The much anticipated opening of M-150 (Rochester Road/Main Street) will take place this afternoon, on schedule, as crews plan to open one lane in each direction between 2nd Street and University Drive in downtown Rochester. All work on this $7.6 million investment is scheduled to be completed in November. Locally known as the “Main Street Makeover,” the project included closing the entire roadway for half a mile on May 15 to allow crews to replace pavement and install underground utilities as quickly as possible. One lane will remain closed in each direction so crews can replace sidewalks and finish enhancement work, including new street lights and landscaping. One lane will be open between 2nd Street and University Drive. M-150 was closed to traffic on May 15 to accelerate reconstruction. Lane closures remain between the Paint Creek and Clinton River bridges. More information continue reading
Breezing through stop signs, swerving, rear-ending other vehicles, and driving onto the shoulder or off the road…these are all signs of distracted driving. They are also behaviors that can have serious consequences, including loss of life or serious injury. The concern is highlighted by the fact that there have been 30 more fatalities so far this year in Iowa than at the same time in 2011; that is a 19 percent increase (192 vs. 162). Distractions, along with alcohol and speeding, are now the leading factors in fatal and serious injury crashes. According to a 2011 report by Allstate Foundation, driver distraction contributes to 25 percent of all law enforcement-reported traffic crashes and 80 percent of all crashes happen within three seconds of driver distraction. Researchers with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety observed more than 1,700 drivers and found that three out of four who used their cell phone while driving committed a traffic violation. While drivers are generally familiar with the risks of distracted driving, it takes a conscious decision to change behaviors that are contributing to the problem. That’s why the Iowa Department of Transportation is challenging Iowans to prove it to themselves – take the “no phone challenge” – see how much easier it is to keep your mind and eyes on the road without that single continue reading
As I’ve been preparing the application for next year’s motorcycle safety awareness grant something really stood out to me. One of the application requirements is to list motorcycle registrations per county in the state, so every year I’ve been able to watch the numbers move as I gather the data from the Utah State Tax Commission. I was surprised when I saw Utah’s motorcycle registrations jump more than 20,000 this year from the last. There are currently 90,095 motorcycles ready to go in the state. Below is the chart from the application for you to see for yourself. So what does this mean? What are some of your thoughts about the dramatic increase in motorcycle registrations? Are people dusting off their bikes in the garage and finishing the restoration project? It may be too soon to tell, but to give you an idea of what a dramatic increase this is, there were just over 40,000 registered motorcycles in 2004, meaning the number of registered motorcycles in Utah has more than doubled over the last 8 years. Please Drive Aware and Ride Aware this summer. There is a lot of traffic out continue reading
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