Drivers, watch out for goblins in the road on Halloween | Street Scene

Beginning early evening on Tuesday, Oct. 31, All Hallows’ Eve, a mass invasion of excited children will enter neighborhoods in anticipated delight of scaring the bejesus out of anyone or anything that dare come in close contact with them.

These goblins of today, our bright futures of tomorrow, will have little else on their reactionary brains except to get from house to house as quickly as possible.

Leave work in broad daylight. Turn Headlights On! Turn Radio/ GPS OFF! Enter the neighborhood with no distractions! 15 miles per hour! Passengers are now lookouts not conversationalists. It is up to all vehicle operators to realize the shortest distance between a joyful existence and devastation is striking a child running into the street, crossing your driveway, walking in medians, even walking in the road.

The National Safety Council tells us children are twice as likely to be hit and killed by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year. Tuesday night is a school night, so it is perfectly fine (and wise) to close-up shop early, go inside and turn out the decorations. Turning out the lights will let the children get to sleep know Halloween is over at your house.

Tricks and treats: A guide to spooky Halloween events and fun fall festivals in Tallahassee area

Speeders on private road

Q. John lives on a private road and it is stricken by the same disease (my expression not John's) as government maintained roads — speeding drivers. John and his neighbor have considered the possibility of taking matters in their own hands and asks if stenciling yellow painted “Slow Down” or installing rubber speed bumps are deterrents. There are 30 mph speed limit signs which are generally ignored along some areas. Are there any local, state traffic safety guidelines for such improvements on a private road?

A. First let’s examine your question about safety guidelines. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) addresses safety measures for all roads. I know of no exceptions or exemptions for non-government maintained roads. If your private road follows the standard private road build, your property which fronts the road extends to the center of the road giving you say in what improvements should or should not take place on your road.

With that comes the responsibility for anything that goes wrong with your road. Of course your neighbors have the same advantage or disadvantage as the case may be. Doing anything without consulting the neighborhood association is highly frowned upon.

Stenciling a message using yellow paint on the road might help, doing so certainly can’t hurt. I say do it. On the other hand installing rubber speed bumps can hurt. In the MUTCD you will find some variants of approved traffic calming methods that are supplemented by warning signs thus a motorcyclist and rider thrown from their horse can’t come back and say their broken bones are due to your negligence. The bottom line is the traffic control of your private road is strictly up to you, your neighbors and any overseeing association.

Dangers at Lincoln High parking lot

Q. Lindsay is familiar with the dangerous condition at the Thomasville Road entrance to Chiles High School and brings our attention to a similar issue at the Lincoln High School sophomore/ junior parking lot that leads onto Connor Boulevard. Many crashes occur here, as sight lines are compromised by a hill, the drive leading out of the Lincoln parking area, a divided road and a curve on Connor Boulevard.

While drivers are not supposed to be traveling as fast as those that the Chiles High School drivers face on Thomasville Road, folks do frequently exceed the 40 mph speed limit on Connor Boulevard and typically run 50-55 mph. There are frequent crashes at this intersection and new drivers play real-life Frogger to get across the road.

At a minimum a traffic light that is triggered by the high school cross traffic could help minimize the danger. Thoughts on how I can advocate for this or other improvements to happen? Thank you.

A. Lindsay you have come to the right place to advocate for any and all traffic conditions large and small. The motoring public are the ones expected to know what is happening, where it is happening and why something is happening. Also in many cases motorists propose viable remedies.

Traffic engineers look for criteria, elected representatives hear the loudest voices, bureaucrats pay attention only to bureau chiefs who may or may not respond to that which is right under their nose.

We ask the Leon County school board, City of Tallahassee Traffic Safety directors, traffic law enforcement captains and Leon County Engineers respond to Connor Boulevard with four missions in mind. Speed control, an effort to reduce the confusing condition at Connor Boulevard and the intersection with Lincoln High School student parking by installing a traffic signal, excavate the hill creating a dangerous sight distance restriction and post the large R2–1 36”x48” speed signs in the vicinity of the curve Lindsay refers to. Lincoln High School Administration is your best contact.

Hot dog holdup

Q. Donna, westbound on College Avenue around 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, found traffic stopped between Adams Street and Duval Street because a hot dog vendor had set up in a parking space in front of the First Baptist Church as another car was stopped blocking the westbound lane ostensibly handing-off supplies to the vendor. Students were streaming up the sidewalk. I had to wait until eastbound traffic cleared before I could drive around the bottleneck. There was no police presence at all, time wise I was unable to stop and call TPD and 911 wasn’t appropriate, so what number could I have called to report the bottleneck?

A. Vendor setting up and students streaming into the downtown on Friday the 13th makes it obvious there was some type of “freaky Friday” celebration in the making. Law enforcement officers usually won’t show up until the happenings start happening. If you call the police, you, in all likelihood will be delayed further and bring unwanted attention to yourself. This blocking of College Avenue is a prelude to upcoming holiday extravaganzas where some downtown streets will be barricaded one day or week and other streets on other days or weeks. From Halloween to New Year's Eve, as much as practical, we all might want to avoid driving downtown.

Update on Chiles intersection

A note to all parents of Chiles High School students writing to Street Scene. Your heightened concern is valid but please rest easy. Every elected representative, State of Florida, Leon County and City of Tallahassee public safety employee involved in the safety of your children are aware a traffic signal must be installed at Thomasville Road and Timberwolf Crossing. They will not risk shouldering the responsibility of allowing, by inaction, a traffic death at this known hazardous intersection. The traffic signal will be installed.

In the interim, Street Scene suggests a uniformed officer directing traffic at this intersection each school day morning and afternoon.

Philip Stuart is a retired Florida State Trooper, Traffic Operations Projects Engineer and Forensics Expert Witness. Write to crashsites@embarqmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Trick or treaters can give drivers a fright in the road