The Streets of San Francisco, the Lights of Montebello

           We date ourselves if we remember “The Streets of San Francisco”, starring bulbous-nosed Karl Malden and a young Michael Douglas. 

          But this lesson is not about reminiscences;  rather, we quickly transit, however inelegantly, to the lights of Montebello. 

          We have heard about global warming and have talked about it in “Global Warming Warning”, March 29, 2007.  Whether or not we agree with the majority scientific opinion that the Earth be warming and that we humans could address the problem, we still are confronted with our manic consumption of fossil fuels, which could lead to trouble, as shared in “The Flashback Quarterback” in this issue.         

And the tie to the lights of Montebello?  There are a number of intersections at which the traffic lights cycle according to a clock, not according to the flow of traffic.  The result?  Many cars stop at a red light when no car is present in cross traffic.  Unnecessary stop-and-go traffic means more fuel consumed, more pollutants released into the air. 

          How many intersections?  Tenth and Whittier, Cleveland and Montebello, Howard and Lincoln, Madison and Montebello until recently.  Those are the ones which I have noticed.  I believe that there is a huge waste. 

          But the purpose of bringing this up is not to raise a fuss at a meeting of our city council, for reasons discussed in next week’s community lesson.  Rather, the question arises:  what can I do about these mindless traffic lights?  I do not have the skills to change the programming, but neither do I want to wait for our city or Caltrans to become involved.  As with the Department of Motor Vehicles, I am not averse to solving the problem and then billing government for the time. 

          Why?  Because I do not want this waste to continue.  Because this waste does contribute to the general, thoughtless wastefulness in our country, and this wastefulness can lead us to war within a generation or two. 

If you answer the multiple-choice questions below and e-mail to lessonanswers@mymontebello.com with “Lesson answers” in the subject field, you will be credited toward a “certificate of recognition in community affairs” to be awarded in 2007 by a local nonprofit organization. 

1.   What is wrong with traffic lights in Montebello?

(a)  They are not sufficiently visible during the day.

(b)  They do not operate for best traffic flow. 

2.   What are the long-term consequences of poor traffic flow?

(a) Road rage.

(b) Increased pollution.

(c) Increased fuel consumption.

(d) Car brakes wear out quicker. 

July 26, 2007