Dear Editor,

In response to “Letter to the Editor: Main Street traffic statistics.”

With all due respect to Mr. Khan’s MD credentials, he appears to know little about traffic and related costs.
First of all, “crash” is the preferred word versus what are often called “accidents.” The terminology has been changing because it is rarely accidental but instead a driver not being in control of a vehicle, or for that matter a pedestrian not paying attention to traffic. Much has been written about this so no need to put more here.
Then we have his crash statistics which may be correct but he provides no source for the information. If he talked to people who walk and try to cross the street, he would find that many do not out of fear born by the many near misses in addition to the actual injuries. I am one of those as are many of my neighbors. Hopefully we don’t have to kill or injure people to make a point. If everyone is afraid to walk and cross the street, the numbers would obviously be less. In no one walked, there would be none. There would still be vehicles leaving the roadway and crashing into things which is generally not considered a good thing.
Lowering the speed of traffic is the best and simplest way to reduce injury, noise and the inherent cost of crashes when they occur. Again, well documented by numerous sources and basic physics. No, lower speeds do not cause more idling or greater pollution. Lower speeds have been shown to actually improve these aspects due to the nature of stop and start traffic. There will also still be traffic lights and people turning unless someone is proposing to eliminate them to aid vehicular traffic, so there will still be stops and starts.
Finally the suggestion of speed control cameras which were approved by the city council at their last meeting for Main Street and already exist on Holcomb. Yes these can be effective but can also be ignored just like the speed limit signs that currently exist. They are not a cure all but instead be part of a comprehensive plan for traffic calming which does not currently exist and has been rejected in the past. I have provided information to the city about this, including the supporting information from MDOT and other traffic experts, but the city has not acted on it.
The City of the Village of Clarkston became a city to have greater local control. It is long past time that they start doing that instead of ignoring the problem that has been around longer than the Village of Clarkston has been a city.
Planner Fred Kent has an almost famous quote, “If you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places.”
The City of the Village of Clarkston has to decide which one they want as the two rarely work well together.

Sincerely,
Cory Johnston
Clarkston