Whoa!
A few weeks ago, Friday, September 4, 2009, to be exact, I got snared yet again in the infamous Bloomfield speed-trap.
“That does it!” I said myself. “They’ve extracted their last toll. There has to be another way to Canandaigua beside 5&20 through Bloomfield.”
There is, of course, if ya don’t mind adding about five minutes to your trip. It involves Boughton Road (“BOW-tin;” as in “wow”) which becomes Rice Road, then Brace Road and County Road 30.
Unfortunately it involves what I consider dangerous intersections, the worst of which is across State Route 444.
I’ve lived in this area almost 20 years, and during that time have received 5-6 traffic tickets. Each and every ticket was speeding in Bloomfield. (All 40-50 mph.)
Everyone knows what the Bloomfield speed-trap is. Dutifully slow to 35 mph eastbound, the speed-limit on 5&20 through Bloomfield village.
At the eastern edge of the populated area you start down a hill past the town garages, and there’s Smokey on the other side of the defile taking pictures.
Bloomfield, quite justifiably, considers its village to extend all the way to Oakmount Road.
If you aren’t riding the brake — paying attention — your car speeds up as you descend the defile.
My bypass involved Cooley Road at first, but I avoided that due to a bad turn onto 5&20.
I go that way returning. 5&20 onto Cooley is safe.
So here I am yesterday (Wednesday, October 14, 2009) at the intersection of Boughton and 444, where Boughton Road becomes Rice Road.
Sight lines are okay, but traffic on 444 is moving at 55+.
I look carefully. All seems clear, but as I begin to cross 444 a dark-green Ford Explorer blasts north.
Whoa! Where did he come from?
There are essentially two blind spots on the right side of my car, the windshield-post and the door-post.
Apparently they blocked out the Explorer.
I have to look around both, and probably did.
Yet whoa!
I don’t like that intersection.
I’d avoid it if I could.
5&20 is safer, but there’s always the Bloomfield speed-trap.
• We live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western N.Y., southeast of Rochester. Adjacent is the rural town of East Bloomfield, and the village of Bloomfield is within it.
• “Canandaigua” (“cannon-DAY-gwuh”) is a small city nearby where we live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” —It’s about 15 miles away.
• “5&20” is the main east-west road (a two-lane highway) through our area; State Route 5 and U.S. Route 20, both on the same road. 5&20 is just south of where we live.
“That does it!” I said myself. “They’ve extracted their last toll. There has to be another way to Canandaigua beside 5&20 through Bloomfield.”
There is, of course, if ya don’t mind adding about five minutes to your trip. It involves Boughton Road (“BOW-tin;” as in “wow”) which becomes Rice Road, then Brace Road and County Road 30.
Unfortunately it involves what I consider dangerous intersections, the worst of which is across State Route 444.
I’ve lived in this area almost 20 years, and during that time have received 5-6 traffic tickets. Each and every ticket was speeding in Bloomfield. (All 40-50 mph.)
Everyone knows what the Bloomfield speed-trap is. Dutifully slow to 35 mph eastbound, the speed-limit on 5&20 through Bloomfield village.
At the eastern edge of the populated area you start down a hill past the town garages, and there’s Smokey on the other side of the defile taking pictures.
Bloomfield, quite justifiably, considers its village to extend all the way to Oakmount Road.
If you aren’t riding the brake — paying attention — your car speeds up as you descend the defile.
My bypass involved Cooley Road at first, but I avoided that due to a bad turn onto 5&20.
I go that way returning. 5&20 onto Cooley is safe.
So here I am yesterday (Wednesday, October 14, 2009) at the intersection of Boughton and 444, where Boughton Road becomes Rice Road.
Sight lines are okay, but traffic on 444 is moving at 55+.
I look carefully. All seems clear, but as I begin to cross 444 a dark-green Ford Explorer blasts north.
Whoa! Where did he come from?
There are essentially two blind spots on the right side of my car, the windshield-post and the door-post.
Apparently they blocked out the Explorer.
I have to look around both, and probably did.
Yet whoa!
I don’t like that intersection.
I’d avoid it if I could.
5&20 is safer, but there’s always the Bloomfield speed-trap.
• We live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western N.Y., southeast of Rochester. Adjacent is the rural town of East Bloomfield, and the village of Bloomfield is within it.
• “Canandaigua” (“cannon-DAY-gwuh”) is a small city nearby where we live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” —It’s about 15 miles away.
• “5&20” is the main east-west road (a two-lane highway) through our area; State Route 5 and U.S. Route 20, both on the same road. 5&20 is just south of where we live.
posted by BobbaLew at 6:46 AM
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