Chronicles of New Gahania, political cowardice edition: Beharrell to Vincennes, or the choke valve from the choke artist.

I'll repeat.

It's an act of political cowardice to predicate these Spring Street grid changes (see article below) entirely on automotive safety, with scant mention of pedestrians and cyclists, because doing so reinforces the plain fact that Jeff Gahan has nothing resembling a go-to civic master plan for walking and bicycling.

Rather, it's auto-centrism, 24-7-365 ... not at all unexpected from a suburban mayor who has shown almost no urban aptitude from the very start.

Just imagine the usefulness of placing these street changes in a context of overall mobility improvement, as opposed to piecemeal band-aids catering to distracted drivers.

There are some in the municipal apparatus who agree with me on this point. Just imagine if they were allowed to deploy their expertise toward progress without fearing the midnight phone call.

Will the road diet between Vincennes and Beharrell help matters?

Yes.

Will it ward off forthcoming pass-through toll evasion all on its own, as Gahan seems to believe?

Unlikely.

Gahan's miserable failure to implement two-way streets in the timely fashion he has promised privately suggests that we're about to be used as guinea pigs when tolling begins, testing the mayor's cherished theory that little dribs and drabs are sufficient in the absence of comprehensive improvements.

Look for a Gahan for State Senate Christmas Bonus come December, 2016, in the form of fireworks, gladiatorial epics, feats of strength and the announcement that Pearl and Bank will be reconverted to two-way traffic, even as another year is lost as Duggins's wife's engineering firm seeks to properly monetize the two-way changes to Spring, Elm and Market for campaign finance, if not real-world success.

It'll be Jeffey's bone to us all. We'll be expected to express delight. Please, sir -- may we have another?

• New signal with exclusive opposing left turn lanes at the Spring and Silver intersection
• A modified 3-lane section with two west bound travel lanes on the east leg of Spring Street (from Beharrell Avenue to Silver Street)
• A two-lane section with buffered bike lanes, parking lanes, and exclusive left turn lanes at key intersections on the west leg of Spring Street (from Silver Street to Vincennes Street)

Spring Street work begins Monday in New Albany, by Chris Morris (News and CNHI Doubloon)