File under "unintended irony."

In New Albany governing circles, unintended irony is a persistent affliction. Perhaps when the sign is no longer needed to delineate the boundaries of the Main Street Deforestation Project, it can be used at the entrances to Indie Fest on September 21.

Then there's the even bigger irony: this sign faces Spring Street, and has been regularly bowled over by the breezes generated by non-local business heavy truck traffic speeding past, unregulated and undeterred, mere feet away. It is something that city "leaders" who live on quiet semi-suburban cul de sacs can't quite seem to grasp, no matter how hard we try.

And that's what irony-deficiency does to a person ... and a political party.

Selective public safety interpretations, volume the infinity.

I see a detour sign on the left side, but not the right.

Hmm. Still nothing.

Wait -- there it is. You just couldn't see it for the plumbing truck.

Is the city of New Albany genuinely concerned with public safety?

When the plumbers park their trucks on the street, intersection sight lines are blocked. This is not in the interest public safety.

The city does nothing.

Except create vacant lots?

Will the proposed Grant Line Road detour be more or less safe than Baghdad?

Granted, I’m biased. While supportive of the plan to improve Grant Line Road and hurdle the railroad with an overpass, I know that the work is going to be highly disruptive to the businesses in my neighborhood, including my own.

Pay close attention to the proposed detour route described in the article.

New Albany businesses wait for answers on overpass project along Grant Line Road, by Daniel Suddeath (News and Tribune).

... For businesses that will stay open, there is the question of revenue loss during construction. Federal law does not require payment to establishments for business deprivation.

While the city and state ironed out a detour route that still depends on property acquisition, many businesses stand to lose revenue in the project’s wake because of difficult accessibility.

The likely detour will be from University Woods Drive to Plaza Drive to Unruh Court to McDonald Lane, if property can be purchased in order to build an access road connecting Plaza and Unruh.

The city is handling the right-of-way purchases for the access road and detour route.

The state’s official detour route will be to take Interstate 265 to Interstate 64, and then connect back with Ind. 111.

INDOT wants to have the project finished in one construction season, weather permitting.

Not only will the Plaza Drive detour route result in incessant, bumper to bumper traffic on a street unsuited to serve as an artery, and by doing so cut off the area parking for offices and retail establishments like mine, but it’s also slated to run right through an apartment complex. Will there be signals and crosswalks on Plaza Drive to help keep pedestrians from being auto fodder?

I'm not asking for policemen, mind you. Steve Price has already ruled that manpower out.

Noting that the detour route is the city’s call, and not the state’s, can we respectfully ask: How safe is this going to be?