Watch your speed and beware baseball traffic

Sunday, July 17 – Saturday, July 23

ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING RULES ARE IN EFFECT ALL WEEK

REMINDER: The Yankees host the Red Sox for the final game in their 3-game series Sunday, at 1:30 p.m. That means the weekend return traffic from the mountains and other points north will merge with exiting traffic from the stadium. The Saw Mill to the Henry Hudson will be best for west side traffic. Take the Bronx River Parkway over the Major Deegan for traffic on the east side. As always, taking the 4, B, or D to 161st St.-Yankee Stadium or using Metro-North is a better bet.

Wednesday at 6 p.m., the Brooklyn Shakespeare Festival brings “Romeo and Juliet” to the outdoors MainStage Theatre at Industry City, Third Ave. between 36th St. and 37th St.

Get ready to be in a New York State of Mind: Billy Joel plays Madison Square Garden on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Courtney Barnett will take to the stage at Radio City Music Hall, Thursday at 8 p.m. There will be no L service between Broadway Junction and Lorimer St., Monday to Friday, 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. Free shuttle buses will provide replacement service; for travel between Brooklyn and Manhattan, consider the A or J trains.

Heads up: Starting on Monday, Aug. 1, NYC’s 2000 automated speed cameras will start operating 24/7/365. Previously they were only in effect weekdays, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. This should be a boost for safety; three fifths of traffic fatalities occured during times the cameras were off, and research has shown they reduce speeding by more than 70%.

MAILBAG

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Why do we have louvers (the slatted covers over the lights) on traffic signals? I know of two locations — Ralph Ave. and Eastern Parkway as well as 98th St. and Livonia Ave. — where they have collapsed, making it impossible to see the green light.

Ian via Twitter

Dear Ian,

Thanks for tagging NYCDOT in this tweet as well; they should get these dangerous situations fixed quickly. Write me again if they don’t.

Louvers can limit the angles and/or distance from which you can see the light. This prevents driver confusion over seeing lights that are meant for the next intersection or another lane.

They can be especially useful for complicated crossings. Eastern Parkway, for example, hits Ralph Ave. at an angle and has five center lanes plus service roads flanking the pedestrian malls. You could imagine the crash risk if a driver mistakenly followed the incorrect signal.

Gridlock Sam