The road to aggravation

The Cure had a song titled “Fascination Street” and there is an intersection on my way to work that the title is extremely appropriate for. This roadway completely fascinates, bewilders and I must admit aggravates me on a daily basis. The intersection I’m speaking of is the corner of Spring Street and Malvern

Avenue.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this intersection, it’s about a block from the front door of The Sentinel-Record and I drive through it every day. How do I describe the traffic flow for this junction?

Three sides have a stop sign and the fourth side continuously has the right of way. Oh, wait, one of the stop sign sides has a yield sign if you are turning right. Anyone traveling north on Malvern Avenue never has to stop at this intersection regardless if they are going straight or turning right or left. They never have to stop. So the other three components of the intersection must always stop and yield to the traffic traveling north on Malvern Avenue. Now if there isn’t anyone traveling north on Malvern Avenue then it becomes a three-way stop intersection, with the exception of the right turning yield sign on one side. I hope I haven’t confused you too much but to be honest I’m always confused by this intersection.

In my daily commute, I would say that on average seven times out of 10 the people traveling north on Malvern Avenue stop and try to treat this corner as a four-way stop. This throws a monkey wrench into the whole deal and causes someone to become a traffic cop and direct the motorist that they do indeed have the right of way. I have tried to take on these ground traffic controller duties on several occasions and my efforts have been met with a variety of responses from the grateful wave to the middle finger salute.

I have asked around about why this crossroads was designed this way and I was informed that it was a low-cost alternative to eliminate traffic congestion on Central Avenue. Hey, I’ve seen the backup on Central and I can completely understand the need to do everything we can to keep that thoroughfare in motion. I’m no city planner, but wouldn’t a true four-way stop serve the same purpose and prevent the flock of birds that I imagine are flipped on a daily basis at that interchange?

But I’m not going to rock the boat I will just leave you with the words of The Cure from “Fascination Street”:

“So let’s cut the conversation And get out for a bit Because I feel it all fading and paling And I’m begging. … ” Fix this intersection!

I threw the last line in there. The Cure is too busy being an alternative rock band to concern itself with my driving issues. But I sure would like someone to find a cure for that roadway to aggravation.