The Observation Deck

What's with all the surveillance cameras on the new utility poles? Rather Orwellian don't you think? Comforting to know Big Brother is always watching.

Bill----"Presumably" they are just for traffic control!

Stan

I did hear someting about helping with regard to "Amber Alerts" also, which means that at least at times they will be monitored for non-traffic-control details, such as (I imagine) license plate numbers, make and model, etc. Yes, a little unsettling.

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Mike Zannoni
Lakewoodite

On the real topic of lights, one adjustment they can make right away is Bunts/Detroit. It is so long a wait that cars on Bunts headed south are getting backed up all the way to the tracks. Then, it doesn;t change long enough to empty out the Bunts traffic lane headed south, and cars turning onto Detroit from Bunts coming the opposite way are almost completely locked out until the next cycle (except for two cars that turn under yellow/red), which is impossibly long. No reason for it and should be an easy fix.

The signal on Bunts is like the one on Granger. The walk sign goes from walk to don't walk back to walk and finally to don't walk and then the light changes. Both lights seem to be going through two full cycles before they change. It's a pain, I am hoping these signals get fixed soon. I am sure they aren't the only two that do this they just happen to be the two I have noticed.

On a related matter .... VERY VERY happy to see newly painted crosswalk stripes and the lime green crosswalk sign smack dab in the middle of Detroit at Manor Park!! (though it would be great if another such sign could be place in the midle of Manor Park at Detroit where our elderly neighbors from the Westerly cross when walking to Giant Eagle. I know, probably overkill ... but ...

Does anyone know if all crosswalks on Detroit and Madison not "protected" by a trafiic signal will get the same treatment?

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2 ... TV-cameras




Bill

What upsets me more than Big Brother watching, is that "Little Brother" Lakewood City Hall
has not be honest or forthcoming with us, the residents, businesses and tax payers, yet again.

Lakewood smog control/traffic camera

No this is actually two of the CCTV Cameras in London, England. Among other things they
are capable of doing, is calling up everyone wearing a brown jacket over the past 5
months in Trafalger Square. Then sorting out male, female, color of hair, aprox age, and
finally who they are through facial recognition software.

The only reason I have jumped into this post, is it does not take a rocket surgeon to
understand that cameras paid for by Homeland Security lets hope at the cost of demanding
installation they do more than smog patrol. They should be able to do facial recognition,
let alone the hundreds of other things possible.

And while many hate Big Brother, few will ever be brave enough to say what they feel, so
why not say, "These new cameras will give police and security unparalleled ways to keep
this community safe from thugs, crime and terrorists."

But ours are for smog control and traffic control. "They don't do facial recognition."

In Lakewood


In Lakewood

Meanwhile once the cameras cross the city line, that look just like ours, are good for
amber alerts and all sorts of things. Did our City get ripped off? Are we doing security on the cheap?

Ours are for "smog, and traffic control."

Well if that is the case, what is this guy doing? Adjusting the smog meters?


When were we that worried about smog?

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_________________
Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident

"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg

"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Paul-- a call just came into Dispatch complaining about that very problem.

What I like about this, while not as safe as the lights that were removed, and reinstalled on Spring Garden
and Detroit for the Dunkin Donuts rush hour. It gives Seniors and the elderly a fighting chance against the
four lanes channeling down to two on the entrance and exit of our Downtown bars and nightlife area.*

A separate observation.

When the light was coming down this sign was installed, while waiting for the the other sign to be installed.
I swear I am not trying to say Lakewood has developed a sign fetish, but, it always makes me think...
how much more?

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_________________
Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident

"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg

"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama

I live downtown and the new traffic lights have been very frustrating. Since they're new I've been trying to be patient hoping that it was a matter of working out the kinks. However, there have been close calls for me as a driver and a pedestrian. There have been many issues, but the one that is really bothering me is the crosswalk at Cook/Detroit. The pedestrian never gets the "Walk" signal. It is a very busy walkway--across from the farmers market on Saturday and another place to cross to get to Marc's. Anyone else notice this?

Jim,

My son is a pretty savvy 12 year old. He noticed the cameras immediately and there is no way to convince him that these cameras have "many purposes".

One other question is, if we're going bike friendly on Detroit and we expect bikes to act like cars, are the traffic signals going to be actuated by bicycles? It doesn't appear that way from my own experimentation ... and I'm sure as heck not going to sit on my bike at an empty intersection waiting for a light doesn't "see" me.

Thanks for the note Stan...not surprised...

For all of you complaining about the annoying traffic signal issues, I know it sucks, but it will get better. if you can remember back when they did it on Clifton, the lights were awful for about 2-3 months while they figured out the calibration. While i think that is a little long my self, I am just trying to convey that right now it is annoying but its not how the lights are going to stay. They will work out the kinks. and if I remember hearing right, the cameras actually work the same as pressure sensors without having to be installed under the asphalt. They look for traffic back up so they can change to avoid jams before they occur. I could be wrong, but that was my understanding.

Christopher
1) Traffic on Detroit has been screwed up since Ed FitzGerald started playing with it, after years of it working fine.
Not really sure the new lights will work, and all of the signs, and stuff now screwed into the street to make up for
it makes me believe no one at the city has been here through a typical winter where we actually need snow plows.

Then there is the other excuse we could not afford to replace those two lights, but they could afford new lights
at a hardly used intersection until they allowed Dunkin Donuts to use Spring Garden for Drive-thru.

2) Read what other cities are saying about the cameras that were paid for from Homeland Security. "Amber
Alerts," "Facial Recognition" to be honest, Lakewood is the only city trying the "smog and traffic" line.

Common sense, and critical thought really goes a long way on this.


FWIW


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_________________
Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident

"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg

"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama