In Praise Of The Intersection Under Construction

It's been a bitch to go back home from University, but I have been able to avoid it by going on East River Rd. instead, so things are better for afternoon rush.  Morning rush, however, has been a relative breeze, and I want to note that before things take a turn for the worse.

It's Central, and usually, even though I have to take a right turn to get onto it, I hit the intersection at a red light while car after car is zooming down it.  It's so steady, even at 6:30, that I can't turn onto it until my light turns green.  It's really frustrating, and I get really antsy if there's someone behind me.  I know they have a car that can accelerate into traffic without a problem, and they're probably chomping at the bit, wanting to push me aside if they could.  But I don't have a fast car, and I have to pick my spot in order to merge safely, or even drive on the shoulder until I can find a safe pocket to get into.

I thought that the advent of construction, which has gone on for several months, would make making that right turn even more difficult.  But instead, it hasn't.  With the news that parts of Central Avenue is closed, many cars have stayed away, which has alleviated traffic.  What is even better is that at some point a few weeks ago the light at our intersection was taken down because they were repaving the area.  I don't know how, but that meant that even fewer cars went south on Central, allowing me to get in much quicker than I could otherwise.  The result: What could have taken upwards of 90 seconds, where I would sometimes turn off my engine because I knew I wasn't going anyway, oftentimes took only ten.

Many times I run late to work.  But I live so close, so I wonder why it takes me so long.  It's that intersection, that's why.  And with me able to make a right without much agita, I can start my car at 6:40 and get to work with a minute or so to spare.  Beautiful.

Today, however, the streetlight was re-erected and turned back on.  I noticed an uptick in speeding traffic, and even though my wait to take a right wasn't too long, it appears as though the major work on this intersection is over.  Winter is coming, and pretty soon the entire project surrounding the repaving of Central will be done.  And then I will wait in the cold for a half-minute, minute, minute-and-a-half, just to merge onto the morning rush.  Boo.