Folly And Chaos in Sarasota 18th September 2024

 

West from Interstate 75 to Washington Boulevard (say four/five miles) Fruitville Road is one of Sarasota's major urban highways, with three lanes in each direction and a speed limit of 45 mph.

The folly 

1.  A high speed for an urban road.  Fruitville often resembles a race track.

2.  Three lanes, allowing constant weaving between lanes to gain a (say) 100-yard advantage.

The chaos

There was a road incident on Fruitville Thursday morning. (some sources mention two incidents; a fallen tree and an auto collision.)

There was bumper to bumper west bound traffic for at least three miles.

I got caught up in the chaos. A drive from my Vascular Doctor's Office to my home took an hour.  It should have taken twenty minutes most.

I had time to waste so to speak.  I could not help think about all the appointments missed; the late arrivals to work and to school.

I thought about the extra emission pollutions; and the inevitable personal frustration or anger.

THE ABUNDANT FOLLY is the redesigning of modern cities for the chief benefit of motorised vehicles, with people taking a dismal second place.

And don't get me started about the criminal shortage of safe pedestrian crossings in the greater Sarasota region.