Sounds like you have high blood pressure :-)

These streets you speak of have been designed this way for the propose of “traffic calming” and for those that live on these street, they are very thankful. Before traffic calming came to the grid most of these neighborhood streets where people live were over run with rush hour traffic. So after many years of pressuring the city to do something about it, they have.

trapper said it best: take a chill pill.

Having lived on H Street at 25th before and after the no-entry installation at 26th, I can safely tell you that it was a much nicer area once the daily commuters were removed. If your route into the central city absolutely requires you to use the northern midtown residential streets rather than major corridors, consider bicycling or using RT's 34 bus; both are allowed through such obstructions.

As for the "sudden onset do not enter" you describe, the city seems to be working on that: H Street eastbound from 16th has signs warning that through traffic should use J, then points you down 19th to get to it.

I live near 28th & E, and thankful that Freeway cars (and Pine Cove patrons) have to reroute to get through Midtown. It discourages a large part of people from traveling through Midtown, keeping them on the main streets (J, L, 15, 16, 19, 21) as they were intended. As a midtown resident I know where all traffic calming spots are and I know exactly how to work with and around them. Its really a non-issue.

I've lived downtown for a number of years and initially they were a hassle. However, now I've gotten used to them (it helps to not have a car). Altho I can't tell you how many times I've gone down H, wanting to go further, and forgotten that the sign directs you up 21st, then down I, and before I know it, I'm going in the opposite direction.

I definitely think that suburbanites should become well versed in the main streets. 15, 16, 19, 21, 29, 30, I, J, L, P, Q, W, X, and sometimes N. ;)

My personal favorite would be the fact that 20th street is blocked at both D and E. Just use C street east of Blue Diamond.

Sarah, I suggest that you throughly research the history of traffic calming which started in the 1960's world wide because drivers of autos were making residential neighborhoods unlivable from the noise, pollution, cars killing pedestrians including children, seniors, pets and cars speeding in excess of 60 miles an hour crashing and skidding into peoples porches and houses, sideswiping their parked cars.

That was happening here in Midtown too!!! Research that data too if you don't believe me--a 32 year resident. Compared to many other American cities, Sacramento was actually late in slowing traffic on its central city streets. Many residents moved out because of those accidents and their car and house insurance rates going up.

Did you ever see a square grid like the central city in any other part of the city? Where you were raised for example? No, because planners learned to incorporate traffic calming measures into the street design of newer neighborhoods. Hence the introduction of cul de sacs, T intersections, dead end streets, and expressways to carry through traffic, El Camino, Marconi, et al.

Our central city streets were not designed for cars as you state, Sara. There were NO cars when these streets were laid out. They were designed to move horses and buggies and delivery wagons. Eastern cities were built with narrower streets.

Next time you are in a hurry drive down the business lined streets that were intended to move traffic (J, 16th, etc--there are many) like you must do anywhere outside the central city . Or start your trip earlier so you don't have to rush--stress and rushing can shorten your life. Maybe you'll even be healthier if you bike--very fast way to get around OR walk like many central city people do. If you don't live in our central city and cannot take transit, bike or walk and must drive, then you are a guest. We welcome you ,but please respect us and behave like a guest does when a guest is in your home. or neighborhood..

I have no problem with a lot of these closures as I understand the rationale and, besides, I'm usually biking. My beef is that most of them look like crap; e.g., the one in this article. I realize that they need a lot of prominent signage and idiots obviously run into them a lot, but there's gotta be a better way!

And I WISH that they were writing a bunch of traffic tickets at these locations but I'm just not seeing it happening. They could balance the city budget in a couple of months if traffic enforcement was more aggressive throughout the city.

Ben, do you seriously think the midtown system mirrors the housing tract streets where you grew up? Actually, there is little comparison to any suburban tract areas. Here, you turn once (right or left) and continue on your way at all but a couple of those diverters. You can't do that in any suburbIn tract nor on a one-way street grid. In fact there are fewer turn options and far more movement restrictions in a one-way street grid where every time you hit a block when you want to go west but the one-way goes east, you are blocked.

The system was crafted by one of the world's most respected traffic engineering firms whose owner is a professor of traffic engineering at UC Berkeley. Her staff patterned them after prior projects they designed and implemented in Europe, Austrailia and many cities in the U. S..

I hope that you 're not suggesting that we open up the streets again to those accidents, deaths, injuries, speeds and property damages that I previously described which are a matter of record?

did you ever try to cross E st anywhere between 20th and 28th before the traffic calmimg measures were taken. good luck. those street closures are there for good reason and are much appreciated by those who LIVE in the area.

I really appreciate the partial closures. They allow bikes and pedestrians to take the shortest path, while encouraging drivers to keep to J, L, 16th, 28th, etc.

Also, the City finally improved the H Street/21st Street closure by allowing left and right turns there, instead of just right, followed by another right at I Street/21st Street.

Stop pretending to be a hard news reporter when in all actuality you're just a blogger.

this is interesting...i found this discussion because I am fighting one of the tickets for these do not enter signs. I thought these blockades were ridiculous and baseless, until I read the interesting history and reasoning behind it all from the comments here. Works great for local daily rush traffic but does no help to those unfamiliar with the area. It seemed hopeless passing around one do not enter, only to be surprised by another one and then caught by the officer waiting right there. Why not enforce the do not enters during rush hours only? Let them be open during non-rush and that way the roads could be used, but not be congested? I hope I win on fighting this ridiculous ticket on 25th and F.