(UN)RELIABLE SOURCES:

SOME COMMON SENSE, PLEASE

by FRANK O'DONNELL
June 16, 2008

In early 1776, during the Revolutionary War, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called “Common Sense.” It blamed King George for the ills of the colonies, and may have set the groundwork for the later Declaration of Independence.

He served as an aide to Nathaniel Greene in the war, and later wrote a series of letters to the people of Rhode Island, urging them to support a national tax to help fund Congress.           

So in my mind, Thomas Paine and “Common Sense” have always been associated with Rhode Island.

Why is that important?

Well, the other day, as I drove along Mineral Spring Avenue, I thought if Thomas Paine were following this same route today, he’d find precious little to write about.

Because on Mineral Spring Avenue, common sense is nowhere to be found.

Let’s start with my favorite deadly intersection – MSA and Smithfield Road.

Heading west toward Centredale, there are two lanes on MSA – one to take a left onto Smithfield, making your way toward Fatima Hospital. A left arrow gives travelers headed that way a head start against oncoming traffic.

No such luck heading the other way though. There are two lanes, but no left arrow to help us onto Smithfield Avenue heading to where the dump used to be.

Instead, we have to wait until the light turns green, then inch into the intersection and wait for a break in the traffic heading toward Centredale before making the turn we need to make.

Many an early evening and even on a Saturday afternoon, I’ve sat through four or five light changes, waiting to make that turn.

Common sense would put a left turn arrow here too.

But like I already said, common sense does not prevail on MSA.

There’s our fabled middle lane. It’s there for one reason – to allow folks entering and leaving MSA’s traffic flow to do so without impeding that flow.

Ha!

Half the folks who drive this artery see the middle lane as their personal express lane. “I’m really in a hurry, and there’s nobody in the lane, so I think I’ll just use it to get from Douglas Avenue to Woodward in 30 seconds flat.”

The other half don’t seem to realize there’s no need to block one lane of traffic while you wait for a break in the traffic going the other way. That’s what the middle lane is for – to allow you to enter MSA and get up to speed before you bump your way into the lane to your right.

And the traffic lights at MSA and Route 146. Has anyone in power ever taken an hour or so to watch what happens there at peak travel times? The light changes are so haphazard, you’d be better off putting your car on your shoulders and walking it through.

I’ve asked many high-ranking folks at the North Providence DPW why we can’t do something about the lack of common sense design on MSA.

“It’s a state road,” is the standard response. “It’s up to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to take care of that.”

Great.

The people who are bringing us the I-Way are responsible for making some sense out of our main thoroughfare.

I don’t see that happening any time soon.

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