Page 23 - Flathead Beacon // 1.22.13

FLATHEADBEACON.COM OPINION JANUARY 29, 2014 | 23

CLOSING RANGE Dave Skinner

Road Ragin’
OPEN

NTammy
r
F
o
o
EW YEAR’S ALWAYS BRINGS apron for a couple of car-lengths – rath- e
p

t
b
guilty thoughts of resolutions er than a slope that guarantees gridlock u
S
a
l

l
we can’t keep. This time, I’m try- each time it snows? But what really galls
ing reverse psychology: I resolve to get me about Treeline is making a left turn.
older, uglier and meaner.
What was so impossible about lining Kinkel
Of course, all of us have resolutions up the opposing left-turn lanes so mo-
we’d like others to make, and I’m no torists can clearly see approaching traf- 1963- 2014
exception. Here’s a suggested resolu- ic – a matter of maybe four feet? What if
tion for our traic engineering people: drivers could line up straight, safely able n
u
d
a
S

y
Please, think things through before you
to see what the heck is coming at them?
Oh no, and it’s set in con-
crete.
“IN EACH CASE HERE, FIVE MINUTES OF
HUTTON/COSTCO
FORESIGHT AT THE DRAFTING TABLE CLUSTERMUCK
This is Main and Ida-
WOULD HAVE MINIMIZED WHAT ARE ho all over again, and will
COME IN AND ENJOY
NOW PRACTICALLY PERMANENT IM- get worse. With the Hut- COMPLIMENTARY
ton Ranch back way com-
PEDIMENTS TO SMOOTH FLOW AND plete, the left turn load APPETIZERS IN THE
at the Clustermuck has LOUNGE DURING THE
TRAFFIC SAFETY.”
passed the tipping point,
often jamming traic GAME.
ink
clear back to Meridian. l dr
cia
Not helping is that left
Spe
build them.
turns to Costco call for either a short res
First of, I understand highway engi-
right at McDonald’s or a longer right into eatu
neering has a political component. Hey, I Costco. Which is it? If you make a legal f
lived in Whiteish, where it took over 10 left to Costco, the driver behind you is
years to get a left-turn arrow at Second now in your blind spot – so making an
and Central, and/or Wisconsin and Cen- illegal turn is actually safer. Rotten de-
tral. Thank God for Karrow Avenue.
sign, pure and simple.
Dearest Tammy,
Thanks to politics, some dumb deci- Going to Costco from town? Try
sions can’t be helped – the Willow Glen skipping the turn lane at the Cluster-
east side bypass, with a cut-of from muck and use the left turn at Famous For 12 years you were DINING ROOM
Snappy’s to the barn, was a great idea, Dave’s. You can thank me later.
our co-worker, team OPEN FOR DINNER
cheaper and smarter than the west-side
bypass. Well, the usual NIMBY’s trashed HUTTON RANCH AT RESERVE
player, mother hen
that.
Okay, let’s say you craftily bailed
But when the political fertilizer from the Clustermuck Taillight Derby at and above all
our friend.
stops lying, and the infrastructure gets Hutton for a “shortcut” to Reserve and
built, it should be built right, and oper- La Salle. You stewed at the WalMart red
ated right. Here’s my greatest hits:
light (always red for some reason), then We will miss you dearly,
did the right/left/right shooby-doo-
RESERVE AND 93
wop at Nowhere Traic Calming Circle Tammy, and will cherish
Why in tarnation didn’t the road- (or a Mario Andretti, your call). You hit you in our hearts always.
ies leave the two-lane left turn on West the light at Reserve (red, of course) for

Reserve and 93? The bypass is nowhere a right turn east and what do you see? Your Insty Prints Family...
near complete, and there remains sub- Oncoming cars? Of course not, they’re
stantial traic demand for left turns. blocked from view by a humongous con-
Now, our scenario is a confused local sit- troller box. Way to go, engineers!
Tamara, Judy, Mishelle,
ting in the left “straight” lane, while the Amazing . I’ve burned up most of Robyn, Janet, Caitlin,
tourist in the “turn” lane of course tries my column just on one part of town, and
to make an illegal left turn, dive-bomb- I haven’t even got to the matter of timing Lorie, Scott, Dayna,
ing into the right southbound 93 lane. traic lights, especially yellows.
and Summer

Crunch!
Even more amazing: Taxpayers con-
So, until the bypass is complete and tributed millions upon millions of dol-
Reserve gets four lanes, can we have the lars on all this concrete, glass, wire and
old setup, please? Should be easy to ix steel, which we are all stuck with for the
this spring – the new paint is already rest of our lives.
laked of, ya know.
In each case here, ive minutes of
foresight at the drafting table would
139 1ST AVENUE WEST
TREELINE ROAD AND 93
have minimized what are now practical- KALISPELL
I think everyone in the Flathead has ly permanent impediments to smooth 131 Main Street , Kalispell 755-4441
made the jump across 93 between Home low and traic safety. Were I an engi-
Depot and Lowes. Now, why didn’t the neer, I’d be embarrassed. As a humble ph 752-8812
WWW.NBGRILLE.COM
engineers grade for a FLAT approach
citizen, well, I’m not impressed.
fax 752-8814
SERVING DINNER SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK
Stop in and try your luck at
[email protected]
www.instyprintsmt.com
Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on op-

posite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns
alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.