David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Road rage fears prompt construction changes
Thursday, September 20, 2007
CBC News
Work along a busy Halifax-area road is now taking place overnight to prevent frustrated drivers from lashing out.
"Everybody wants an omelette, but nobody wants to break eggs," said Coun. Brad Johns, the representative for the Sackville area on Halifax regional council.
Johns said his district has been waiting 25 years for the water and sewer project for Lively subdivision.
But the pipes have to cross Sackville Drive — a main artery used by 20,000 vehicles a day — and that's bringing traffic to a dead stop.
Johns said some people have been waiting 40 minutes in the lineup and many are not reacting well.
"A bunch of people, which is totally unsafe, went around the flaggers," he said. "They didn't even stop tonight, so frustrations are building."
Traffic delays are expected for the next few months.
So instead of working during the day, the contractor has agreed to work from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Johns said.
Now Johns wants officials on other construction projects to consider overnight hours, too.
"In most places in this country, they do night construction. We are one of the few places that don't. I think it'll be a positive to see that happen," he said.
But other councillors say that's not always possible. If the construction is too close to a residential area, they say they will get noise complaints instead of calls about traffic delays.
Others worry that making companies work evenings or weekends will drive up costs.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
CBC News
Work along a busy Halifax-area road is now taking place overnight to prevent frustrated drivers from lashing out.
"Everybody wants an omelette, but nobody wants to break eggs," said Coun. Brad Johns, the representative for the Sackville area on Halifax regional council.
Johns said his district has been waiting 25 years for the water and sewer project for Lively subdivision.
But the pipes have to cross Sackville Drive — a main artery used by 20,000 vehicles a day — and that's bringing traffic to a dead stop.
Johns said some people have been waiting 40 minutes in the lineup and many are not reacting well.
"A bunch of people, which is totally unsafe, went around the flaggers," he said. "They didn't even stop tonight, so frustrations are building."
Traffic delays are expected for the next few months.
So instead of working during the day, the contractor has agreed to work from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Johns said.
Now Johns wants officials on other construction projects to consider overnight hours, too.
"In most places in this country, they do night construction. We are one of the few places that don't. I think it'll be a positive to see that happen," he said.
But other councillors say that's not always possible. If the construction is too close to a residential area, they say they will get noise complaints instead of calls about traffic delays.
Others worry that making companies work evenings or weekends will drive up costs.
