Good morning, Netizens....

During a normal time of year with normal traffic patterns, North Nevada Street from North Foothills Drive to Broad Avenue is a virtual expressway, with cars easily cruising the four lane thoroughfare at speeds in excess of 50 MPH. This has nothing to do with the posted speed limits of 35 miles per hour.

Spokane Songwriter Steve Schennum colorfully described this roadbed of pandemonium best in his song, “Hamilton Freeway” in which he observes:

I hardly ever see cops on the Hamilton Freeway

Except when they’re parked at the donut shop

They never look outside when they’re all on break

You could go 95 -- And you won’t get caught

However, due to the rehabilitation/construction project currently underway between North Foothills Drive to Broad Street, Nevada is closed. Ostensibly there are detours: Crestline and Division are named prominently as being open and thus available to commuters, but unfortunately, no one seems to know of them. Instead drivers are using Morton or Perry Streets, creating a massive overload. During rush hour yesterday morning, Perry Street was backed up from Bridgeport nearly a mile in both directions from Bridgeport.

With all due reverence to Steve Schennum, I submit that during the construction project, we should modestly rewrite his song to “The Morton Street Freeway”. While we don't have any donut shops along the Avenue, the cops hardly are visible anyway during most days. I cannot recall once in my living along Morton when I have seen a motorcycle officer pulling someone over for speeding.

Ye Gods, some drivers are moving down Morton at speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour, thus endangering cats, dogs, gophers, squirrels and other four-legged beasties, not to mention pedestrians and other drivers.

It's time to prominently put up some detour signs.

Dave

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