Proactive vs. reactive
After careful consideration and much thought, I have arrived at a solution to the budget crisis for Marion County. It's very simple really, and quite nice of the state to provide us with the means to generate the funds they will not be sending to our local governments this year.
We just need to set up grandstand bleachers at all four corners at the intersection of highways U.S.-50 and U.S.-77 at Florence and sell tickets for the demolition derby. We'll make a mint.
You see, the Kansas Department of Transportation, in its infinite wisdom, has finally admitted that the two-way stop at that intersection is a hazard. But, they knew this all along and had already been planning for a long time to change it to a four-way stop even before the latest fatalities. They claim that this is so, even though the community of Florence has been begging for changes to this intersection for years. No, decades. And we are supposed to believe that this has been in the works for a long time, even though we were recently assured that no changes were planned or would be made until the Marion County Commissioners and the Florence City Council were consulted. And it was just an unfortunate coincidence that they announced these changes days after our latest fatalities, which made the news in major metropolitan areas. Up until now, KDOT's attitude has been that the intersection is no more dangerous than any other and the only suggestion we've received from them is that they close 8th Street a quarter of a mile away from this intersection.
And now that it is "news," they are jumping through hoops to do something — anything to make it appear that they are concerned and trying to fix it. By changing this intersection to a four-way stop. An intersection that sits on drastic curves from two of the four directions. They are going to install rumble strips and warning signs. Two-thirds of the way around the curves where it will be too late to slow down if traffic is backed up or the vehicle is exceeding the posted speed limit. And they have no plans to reduce the speed limit approaching this intersection.
This is not a solution. This is a reaction. It is a reaction to a news story. A four-way stop will accomplish nothing except more needless deaths. This intersection demands an overpass. Either on U.S.-77 or U.S.-50. That is the only plausible solution. This has been needed for many years. But the KDOT has never been concerned and still does not see the necessity.
Will they see the necessity when a caravan of 10 vans with K-State alumni and fans traveling to a football game are sitting at the stop sign and a semi comes around the curve at 70 mph and sees the warning sign too late to stop from plowing into them? Will they be concerned when a semi, not expecting there to be a stop sign on a major commercial highway, blows through the stop sign and kills the family from Marion or Peabody or Burns or Hillsboro or Goessel or Florence? Will they be concerned when the family on vacation, kids fighting in the back seat, the father turns his head to scold them and missing the warning sign, shoots through the intersection and hits a car turning head on?
A four-way stop is not a solution. It is increasing the danger at the intersection. It is trying to save money at the expense of people's lives. It is a knee-jerk reaction to a problem they do not admit exists.
Our fire and ambulance departments respond to these accidents knowing that there is a very good chance that lives have been lost. They provide rescue service and medical attention professionally and promptly and then must live with the fact that sometimes there isn't anything they can do to save them. They would do anything they could to save those lives. Shouldn't we expect the same of our elected and appointed government officials? Shouldn't we expect that they would be concerned with the deaths that this intersection causes?
Government officials do respond to one thing, however. Pressure from their electorate. I encourage you to take part in an e-mail petition campaign that is underway to put an overpass at this intersection and solve the problem once and for all. One more death is one more too many! Please sign the petition and let our government know that we DEMAND that they do their duty and protect the lives of the citizens of Marion County, Kansas, and travelers through our state.
Please sign the petition that is on the internet at http://www.florenceweb.net. The link to the petition is in the middle at the top of the page. The petition is sent in blocks of 100 signatures to 79 different people in government from the governor on down and in organizations such as national, regional, and local newspapers and national and regional news programs and television stations.
If you are unable to get online, but would like to sign the petition, please send a letter or postcard with the names, cities, and states to "Petition," P.O. Box 104, Florence KS 66851 and I will enter your names for you.
All you have to do is give your name, city, and state to try to save some lives. That's it. There is room also if you would like to include your telephone number and/or e-mail address or any comments you would like to add to the petition if you wish. These are completely optional. All you have to do to help save lives is give your name, city, and state. If your entire family would like to sign it, you can enter up to five people at the same time. Sign up your entire family, ask friends and other family members if you can sign their name to the petition. Spread the word to all of your family, friends, and neighbors. PLEASE sign this petition. I do not want to see us being in the situation 10 years from now with the death toll doubled of telling KDOT, "See? We told you so." And still trying to convince them that the intersection is a life-threatening hazard. It is not up to KDOT. It is up to us. They work for us. If we are committed and show them with hundreds, no thousands of signatures on this petition that we demand action, they will have to take action. Please help save the lives of all of us.
— Rick Burkey
