Is traffic light needed at The Cloisters intersection?

I want to set the record straight regarding your comments on May 3 on a traffic light on Main Highway and Commodore Plaza. Unfortunately, your comments have a few misstatements that need correction. Please post my letter on The Grapevine so your readers get the full story.

First, for some reason, Michelle Niemeyer of the Village Council is under the impression that the Cloisters is proposing a light for our personal traffic needs. After witnessing two accidents at the intersection of Main and Commodore Plaza, not to mention, the many near-misses with pedestrians by traffic in all directions (Main, Commodore, and our entrance), we decided to contact the County to see whether a light would improve safety for everyone -- cars, cyclists, and pedestrians. As you know, pedestrian traffic has greatly increased with the success of many our great restaurants on Commodore Plaza, not to mention the opening of the A&M School. I personally have seen motorists angrily blow their horns at pedestrians who are legally in the pedestrian crossing on Main Highway. None of us want anyone to get hurt.

We have done nothing more. We are not drawing up plans, meeting with city planners and traffic flow experts, or lobbying to get a light. On the contrary, it is up to the County to determine whether a light would improve safety and traffic flow. We merely asked them to look into the pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow there.

Second, Michelle invited us to present at a Village Council meeting. Unfortunately, none of us could attend that evening, and the meeting was canceled. Realistically, we had nothing to present. We have no plans. All we can tell everyone is that we called the County to see if a light would increase safety at this intersection. They County followed up with a traffic study and apparently has determined that a light is warranted. That's it. By the way, I would suggest that you also call the County about the traffic problem you mentioned in your article. The County has traffic experts who should look into that situation as well.

Third, the Cloisters has 40 households, not the 10 that you claimed combine with the many guests we get, there is a lot more traffic than you're envisioning. Having said that, I would bet that more traffic flows out of Commodore Plaza than the Cloisters on any given day. The opening of the A&M School has greatly added to the traffic flow on Commodore, especially before and after school as students are dropped off and picked up by a line of cars stopping in the middle of the road.

I would hope you would agree that pedestrian safety is not considered a "dumb selfish idea." Let's make The Grove a pedestrian friendly village.

Rob Doughty
President, Cloisters on the Bay Association

Editor's Note: There are many more dangerous traffic intersections than this one, perhaps we should look into this and put the traffic lights where they are really needed. I stood out there today, as you can see in the photo above. It was about 2 pm. No cars.

We don't think a traffic light at this intersection at The Cloisters is a good idea simply because it will make traffic tie ups even worse. What next, the other end of the block at Commodore and Grand, just a few feet from the other traffic light? It has come to our attention that the county is indeed involved and has asked the Village Council to put the matter on their next agenda. I am sure there will be plenty of residents with their own traffic light requests at that meeting.

We spoke with many businesses in the area, not one is in favor of the light. They are however, in favor of some sort of traffic calming device, to slow down traffic.

We will put this question up on Facebook and you can all debate it there.