enforcement, we put the signs up to remind drivers of the risk of getting a ticket,” said Steve Bailey, Cincinnati traffic engineer. “This is more an effort to request cooperation.”
The city of Cincinnati has not done a traffic count on the impact of closing the Fort Washington Way exits last year for construction. “But there's been an increase,” said Steve Bailey, Cincinnati traffic engineer.
Some commuters say writing tickets may be the only way to get drivers' attention. It's been only a few weeks since the signs have been in place, but drivers do not seem to be paying attention to them, they say.
“People aren't very concerned at all,” said Becki Ryan, who commutes to downtown from Deer Park. “I've seen policemen go up to the cars and ask them to move back, but often they can't back up because there was no place to go.”
April Johnson, 19, of Cheviot and Sarah Midden dorf, 20, of Bridgetown got so tired of pulling onto Seventh Street or Main Street and sitting in traffic that they started taking the bus to their downtown jobs about three months ago.
Even though police will be in intersections to help keep traffic moving during Tall Stacks Oct. 13-17, the two plan to stick with the bus.
“We still get stuck,” Ms. Middendorf said. “But we don't have to worry about it.”
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