Two people injured in wreck

Posted by snowbird1 (anonymous) on October 2, 2009 at 11:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

maybe it would be a good idea to lower the speed limit on Bridge Ave. In two days there have been 3 accidents on that street. Also it would slow down the drivers that think Birdge is a race track. Why isn't the speed limit from Hammer to past the ball diamonds 30 like all other cities & towns that go past school property. It is down Hammer why not on Bridge.

Posted by dlb (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why not put a light at that intersection? I believe this is the one that goes into the airport by the looks of the picture. The other direction goes to the mall. People speed like crazy on Bridge all the time and it is dangerous trying to get out of the mall onto Bridge towards town! A stop light would also slow traffic a bit.

Posted by agamboa (anonymous) on October 3, 2009 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why don't we just think logically and slow down during poor weather conditions? Wait that is just to logical I guess.

Posted by scurvydog (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think a light somewhere in that area is needed, not only for safety reasons, but to let people get back onto Bridge from Hy-Vee and Northbridge Mall. Right now it's quicker to go through the industrial park to get onto Main than to wait for traffic on Bridge.

Posted by 57boy (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 9:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Just wait until the new Albert Lea International Airport opens.....LOOK OUT.There will be a big increase in cars-taxi's-buses & limos.YES...there should be a stop light out there!!But....first,we'd need to do traffic counts,at least 2 or 3 ,2nd,we'd have to hire a consultant(because our people can't figure it out).So don't look for a MUCH needed stop light for some time!!!!!Plus it's a shared street/road with city/county,so that furthers the problem....WHO WILL PAY !!!!!!Well,that's an easy one.....it'll be us,the BROKE citizens of this city & county!!!!!

Posted by bns2107 (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 8:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I also believe that there needs to be stop lights out there. It is so difficult to get back onto the road after going to the mall or hyvee or anything on that stretch. It is a much needed item out on bridge.

Posted by guesswho (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 9:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Although I agree with everyone about needing a light around the HyVee area..I can tell you from experience that is not the only area on Bridge with the speed and traffic problem..we live at the corner of bridge and sheridan and there were at least 8 accidents there this past summer...so even the police truck that clocks your speed would be better than nothing...something needs to be done some innocent adult, child or animal in their own front yard is going to be hurt or worse yet killed because of drivers carelessness..

Posted by nesaajr (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

#1) Speed Limits are Authorized by the State to keep things Uniform and driver expectency the same if you are driving in Albert Lea, Austin, Rochester, Minneapolis or Battle Lake. The Typical Speed Limit is set by following Speed Studies and traffic analysis at the 85th pertcentile (The Speed at which 85% of the drivers are traveling). As most of you know, many people pay no attention to the speed limits in the 1st place. The City with Engineering and other data can justify lower Speed Limits for Safety reasons and the State maybe will listen and accept this. But, they will watch the patterns and data following a change to see if the lower limts made things safer.

#2) Stop Lights are expensive (easier $250,000+) to build and you need traffic engineering studies to justify them. Not everybody pays attention to them. Stop Lights do not always slow traffic speeds down, but may create surges of cars traveling at different speeds thus making it harder to get out from other side streets/entrances along with the people that will race through on a Yellow or Red Signal. If you really desire a Traffic Signal, call your Council members and request that the Studies to get the ball rolling or call the City Engineer to find out when or if they have done any studies. I am sure Steve would gladly answer your questions.

#3) The costs get paid by the Road Authorities/Property Owners. Bridge is a CSAH/County State Aid Highway. Hence, the County would pay half the cost for its 2-sides of a 4-way. Hersey Street is City so the City would pay the other half of the cost. (If 1-side were running into a private parcel such as Northbridge Mall, they would pay 25% of a 4-way intersection Signal system.

The best thing is for People to Police themselves and Obey the Speed Limits on All Roads. Ask the Police for extra enforcement and encourage the City Council to request the Police Department to crack down on ALL SPEEDING througout the City (It would be in the dark grey area if not Illegal to only strictly enforce the Speed Limit on certain Roads, as that could constitute profiling).

Doing this however means that you would have to be careful with your own driving or you may get a ticket. On the good side word would get out that Albert Lea Strictly Enforces the Speed Limits and you would end up with calmer traffic patterns and fewer accidents.

Now, saying all this, I know there are Speed problems on many other Streets: West Main Street by the Skyline, East Main, South Broadway, Fountain and Clark Streets, Lakeview Blvd. Richway Drive to name a few.

PS: I make these comments and will say I Speed too, but rarely ever on non-Interstate Highways and mainly to keep from getting rearended by someone travelling 10-20mph faster than the posted Speed Limit.

Posted by nesaajr (anonymous) on October 4, 2009 at 11:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Oh ya,

Maybe getting the Schools to teach "Common Sense" would help too. Oh, wait, thats not something that is easily taught, but comes more from the mentoring of the parents, neighbors and by Teachers and all other adults.

Another option for the Police would be to Ticket every Driver that deemed at FAULT due to SPEED for failing to obey the BASIC SPEED LAW (maintaining control of your vehicle) or a Ticket for Inattentive Driving if they can easily be proved to have been using their cellphone or fiddling with some other device in their vehicle other than paying attention to their driving and maintaining control of their vehicle. (We DO NOT need a New LAW to make cellphone use illegal, just good use of the INATTENTIVE DRIVING TICKET LAW).

Posted by JayJ (anonymous) on October 5, 2009 at 12:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Be heads up and pay extra attentition. If you are from here you know it's a danger zone. Always has been. Especially since the high school was moved out there. Defensive driving saves your life and your wheels.

Posted by knockerknock (anonymous) on October 5, 2009 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

nesaajr,

Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail without using sarcasm as did some other posts.

You explained everything in a manner that was easy to understand and I would have to agree with you 100%.

Thanks again!

Posted by nesaajr (anonymous) on October 5, 2009 at 1:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"knockerknock" You are welcome.