Mess in Montgomery highlights value of rush-hour coordination

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

The computer problem involving the many traffic lights in Montgomery County had to be very frustrating for commuters. I'm grateful I don't have to commute anymore, but I sure feel for the people sitting in their cars for hours.

Here's my solution: As soon as it is known that traffic will be jammed because of a computer glitch, or an ice storm has caused many accidents, or anything else that lasts more than an hour, the counties surrounding the problem, and the state, need to step in soon.

Because drivers are sitting two and three cars abreast and going nowhere, you call on each county and city nearby to send one or two police officers to assigned intersections to direct traffic. Get the state police involved, too. Because so many cars are stuck, there are not as many accidents, and you certainly cannot cite speeders in the affected areas since they are just sitting in their cars.

The same can be said for accidents on major highways such the Capital Beltway, Interstate 70 and Interstate 270. When I worked in the District, I would sit in backups because of a big accident. As I finally got through the mess, I'd see police standing around talking.

One or two of those troopers could stand by the center divider and wave people on to get them moving and stop rubber-necking. One could walk a block or two down from the accident to get the cars moving. There's nothing to see people -- just move it! Everybody's time is valuable, and commuters should not be ignored, like today.

-- Joyce Riegel, Fayetteville, Pa.

I think we were angrier about the age of the computer that was controlling the timing at hundreds of intersection than we were about the lack of police presence at those intersections. Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett decided not to send the police to the intersections because the lights were working -- they just weren't in sync for rush hour the way they usually are.