Accident of 12/2/09, about 12:45 p.m.

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I've gotten tired of photographing every accident I see at this spot. But these accidents continue, one every few days. Here is the one from today.

A Simple Solution ? Letter from a Reader

Dear Mr.Cohn,

I am an employee of lich and I use the BQE almost daily. The problem with the BQE T-bone is that drivers that are exiting cannot see if the lane is clear of traffic. The solution to this is simply placing permanent highway cones on the lane divider. This will Cleary show if the exit lane is clear or not. The cost of a highway cone is about $16, per cone. I am attaching a pic and diagram of my suggestion.

Thank you for keeping an eye on lich !!!
Good Job !!!!!

Anand

The Placebo Option

A police patrol car is now on apparently permanent duty in the vicinity of our accident-prone T-bone entrance to the BQE (top picture). What can this accomplish ? I have not noticed any lessening of accidents at this spot. Moreover, the flagrant violation of the stop sign, to which I have called attention before, is unabated. The picture below, showing a vehicle ignoring the sign, is shown in the picture below. This particular vehicle behaves like essentially all the others. IMHO, the patrol car duty accomplishes less than the proverbial aspirin for serious disease -- it is no more than a placebo.

The Preposterous Pace of BQE Reconstruction

Here is what is happening to BQE reconstruction (quoting the Cobble Hill Association):

BQE Rehabilitation website

Here is the link to the DOT's BQE Rehabilitation website:
https://www.nysdot.gov/bqedowntownbrooklyn

Accoording to their preposterous timetable:

'The current status of the project is In Development.
Project Development began in Fall 1997.
The Bid Opening is expected to be in Summer 2017.
Construction is expected to begin in Summer 2017.
Construction is expected to be completed in Summer 2020.'

Let's hope we're all alive in 2020 when they finish construction.

Well, pace the Cobble Hill Association, the one thing that is certain about the human life span is that we will not ALL be alive in 2020. And for those of us now over 80, the chance is substantially less than even.

Hitler's Birthday on the BQE

Accident of April 20, 2009, about 10:45 a.m.

I have not documented accidents I have witnessed lately -- there are so many, the routine is so tedious, the politicians don't seem to care.

I happened to see one last night, but I let it go. But then another one this morning, on Columbine Day, Hitler's Birthday. Well, I was provoked into documenting this one.