Dear Editor,
I attended a recent County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, where the requirement that a residential developer construct a “passing” lane on Harmony Road was discussed. This passing lane would create three lanes of traffic in front of the residential development, ostensibly for safety reasons.
With the growth of traffic along the Harmony Road/ Hwy. 44 corridor, together with other commercial/ residential developments being proposed, will we be looking at a future hodgepodge of passing, left turn, and deceleration lanes in front of developments all along Harmony Road from Scott Road to Hwy 44?
Given these present circumstances, maybe the County Board of Commissioners could do a little forward-thinking and consider adding a third lane along this busy corridor.
As much as I personally dislike a “suicide” lane, it would have the effect of making right and left-hand turns much safer while allowing traffic to proceed normally. This would eliminate the need to have “passing lanes” in front of certain developments only and would give all businesses and residents along this stretch of Harmony a safe and standardized left- and right-turn opportunity.
By the way, much the same could be said for Old Phoenix Road from Hwy. 44 to the bridge below Cuscowilla.
Billy Webster, Putnam County