Compromising Safety for Time

Re “90 Left-Turn Arrows Slated for Removal” (Sept. 27): After removing left-turn arrows, some of the 44 intersections affected by this action may remain safe enough, but removing the arrows from other included intersections, such as Yale at Irvine Center Drive, is dangerous. Yale has a speed limit of 45 m.p.h. The combined speed of two cars, one traveling through the intersection and colliding with one turning left, could exceed 70 m.p.h.

Has the accelerated pace of the times affected the judgment of the city management and council in Irvine? According to city engineers, the removal of left-turn arrows in two directions on Yale will save cross-traffic on Irvine Center Drive about 10 seconds of drive time. How can a meager 10-second savings override concerns for safety? Since when does a city such as Irvine, with its planning and innovative vision, find it necessary to compromise safety to achieve its goals? Something has gone wrong.

As it stands, this city action is a mistake. If the list of 44 intersections is not amended, some unfortunate driver will discover just how grievous the council’s error was when they chose to be facilitators of mobility, rather than protectors of citizenry.

Anyone who has written the wrong year on a bank check in January should let the Irvine City Council know just how easy it is to have a brief mental lapse. This same type of conditioned response can cause you to mistakenly turn in front of an oncoming car, unaware the city of Irvine has turned off the technology of safety.

GREGORY S. KILLIAN, Irvine