Congested Area?

To the Editor:

Driving north along South Main Street, there is a large yellow warning sign at the edge of the Chintz-n-Prints property that proclaims “Congested Area.” The sign has been there for decades, and it has long puzzled and bemused me.

Puzzling, because DOT must have placed it to get drivers to reduce speed as they approach the main parts of town. Good intention... But to me the wording suggests that drivers should expect the neighborhood beyond to be a densely-packed, urbanlike area, with street side parking, and people frequently in close proximity to the roadway. Obviously that is not true; the residential area along the street is very well kept with few pedestrians, and, for almost a half-mile, there are very few structures on the west side due to Ram Pasture.

If the state considers this approach to be “congested,” then why aren’t those signs posted on other state roadways that lead into Newtown? And why aren’t they placed in other areas around the state where rural surroundings really do transition into “dense-pack” neighborhoods?

These days, static roadside warning signs seem to be largely ignored by the majority of drivers. More effective ways to enforce slower speeds are the flashing “your speed” feedback displays, cones along the centerline that visually narrow the roadway ahead, and manned patrol cars occasionally monitoring for compliance.

I certainly don’t want the lack of this particular sign to implicitly condone faster driving northward. But the wording “Congested Area” doesn’t seem to communicate much of any warning. I chuckle to myself when I pass it, as it has long conjured a funny image of the neighborhood beyond afflicted with unceasing colds and allergies. To me, the sign could just as easily be a comment on the vine-tangled, untrimmed patch of ground it is placed upon!

I’m not necessarily calling for anything to change here. I’m just sharing my thoughts on what I see as a device that doesn’t serve its probable purpose and which transmits a slightly negative message about what might lie just beyond. Hopefully this is something humorous for readers to reflect upon, among much bigger issues in town!

Sincerely,

Cameron Gilchrist

2 Susan Lane, Newtown                                                      July 5, 2009