In case you have not been to Main Street in Smithtown this week be warned. There is no longer two lanes going west. A wonderful idea to slow the traffic down, but, as many of us are use to two lanes the new traffic pattern has come as a surprise. The premise is one lane will be used to make lefts and the other lane for free flowing traffic.
Perhaps signs should have been put up letting people know of the new traffic pattern. We are victims of habit and I pray there are not accidents caused by not letting people know.
I have noticed the bottlenecks as there is only one lane going west. Again, I hope in the long run this helps pedestrians who are trying to cross Main Street, but people should have time to adjust to it.
Just today on my way back to work going east there was working being done on Main Street and people had to go from two lanes to one. I noticed a car who did not want to wait and went into the lane of the opposite direction trying to make a left into Sertinos Restaurant.
Someone I know who did not know about the new traffic pattern told me that at Route 111 and Main Street the lanes go from two to one lanes. Many people who were not aware of this yet were stuck in the lane to merge and noone was letting them into the one lane. They actually had to put their hazardous lights on and wait for someone to let them in.
People do not like to wait and be inconvenienced no matter what the rules are. They will do what they want until they get caught or harm someone. As I watched this car I thought if only a policeman or policewoman saw this.
While this transition will take time for people who travel this route each and every day, perhaps our fine men and women in the police force should be traveling this route to make people think twice before they do not obey the new traffic patterns.
Progress is wonderful and again hopefully this will slow people down and make them think about speeding through Main Street in Smithtown. Yet, a sign should be put up to warn people about the new traffic pattern to avoid more accidents in the short term.
I for one will be taking the back roads as many Smithtown and Kings Park residents know about when I have to travel to Smithhaven Mall or get to Route 347 going east.
As a note: The sign about letting people know of the new traffic pattern was not my idea and was suggested by a coworker.
