Opinion/Letters: Police presence could reduce traffic backup near Sagamore Bridge

I’m sure you have had many emails regarding the traffic around the Sagamore Bridge, but I had a thought while I was one of those folks stuck on Route 6A. There appeared to be one major hang-up in Sandwich. It’s at Sandwich Road and Adams Street. Cars wanting to turn left on Adams to get up to the Sagamore Bridge are blocking cars that want to use the Bourne Bridge. This caused miles of backup along Route 6A, Route 130, and Tupper Road. I don’t understand why there isn’t a police presence in that location to move traffic along. I believe it will relieve most of the traffic and frustration in that area.

I happen to be caught in it two weeks ago on a Sunday afternoon. It took roughly 45 minutes to move from the light at Ben Abbey Road and Sandwich Road to get past Adams Street, which is maybe half a mile. All I could see were cars on the side streets trying to make it to the Sagamore Bridge. If traffic police were stationed on Sandwich Road it would have been a whole lot smoother and wouldn't have been nearly as bad for many travelers.

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I’m not sure who to make this suggestion to. I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed a lack of police presence along that route.

Mike Anderson, Dennis

Guns should have detection devices

Twenty years ago society was confronted with mass terrorism and threats to air safety. The world responded by creating controls over air travel to prevent hostile takeovers of aircraft by people carrying weapons. The system, though expensive, is very effective.

Today we are confronted with the same sort of threats to public institutions including schools, shopping malls, and other similar places where large vulnerable groups of people gather.

Putting the politics of disarming our populations aside, we need to find ways to limit the use of weapons in areas where large groups of people gather.

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Technology may be the answer. Enormous advances in technology already provide capabilities to detect the locations of lost devices (cellphones, etc.), track convicted criminals, and so on.

So why can't we manufacture weapons with sensing devices that render them useless when in proximity to areas where society wants weapon-free zones? Why can't we install these sensing devices in all current weapons with major penalties for those who might try to avoid this technology?

We have the capability if we choose to make it a priority. We don't have to disarm those who wish to carry weapons. But society has a right to expect that its air travel is safe, and that aircraft are not used as weapons of mass destruction. And society has a right to expect that vulnerable institutions will remain safe from threats by people carrying weapons.

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Let's use our technology to ensure public safety by destabilizing weapons in areas where our society wishes for weapon-free zones.

We can solve this problem if we commit to it.

Norman Holcomb, Yarmouth Port

We must all use energy efficiently as green energy takes hold

It looks like the Eastern Seaboard is going to start to catch up to the rest of the world’s offshore wind! Construction for South Fork Wind and Vineyard Wind starts soon.

Vineyard Wind has told us that they will be making enough clean energy to power 400,000 homes. As impressive as that sounds, we could boost those numbers by weatherizing our homes, changing our driving habits and turning our consumer habits green.

Evidently, OPEC is at it again, they are reducing the amount of fuel they will sell. In the early 1970s, when Nixon was president, OPEC stopped selling oil to the U.S. Nixon talked to the nation about conserving fuel. The speed limit was reduced to its most efficient use of 55 mph and other tips for saving money and reducing lines at gas stations followed. President Carter picked up on Nixon’s conservation idea and also promoted renewable energy. Now we have even more reason to follow their driving efficiency tips — like using cruise control to conserve — if it's safe to do so.

Whatever we do to be more energy efficient is so helpful but in addition, we should join an environmental group that is working to pass powerful climate legislation!

Jan Kubiac, Hyannis

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod Times Letters to the Editor: Sagamore Bridge traffic, guns