In providing coverage in the last issue of the construction work taking place on Main Street West in Winchester, I noted that traffic in the construction zone has been flowing smoothly. However, in the time since writing those words, I feel that I have been made to eat them.
I try to avoid the construction zone as much as possible. People who live on Main Street West, or in the settlement to the north of Main Street, are the ones who have no choice but to go through the construction zone. Also, customers of the businesses in the area must traverse the construction to patronize these establishments. I would hate to think that these business owners are losing money during this construction. The sewer line work is a great sign of progress and I have no complaints about it being done, but I would rather not make additional traffic for those who live and shop in the area. I am sure they are having the limits of their patience tested every day already.
I use the Winchester bypass (part of County Road 31) to get to the other side of town whenever possible. It’s a longer distance to travel depending on where I am going, but it prevents congestion and in some cases, I have actually found it to be faster than waiting for the traffic light that now controls the one usable lane on Main Street.
The handful of times in the past couple of weeks that I have gone through the construction zone, I have been very disappointed. Not angry, and unfortunately not even surprised, but disappointed. I know the people in North Dundas care about each other. We are courteous, we are thoughtful, and we are neighbours. But that is not what I have been seeing at the traffic lights.
I have observed cars continuing to travel past the traffic signal after it turns red. Not just one or two cars sneaking through, but 5…6…7 cars and counting, just continuing to roll through. Yes, drivers can be fined for disobeying a red traffic light – over $300 and 4 demerit points, if I remember correctly – but that’s not the part I care about. I care about the people sitting on the other side of the traffic light, who have waited their turn and now have the green traffic signal but can’t go because oncoming cars are still rolling through. I have been in that car a few times now, and it’s sad. Again – it doesn’t make me angry, it simply makes me sad that so many North Dundas locals who are normally proud to be part of this tight knit, caring community can’t be bothered to wait their turn, like they were taught before they started kindergarten. These people decide that where they are going is more important than where anyone else is going, and proceed to push right through.
In response to my own coverage from last issue, I must issue a correction: nevermind. Traffic is not always flowing well on Main Street, it’s flowing selfishly. I urge North Dundas residents to be part of the solution, not the problem.