R.I.P. Chloe Allen.

24 hours after the fact, the News and Tri ... scratch that. The newsp ... no.

Until our "newspaper" rediscovers the urge to represent New Albany, we'll be referring to it at this blog as the "paper." When it deserves respect again, we'll be happy to provide some.

At any rate, the paper finally got around to interrupting a steady stream of cooking school ads with a story about Chloe Allen's death.

The Street Department can't even keep the crosswalks painted. What does this say about the city's commitment to protecting walkers?

I recommend doing what we did on Sunday night. Stand on the corner for a while. See how fast the traffic moves, the number of red lights disregarded, the frequency of drivers texting, the overall no-man-land flavor of the intersection.

Just don't stand too close to the street. It isn't necessary to try crossing the street to gamble with your life -- and it's been this way for the 13 years I've lived three blocks down Spring, on a one-way street that functions as an interstate highway.

City Hall says it understands this, that it wouldn't have commissioned the Jeff "Walkability" Speck traffic study otherwise.

Yet, when trumpeting approaching design "changes" for Spring between Beharrell, city officials continue explaining these decidedly watered-down alterations with only two talking points: It's about automotive safety, and someone else will pay for most of it.

Try to find a Gahan lackey who'll talk for attribution about walkers and bicyclists in this context. They won't do it, presumably because they can't.

In the aftermath of Chloe Allen's tragic unnecessary death, our municipal government's knee-jerk cowardice is more than a mere insult. It goes beyond tasteless.

It's a threat to public safety.

Smart Growth America's Complete Streets Fundamentals

We are the Killers.

"For we are the killers. We blithely tolerate a street grid with 48-foot-wide streets that pedestrians are expected to navigate without the sanction of government protection."

On Friday, a woman tried to cross the street. She was struck by a driver, and on Saturday she died. Our purported newspaper was too busy touting cooking school to provide an update. City officials were silent.

Killed trying to cross the street, just a few blocks from her house. From my house. From YOUR house, whether you live in Silver Hills or on Slate Run Road.

The usual excuses immediately appeared on social media, with the usual caveats: But Roger, we must wait for the police report to know who was right and who was wrong! 

Randy Smith answers this: We are the Killers.

For we are the killers. We blithely tolerate a street grid with 48-foot-wide streets that pedestrians are expected to navigate without the sanction of government protection. Already some speculate that Chloe should not have taken the risk of crossing the street. The temptation is great to cast blame.

If you've spent any appreciable amount of time walking in downtown New Albany (I have) and don't feel constant nagging trepidation when legally crossing streets designed and maintained for the ease of passage by drivers, not walkers and bikers, you're simply not being realistic.

Or you're not human.

I don't have to wait for a police report, because I trust my own two eyes, my own instincts and my own experience, which is lengthy, both walking and cycling these streets over a period of 15 years.

The intersection at Spring and Vincennes is built to be a merry shooting gallery for walkers. It's simply true, it's not the only one downtown, and it's been only a matter of time for too long of a time that something like this would happen.

I've seen the near hits. I've been a near hit, both here and elsewhere in town. I take no joy whatever in knowing that we've been right in exposing this again and again and again, trying to convince the tone deaf time-servers at city hall that we have a problem, even as they leer and jape and roll their eyes.

The casting of blame: Yes, we are the killers. But because this problem is correctable, and since Jeff Gahan has refused to correct it, prioritizing anything and everything ahead of basic, fundamental public safety, then I have absolutely no compunction in asking the mayor if I could fetch him a towel.

You know, for the blood on his hands. 

Truly, you can't answer the question without a scorecard.

Once upon a time, I asked a baseball manager to explain how he went about running his team's games.

When is the right time to pinch hit? How are strengths and weaknesses played against each other? What’s the ideal situation and pitch count for the hit and run play? Do you bunt for a run early against a better pitcher? In short, what sort of thinking goes into your maneuvering during games?

He thought about it for a minute and said this:

“Well, there are nine innings of three outs each inning. We play during the day, except when it's a night game. We carry 10 pitchers, 3 catchers, 6 infielders and 5 outfielders on our roster. The team bus is a Ford, and we like to eat at Denny’s after the game. Does that help?”

Coincidentally, here’s an explanation of the thought processes behind editorial decision-making at the News and Tribune.

VAN HOY: The beats go on, but sometimes change; A quick refresher on who does what in the editorial department at this paper, by Shea Van Hoy

SOUTHERN INDIANA — A Wednesday morning conversation on Twitter reminded me that there’s much that goes on at the News and Tribune — or any newspaper for that matter — that the public doesn’t know about or understand.