White Castle is just White Castle, but THIS is a genuine improvement.

Relax.

The White Castle at the dangerous intersection of Vincennes and Spring has reopened, although it's just another chain, and I don't give a tinker's damn whether it lives or dies.

If we must have cookie-cutter chains, then I'd rather have seen the building rebuilt right on the corner, flush with the sidewalk, as it used to be. At least now it's closer, and surprisingly, one aspect of the refit actually matters.

The view during construction ...

 ... and before.

I'd love to know the names of those city officials who approved the installation of a grassy berm at the precise spot where pedestrians would be approaching the restaurant. Suburban design idiocy like this is one reason why the intersection remains dangerous.

Wait ... it was John "Pinocchio" Rosenbarger, wasn't it?

After all, his fingerprints of 40 years time-serving can be found at hazardous junctures throughout the city.

ON THE AVENUES: For New Albany’s Person of the Year, the timeless words of Mother Jones: “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”

Show trials. We need 'em desperately.

BREAKING: Two more pedestrians have been struck by a driver at the intersection of Spring and Vincennes.

At around 4:45 p.m., it appears that two pedestrians were struck at the intersection of Spring and Vincennes in New Albany. The driver who hit them was northbound on Vincennes. The passenger side of the front window was shattered, and there was debris in the street. The first ambulance was leaving as I arrived on the scene, with the second following a few minutes behind it.

With upper Spring already truncated owing to construction, the scene was surreal, with drivers diverting through the Walgreen parking lot (and when it was jammed shut) cutting down Division Street behind the Calumet Club. It really makes one wonder whether humans are suited to the times they inhabit.

This is the second such incident since May, and there was another one that wasn't sufficiently serious to report. I'll update this post when there is more to report.

For better or worse, there'll be a brand new auto-centric White Castle at an already dangerous and muddled intersection.

Panicked rumors began surfacing on social media yesterday afternoon, and thanks to my neighbor Matt, we now see the apocalypse indeed is nigh, for the White Castle at the corner of Spring and Vincennes has closed ... but only temporarily.

The current building is to be demolished and a new one built. I heard this discussed at a Board of Public Works meeting some months back, but forgot about it. I'm told that new White Castle buildings like the one destined for this spot are modeled somewhat on the original castle-like cartoon outline.

I'm not sure if that's better or worse than what's there now.

From the standpoint of this street corner, the real issue remains the intrinsic danger of this intersection, and the fact that Rally's, Walgreen's and White Castle each boast drive-thru windows, translating into greater automotive traffic and a boost in hazards for non-vehicular users, as it's also one of the few places in the city where people walk from adjacent neighborhoods.

"New Albany has a long way to go on street safety," says Broken Sidewalkin an understatement for the ages.

In a much larger sense, I'm an indie kind of guy -- but we all have our exceptions. When it comes to the Porcelain Palace ... the WC Lounge ... it's really hard for me to say "death to chains."

This intersection is such a mess that it's even harder for me to refrain.

Injuries apparently were minor, but another driver struck another walker yesterday at Spring and Vincennes. Repeat after me: "Water park!"

Yesterday (Wednesday, June 1) just before noon, news of another walker struck at the Spring and Vincennes intersection was reported at the New Albany Indiana Fb page.

Later, the poster provided the Green Mouse with details.

I own a police scanner. At approximately 11:30 a.m. a man was hit at the Spring and Vincennes intersection. A few minutes later the cop came on and stated he suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Other than that I haven't heard anything else.

On Councilman Al Knable's Fb page:

As I was eating lunch today another individual was struck at that intersection ... not 100% certain (of the outcome). The driver made a left turn and struck the pedestrian crossing Vincennes. I did notice the officer observing the signals.

Two sources are enough to publish, but there are no additional details at present. In the meantime, here are two informative links for those wishing to crawl from beneath the wreckage of fetishistic American autocentrism.

2015

Walking is not a crime: Dunman and others on the scourges of jaywalking in auto-erotic America.

2014

REWIND: "Death by Car," and other all-too common occurrences.

Dangerous intersections: Something for Greg Phipps to consider, though it's unlikely they will.

Amid the craters of recently paved 5th Street, a safe haven.

Let's return to the city's press release yesterday. Ignore the bad grammar in the last sentence.

Additional infrastructure improvements include numerous changes to local roads and streets. McDonald Lane is being expanded and improved to allow for better traffic flow. Spring Street in downtown is receiving major improvements at dangerous intersections to help improve both safety, traffic, and pedestrian accessibility.

A regular blog reader delves more succinctly, and it raises another valid question of the sort asked by malcontents:

How did those intersections come to be dangerous, and if we knew, why has it taken so many years to (feebly) address the fact?

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Two things come to mind when reading this press release:

1) Only "dangerous intersections"? How many are there and how are they determined? By pedestrian death count?

Why not address every intersection in the same manner, so pedestrians and drivers can come to understand the importance of crosswalks within the city?

Spotty, piece-meal "solutions" prove there is no real plan, just lazy, knee jerk reaction.

2) "Accessibility" is a bullshit word used to sound impressive. Every intersection in New Albany is already "accessible" by walkers (although not by those in wheelchairs).

Most of the intersections on Spring Street are simply not safe for pedestrians to cross due to the street's one way width and traffic speed.

The missing word is "safety" - as in "pedestrian safety" - and the reason the city won't use that phrase is they don't want to make any promises of real effort.

I'm surprised that Mr. Phipps isn't more concerned about pedestrians dying while simply trying to cross the street in the Spring Street neighborhood district. New Albany citizens asking for safer cross walks are "malcontents"?

The next victim will be someone's daughter or son, father or mother, grandmother or grandfather, neighbor or friend.

"Malcontents"?

Really?