[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by DauntlessDan

mikelizard860 It's Vermont for crying out loud, NOT out west. I realize that some of the roads are hazardous and when I drive up there (I live in an area where interstate traffic is 70mph) I take it easy. I take it easy down here too. People need to slow down and not be in such a flipping hurry all of the time. People rush everywhere here in the DC metro area and we have a LOT of crashes involving leaving the road due to speed. You just have to adjust your driving habits to the layout and conditions of the roads and give yourself a little extra time.

Yeah, but what about the OTHER drivers on the road. That's the concern. There will ALWAYS will be bad drivers out there. It's sort like saying you don't need a seatbelt as long as you drive safely. Nonsense.

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Don't why anyone wants to go between Brattleboro and Bennington anyway. Did someone open a strip joint? Oh. Skiers. I suppose. Those who strap two boards on their feet, put giant spikes in their hands, and intentionally fall down a mountain shouldn't be afraid of a road.

Yeah, Vermont has mountains that go down the center of the state. It is a feature, not a flaw. The only relatively level route across the state is the one that the railroad takes and the Interstate followed. The population of the entire state is less than the population of Denver and there is no transcontinental highway to be concerned about so between lack of money, lack of major traffic, and a desire to keep tourism, the roads aren't going to be like those in a lot of other places.

Actually the skiers are a million times more likely to die on trip to the ski area than actually skiing. Skiing can be a very safe activity if you take it easy and don't try crazy ****. Think you've been watching too many extreme videos/super g racing. You ever been to a ski area? Just don't go to fast or try freestyle stuff and you'll be fine. It's great outdoor exercise/fun.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Don't why anyone wants to go between Brattleboro and Bennington anyway. Did someone open a strip joint?

That's funny!

Originally Posted by mikelizard860

You ever been to a ski area?

Seriously? He's from Vermont.

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by Hopes

That's funny!


Seriously? He's from Vermont.

Well he seems to think it's some kind of death wish so I wondered. I mean seriously.... people doing the snowplow down the bunny hill and your average skier going down gree/blues at relatively slow speeds. That's the majority of people. Not exactly a super dangerous activity. Doesn't really compare to getting smashed into at 50mph head on in a vehicle. He's the one who made the ridiculous analogy.

[harry chickpea]

Thanks Hopes, at least he/she asked it as a question. I wonder if the OP knows the names Sepp Rusche, Charlie Lord, the Cochrans, or Jean-Claude Killey, or even Maria Von Trapp? (Seen 'em all.) Also used to have a job where I delivered over-runs of Vt Ski Magazine to all the ski areas in Vt for the Millers. Nah, never been to a ski area...

Edit to add:
Yo Mike - the ski part was just playing with the comparison. I know a lot of New Yorkers come to "ski" the bar at the bottom of the bunny slope, and are terrified of anything more dangerous than stretch pants and a Rusty Nail... Now THAT is a ridiculous comparison.

Speaking of which... I have an old 33rpm record of a group that played at the old Rusty Nail. The group I was in in high school was bad, but we never dared to record how bad we were on an LP.

Thanks for the reminiscence.

[arctichomesteader]

If routes 4 or 9 scare you, there are some back roads over the mountains. Many of them class 4. You can take things nice and slow on them.

I'm not so sure I want to encourage more tourism and more transplants by building another interstate. As it is 91 made the Kingdom way too accessible.

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

If routes 4 or 9 scare you, there are some back roads over the mountains. Many of them class 4. You can take things nice and slow on them.

I'm not so sure I want to encourage more tourism and more transplants by building another interstate. As it is 91 made the Kingdom way too accessible.

Interstates don't encourage transplants. Jobs do. That's what brings people to an area. The climate sucks in Vermont(as far as most people are concerned) so that's not a driving force either.(retired folks who go to florida). You really think a TON of people are going to want to live in the middle of a 2300 foot mountain? lol You just sound paranoid that will lose the woodsy/away from it all feeling. Trust me, putting a divider up will have no effect on that. I'm sorry, but maybe you should move to Alaska if you feel interstate 91 has made northern Vermont too developed. And why would you not want to encourage tourism? It's fantastic for the local economy. Go get a tent and live in a national park if you want no people oh, but you get better get rid of the campgrounds as well. Too many people!

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by mikelizard860

Interstates don't encourage transplants. Jobs do. That's what brings people to an area. The climate sucks in Vermont(as far as most people are concerned) so that's not a driving force either.(retired folks who go to florida). You really think a TON of people are going to want to live in the middle of a 2300 foot mountain? lol You just sound paranoid that will lose the woodsy/away from it all feeling. Trust me, putting a divider up will have no effect on that. I'm sorry, but maybe you should move to Alaska if you feel interstate 91 has made northern Vermont too developed. And why would you not want to encourage tourism? It's fantastic for the local economy. Go get a tent and live in a national park if you want no people oh, but you get better get rid of the campgrounds as well. Too many people!

My post was only half serious, but for the half that was: I don't want more of the state to turn into a Killington, a Stowe or a Woodstock. The original residents of these areas have largely been driven off by the increased property prices, taxes, and the wealthy transplants' actions once they controlled the town governments. Tourism benefits a few but most people get a higher cost of living in exchange for poor paying, no-benefit jobs. The Kingdom has so far largely escaped the development plague, but with some of what's going on with Jay and Newport I'm not sure how long that will be the case. I don't foresee Essex County ever becoming too populated, but other areas, I'm not so sure. I did say "accessible" not developed. Last time I stopped by Ferdinand's Moose Bog there was a bus full of people there. Probably temporarily doubled Ferdinand's population of just over 30.

I know routes 9 and 4 are dangerous, I've had close calls on rt. 4, and I could see the few times I've been on 9 that it's not that safe. But there are still bad accidents on 89 and 91. Bad drivers cause accidents with or without barriers. And I don't see how route 4 or 9 would ever be turned into an interstate type highway. Between the costs, the difficult engineering, and the tourist towns that will block it, it's not going to happen. Same as the Western VT interstate will never happen.

[JacksonPanther]

Why not just lobby to lower the speed limit? If you feel the road is unsafe at 60mph, perhaps the limit should be lowered to 45?

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[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Why not just lobby to lower the speed limit? If you feel the road is unsafe at 60mph, perhaps the limit should be lowered to 45?

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That doesn't work. They've done studies on roads like that.

So lower the speed limit and somebody crashes into you head on at 50mph(only 5 over speed limit) and you're still dead.....and we know that no one speeds, right? You'd have to lower it to a ridiculously low level like 30mph and no one would pay attention to it. Oh and then there's a ton of tractor trailers that use that road. Head on collisions are not pretty.

Having no divider between cars means no room for error. People fall asleep, daydream looking at scenery, hit an oil patch, hit ice, hit snow, spill coffee on their leg, talk on the phone, hit deer causing them to go into your lane, take their eyes off the road for a seconds, numerous distractions, texting, speeding ect. ect. Even with a lot of law enforcement action this will still happen. Especially with a lot of tourists using that road.
There's a reason that rural area's have a much higher auto fatalties per capita. High speed head on collisions are horrific and totally avoidable with a divider. The roads already BUILT, just widen it and put a divider. Even if it's just one lane each direction. Get a divider up there and wide shoulders.