Reading the Signs

Doylestown’s roads are not the most driver-friendly. Within the confines of a mere two square miles is an array of streets and back alleys that play host to a plethora of confusing layouts and directions.

Hamilton Street goes from both ways to one way back to both ways and back to one way, and it’s barely a half-mile long. Spruce Street is equally short and shifts several yards at intersections multiple times. Meanwhile, Bridge Street is one way, pointing away from Main Street, no matter which direction you turn onto it.

And that’s not mentioning all the other more normal one ways and occasional turn restrictions.

So when people don’t follow the signs, either out of ignorance, not caring, or a ‘just this once’ attitude, it’s frustrating. A reason our roads need so many restrictions is that we’re a 21st century society trying to get by on roads from the 19th (and even 18th) century; cars are forced to use roads made for horses and buggies.

They’re so tight and often have such poor sightlines that it’s a near miracle there aren’t daily accidents at some of the more dangerous intersections, and with the amount of walkers, runners, and dogs, a tragedy is just waiting to happen.

Sit on the patios of or for an hour or so on a busy afternoon. It’s almost guaranteed you’ll see a car shoot up Dommel Way from State Street, though a "Do Not Enter" sign is right there. We really need that, when it’s already a nail biter of a turn onto State when even the smallest car is parked right next to the exit? And while not as dangerous, cars often leave the former Kenny’s lot via that same alley and exit onto Court Street, even though it’s clearly marked as a "Do Not Enter."

Another spot where people clearly ignore the signs is northbound on Main Street at Court Street. If you sit outside or at a window in Sweet Spot to eat lunch, you’ll nearly always see someone make a left turn from Main onto Court. The problem is that left turns are forbidden. In fact, they’re so forbidden that there’s not just one sign—there are two. And seemingly at least monthly over the years, I’ve been jogging or walking Baxter, crossed Court between Lilly’s and Café Alessio, and found a car bearing down on me that had no business doing so.

More frustration is caused by people entering Route 202 from the tiny part of the bypass that was built decades ago. Even though it’s a stop sign, drivers insist on treating it as a merge. For some reason people think that because the roads meet at a 30 degree angle instead of a 90 degree one that the rules of stopping at a stop sign change.

Can anything be done? If people just don’t care, no. But if they’re somehow not seeing the signs, maybe visibility is an issue. Admittedly, the "No Left Turn" arrow on the traffic standard over Main Street is somewhat worn out, but how one can miss the two "Do Not Enter" signs at the Dommel Way entrance is a mystery.

So please, take the time to learn to read the signs, and keep yourself safe by making sure to stay doubly aware at areas where you know others often don’t.

To read more of Jeff’s musings, you can follow him on Twitter at JKLugar.