It’s construction season in Billings, Montana. 
That means it’s summer. And it also means that, although lots of projects are main arterials that divert traffic to other arterials, there are some detours that will direct you into neighborhoods. Neighborhoods where people live, children play and pets escape their leashes. I was driving my usual route today and found myself diverted onto – you guessed it – a residential street. As soon as I turned the corner, I was met with this sign: 
It was a hand-painted sign by a resident of a street that has been inundated by detour traffic.
It caused me to check my speedometer; I was going a tad bit fast. After all, I was JUST FORCED TO VEER FROM MY REGULAR ROUTE, FOR HEAVEN SAKE!!! The sign also made me realize that I’m probably not the only one who had to leave their chosen, blocked route and started blasting through someone’s neighborhood, as though it were the 35 mph(okay, 40 mph) street I had just left behind.
If you find yourself in the same situation I found myself today, please…slow down. We aren’t going to shave that much time off of our trip by maintaining speed. But we do jeopardize lives and, at the very least, peace-of-mind of the street’s residents.
Yes, the endless summer road construction is frustrating and inconvenient. Imagine how inconvenient it is for the residents who live on these beleaguered streets!!
Respect our fellow citizens. Slow down.
Your fellow Billings-ites thank you. So do I.
