Slow down and think

To the Editor: I understand that they wish to make Sparta-Newton Road a four-lane road, two lanes in each direction, with jug handles and an increased speed to reduce traffic and accidents. I do not understand how making the road a copy of Route 15 is going to accomplish this. First, Route 15 still has accidents and traffic jams. Second, traffic is not what causes accidents, people do, and third, increasing the legal speed limit just allows a lot of people to go even faster. For instance, if the limit is 55 mph, people will do 65 or more. Turning lanes and or jug handles are a great idea, but with them has to come “no turn on red” regulations, and you cant have left turns in and left turns out at the same point. People turning in are not courteous to people turning out, forcing people turning out to make their way through two lanes of traffic when they see a minimum chance to get out. When I was taught to drive, I was taught that if you hit someone in the rear end, you are at fault, not the road you are driving on. Sparta-Newton Road has a lot of residential homes and streets that enter on to it. Allowing people who do not even live in the area to go even faster, and giving them more lanes to avoid a possible alternate route to get to Route 15 (or where ever), is not fair to the local people. I have lived here for 10 years and travel this road at all different times and yes, the morning and evening commutes are tough, as they are everywhere. Route 80 is now four lanes in each direction. Should we make it eight? Not too long ago, a part of Sparta-Newton Road was two lanes in one direction on the northbound side, and it did not decrease accidents or speeding. As I remember it, people were going faster and that was one reason it was reduced to one lane. Better routing and signage are needed as the solution, not giving people more lanes and faster speed limits to get were they are going. We all have to live here. Making the road more of a highway will make commuters happier but will make locals angry and put them in much more dangerous conditions. Please “slow down” and think things through. Paul Moran Sparta