Novack: Gainesville has changed for the worse

Letter to the editor

I lived in Gainesville for 10 years in the ’70s & early ’80s. I left for Miami because of employment. For many years, all I wanted to do was to move back “home.” In 1999, I did so.

In Miami, I had been asked, many times, what‘s so great about Gainesville? I would reply that it has no traffic reports, lots of trees, and it’s a pleasure to drive around such a beautiful city.

Boy, has that changed. Yes, there are now traffic reports. However, they don’t matter. I still just spend a lot of time staring at red lights. Not just the light that I am facing, but red lights for ALL directions. I sit at these lights staring at three other drivers, facing me. No one can move because all the lights are red. The bicycle lanes are moving because the few cyclists that use the lanes don’t stop for red lights. Instead of more bike lanes, how about computerizing the lights?

Many times, I have stopped at a red light, with green lights for the cross traffic. One problem: there was no cross traffic. The light was red for me and green for others, but often, there were no others. I often have seen one car in the left turn lane, but with the green turning arrow staying on for at least six or more cars that were not there. All the other drivers at this time just sat there looking at red lights and useless green turn arrows.

There are different traffic patterns in rush hour vs. 11 p.m. at night. However, those who know how to computerize traffic lights seem to have no idea that traffic is different at 2 a.m. vs. 5 p.m.

The potholes are displacing the few remaining smooth portions of the roads. Please stop trying to patch the problem. Your elevated patches are worse than most of the potholes you attempt to “fix.” If you insist on patching vs. fixing, how about leaving the patches smooth and even with the surrounding road? Better yet, how about actually paving the roads? I’d rather have one smooth repaved road than any number of your patched roads.

I love the new patches that I see. Rather than leaving a smooth road, they leave an elevated mound with, often, a sign alerting you to bumps in the road. Bumps that incompetence created. SW 91st Street, SW 23rd, and 39th Avenue are just a few such places. Put away the signs warning about uneven roads, and properly fix the roads. Have you recently driven on 83rd, adjacent to Sante Fe College? It is more of an obstacle course than a drivable road – enough said.

The City and County’s solution: build more bike lanes. That way, more people can bike rather than drive. A good theory with no basis in reality. I would love to know the ratio of bike lane miles to the few people who use them. Have you noticed the recent uptick in road rage? More bike paths won’t alleviate drivers’ frustrations. Drivable roads and synchronized traffic lights should.

The Tree City–no longer. The most endangered species in our city are trees. It is amazing how developers can cut down every tree in a patch of woods, only to be replaced by the UGLY barracks they call apartments. I also don’t understand why GRU’s wood-burning plant seems to be such a major financial mistake. With all the trees that are cut down each week, GRU should have enough fuel for generations to come. How is cutting down more trees going to decrease the use of fossil fuels?

Gainesville is also known as the Purple Heart city. Very appropriate with the injured state the city is in.

Harvey Novack, Gainesville

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