Don’t dive straight into engineering

The article in Friday’s Glendale News-Press quoted Fred Jackson on the three Es of education, engineering and enforcement (“Metrolink targets Doran crossing,” Jan. 28).

Quite a few years ago, when speed bumps and traffic circles were being installed along Mountain Street and in the area, I sat next to an Alabama traffic engineer on a flight to Birmingham. I asked him to comment on the massive project, and he told me about the three Es. But he listed them in a different order and said it was too bad Glendale was resorting to the expensive engineering before giving education and enforcement a chance.

He warned me of strict speed-limit enforcement along a wide parkway in the area where I was going to be working. Three other people, including the hotel front desk clerk and two work colleagues, gave me the same warning. Obviously, strict and widely known enforcement works there.

Why don’t we enforce existing traffic laws and become known as a city where you should not risk stopping or walking on train tracks, speeding, running red lights, failing to yield to a pedestrian, jaywalking, texting or otherwise using a cell phone with your hands, etc., because of the high likelihood of getting an expensive ticket? We could build up city coffers with the revenue and cut the expense of projects, such as speed bumps and reworking rail crossings.

It does not seem right to consider closing a crossing to everyone because of those who don’t obey the law and put themselves and others at risk. Use “Education” and “Enforcement” and put “Engineering” on the back burner — at least the retroactive kind.

Eileen A. McClintock

Glendale

Signs make bare hillside a lot uglier

I agree wholeheartedly with William Slaughter (Not a big fan of a sign of the times,” Jan. 27).

I find the signs offensive and feel that it might be the camel’s nose under the tent. The bare hillside is/was not beautiful before the signs, but is definitely ugly now that the signs are there.

I must assume the signs are on private property as I am sure that a government entity would not approve them.

Charles E. Mayhew

Glendale