esrosedotblog

CALM

We back up to a city street which is pretty busy, all things considered. It was even listed on our purchase agreement as a nuisance "disclosure",

We don't mind it. After all, we lived on Warren Avenue in Boston for over ten years which was just a few blocks south and the best route from the Berkley Street police station.

Our house in Palm Springs had no traffic at all but somehow we didn't lose the ability to not hear traffic noise.

But we are not the only ones living along the city street. At least 50 other condos are lined up with the street and many people don't like it.

A year ago, they filed with the City Council to have a street calming project put into place.

There are many methods to do this. In Palm Springs they tend to use striping to control the flow.

This has been done in other neighborhoods where some speedway activity was constant.

What they do is paint lines to narrow the street to two smallish lanes. They stripe it heavily and put bike lanes and no parking all along both sides. A visual traffic bump.

It works. We see it in in other parts of town. Somehow when you enter the space there is a reflexive slowing. First of all, it is unexpected, even when you expect it. Also, there is a definite worry that somehow you will be caught out if you speed or deviate from instructions. It is a bit primitive. I think that it acts on the brain stem. It is especially scary at night. Looming stripes.

It works.

So, the City Council approved it if we could raise 2000 dollars to cover all or part of the cost. We did. John and I put 200 in the pot.

It took a year, but they approved it and got the project on the books a couple of months ago.

This morning about 2AM, I woke to the sound and rumble of the painting trucks. They have the outline lines in. Very nifty.

There will not be a stop sign in the middle which would be the next best step.

We shall see.

I don't notice any difference today but then the lines are not done. And we don't much notice it anyway.

The returns are not in.

Labels: condo, Palm Springs