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A pothole here, an unsignaled turn there ... Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Medford resident Andy Anderson says it drives him crazy when he has to turn left onto Roberts Road from Temple Street. A pair of tall, cone-shaped cypress trees blocks the view of westbound traffic, forcing Anderson to pull out into the street to check for approaching cars. And those are just a couple of things that make drivers nuts By JESSICA SMITH Every time Andy Anderson stops his Cadillac at Roberts Road and Temple Street, he hopes for the best. It's not that Roberts Road, a wide avenue in east Medford, is a particularly rough road. It's just difficult to turn onto, says Anderson. "I'm scared to death every time," says Anderson, 65, who regularly drives Roberts to access Crater Lake Avenue. "I have to stick my nose out there in the middle of the intersection." Keep 'em coming In this week's series on traffic troubles, we've touched on a lot of problems in the Rogue Valley. We'd still like to hear from you if what drives you crazy on the road hasn't been addressed. Send your comments and suggestions to the Mail Tribune as a letter to the editor. Mail: Letters, Mail Tribune, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501 Fax: 541-776-4376 E-mail: [email protected] E-vent: [email protected] (75 words or less) 'Slow down' signs available Tired of cars speeding through your neighborhood, putting you and your loved ones at risk? We can help. As part of the "Driving Me Crazy" series on traffic problems in the Rogue Valley, 2,500 signs with the message "Please slow down" are being made available to area residents. The signs are provided free of charge through a cooperative effort of the Lithia Auto Group, the Mail Tribune and KTVL-TV. The signs may be picked up at Lithia dealerships in Medford, Grants Pass and Klamath Falls, or at the offices of the Mail Tribune or KTVL. The signs may be posted on private property, but should not be put up on public rights of way. The problem, according to Anderson, is a pair of cypress trees on the northeast corner of Roberts and Temple. The tall, cone-shaped trees obstruct the view of traffic driving west on Roberts. "It makes it virtually impossible to see," says Anderson, adding that he's had a couple of "close calls" with cars traveling on Roberts. "It's extremely dangerous." Anderson is one of several dozen Mail Tribune readers who shared their traffic pet peeves in calls, letters and e-mails over the past few weeks. From lead-foot drivers to racing bicyclists and poorly timed traffic signals to drivers who won't use signals, readers sounded off about what drives them crazy. Here's what some of you had to say: Speed racers "The bicyclists have to learn to live with the cars if they want to ride on the road. They need to observe the laws and they don't. They go faster than the speed limit, they shoot through stop signs and stop lights. They're asking to get hit." - Rod Tivis, Phoenix Time those signals! "The congestion at the intersection at Barnett Road and Stewart is completely contrived by the lack of proper timing of the signals. The same can be said of all the intersections in town!" - Richard Likins Use turn signals "My main complaint is about drivers who don't use their blinkers when turning onto the freeway. There are no crosswalks, or lights, on most of the exits and nine out of 10 drivers don't use a turn signal or only turn it on after they start a turn. Failure to use a turn signal can cause an accident and it makes it especially difficult for those who are walking, or on bikes, to know when it's safe to cross the road." - Beverly Jones, Medford Sams Valley prayer "Old Sams Valley Road has little hills and dips that can obscure a horse and rider, kids on bikes, cats, dogs and cows. Maybe because the road has no 'curves' in it, it's sometimes mistaken for a drag strip. It's the occasional 80- to 90-mph vehicle that makes you shudder and pray. "I wonder if there were a posted speed limit, say of 45 mph, if it would serve as a reminder to those of us who drive it all the time, and as a 'noose' with which to hang the occasional dragster." - Marsha Schulz, Gold Hill Drive to the hoop "As much as I think it's neat that kids have physical activities such as basketball, I take exception to the folks that place the basketball hoops on the sidewalk or in the street. "Drive through any neighborhood and you will see these things blocking the sidewalks so little kids can't ride their bikes, moms with strollers can't push their babies and old folks have to walk in the street." - Don Silverman, Medford Follow the rules "I am absolutely sick of the moronic drivers who do not obey the road signs, but commonly devise a system of their own rules. "I'm speaking particularly of the intersection at Crater Lake Avenue and Delta Waters Road. A road sign tells drivers that if they are continuing forward on Delta Waters, they should be in the right lane and all traffic to the left should merge to the right. "But most people continuing on Delta Waters stay in the left lane (to get around cars turning right at Crater Lake). That's all well and good if the cars in the right lane are turning. But those of us who follow the road signs, and are not turning right, are routinely almost broadsided!" - K. Clark The worst street "Yesterday while going to yard sales, we went to an address on Garfield Street in Medford, between King's Highway and Peach Street. This section gets my vote as absolutely the worst-cared-for street in all of Jackson County. "I have not been on anything that would compare with this rundown, neglected place since I was on a country road in the Philippines, right after a typhoon." - Rick Fix it! "When are Medford officials going to fix roads that are tearing up our cars? Take a drive on Crater Lake Avenue at McAndrews, or Fourth Street at the railroad tracks, or Riverside Avenue between downtown and the mall. Those roads - and there are plenty more - rattle your teeth! How about if we start sending our auto repair bills to City Hall?" - Melissa G., Medford Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.