Who should direct traffic at road construction and repair sites

28 Comments

  • Ziggy - 15 years ago

    Side note...

    As far as wages for the flaggers, there would have to be a limit there as well, whats good for one...
    10-15 an hour with cost of living increases.

    I worked ion many dangerous jobs and have made less, no benefits, so lets get real here.
    $35 an hour plus benefits,etc is not financially responsible.

  • Ziggy - 15 years ago

    Flaggers are the way to go.
    I think that the construction company who wins the contract for the project should provide the flaggers and bear the cost.

    I have always said that the police resources wasted is getting worse.
    As stated above, police sitting in there cars, reading newspapers,talking on the phone, running there cars for air conditioning, etc,etc...

    With the new slow down law, it slows traffic and causes undue risk from people trying to switch lanes suddenly to avoid the police or slowing rapidly and causing a bottleneck.

    The jobs created alone with flaggers would only help, not to mention the money saved on the police wages(hazard pay wages?) Flaggers should be trained and pass a certification in order to insure a safe flagging system on our roads.

    The money saved from not having 6 or more officers sitting there and the fuel savings to the tax payers from vehicles idling for hours at a time would add up quickly.

    Just my opinion.

  • Jimmy Mac - 15 years ago

    Are you kidding me? Who hasn't been on the highway, come to a construction site, seen the GIANT ARROW BOARD with a troopers car behind it and a troopers car in front of it and two more troopers up ahead? Is the GIANT ARROW BOARD with the CRASH BARRIER ON IT not enough? Was the troopers car DESIGNED to take a hit from a truck going 65 mph? The arrow board was. Sometimes it's not just overkill with the combined wage of hundreds of dollars per hour, it's a safety hazard.

  • henery p - 15 years ago

    to pro detail you are not being honest with your self or your statement. police details are at time and 1/2 plus the town tacks on 10% for billing the towns have eather a 4 or 8 hr. min per town contract so i f they are only needed for a hr or two you pay for the min. if they thepolice officer gets hurt and goes out iod they get full pay no taxes. till they return to work or if they do not go back they get it for life. not so for a flag man. and if they are doing a flagman job.there is no prevailing wage only on state highway work that is state law. they flagman can work for a co. and get a 1099 were they pay there taxes and work for about 13 to 15 an hr. and they have to be trained its also the flaggers who put out the cones.etc. police will not do that. but i will not knock the police they do there very best to serve the town or city were they work i have always said the best friend a child could have is a police officer. but i also must say working double shifts work then details 16 hr. a day is hard on them and there familys. i drive truck and i can only work 10.hrs. a day and no more than 70 a week there is something wrong if ma is the only state not to have flaggers.

  • ProDetail - 15 years ago

    For those of you that wish to hear the truth, give me a few moments. The new regulations on flaggers: 1) prevailing wage for 2009 33.45/hr, which is mandatory in the new reg's., not included in the billing rate of this number is payroll taxes, workers comp., insurance, profit to the company, training-that is mandated by the new reg's., overtime by flaggers (police are not on overtime and never is), vacation pay for flaggers (not paid in police details), mandated uniforms and equipment which is mandated by the new reg's.. MY QUESTION HERE IS WHERE IS THE SAVINGS PEOPLE. According to the states evaluation of the differences between flaggers/police details, there was an approximate $4.75 to $5.00 per hour savings. I don't see it when you calculate everything I mentioned above. Also the state was cute when they outline their findings in the evaluation by not adding them. In the evaluation they come out and say their findings don't include those items but, they burried in in text, not with the actual figures.

    Another fact, in the new reg's. at this time, training is done for MWRA employees and Mass. Highway employees only. With these folks you need to add in their health insurance, retirement benefits and any other perks they have. None of these are added topaid police details. NO SAVINGS THERE.

    I encourage anyone looking for the truth to investigate Mass. Executive Office of Transportation web site, all the information is there.

    We bash the police until we need them and what to cut, cut and cut from them, but want them to be compassionate to us. HMMMM???

    Lastly, who wants to work shift work, nights, weekends, miss family events, deal with drug addicts, criminals carrying weapons, fraudulant lawsuits that freezes their life(can't buy or sell a house, buy a car or spend money in their account), have physical contact with people that have HEP B or C or HIV and they spit on you, ect..... This is going-on, on daily basis.

    Before you bash them, at times there are good reasons to, think about what I have mentioned. Also, don't we all have someone at our work that does things we don't like or screws up. If you say no then you aren't being truthful to yourself nor anyone else.

  • ProFlaggers - 15 years ago

    Towns may make 10 % on the police officer directing traffic (actually NOT directing the traffic), but does that 10 % completely cover the total expenses of employing the person who schedules the details and who does the billing for the details? I'm sure a flagger can handle calling 911 in a medical emergency like any person in any occupation. Road Crews prefer police details, baloney!! You think they like having policemen on cell phones leaning over their backs watching them work, I don't think so. They would prefer flaggers whose job is to make sure traffic flows easily around them while they are working and to keep them out of harm's way. Don't forget Security Personnel at many companies are not Police Officers and they handle emergencies at their jobs in a professional manner. Flaggers are well trained for their jobs, too.

  • hookedonphonics - 15 years ago

    Hey Robert when your coloring in your color book make sure you stay inside the lines...

  • mfl - 15 years ago

    Vet60 get your facts right. Towns do benefits from police working details.
    Towns receive TEN percent of every detail a cop works.
    Towns receive ZERO percent of every detail a flagger works.
    Towns details (DPW, Schools, etc.) receive a discount detail rate which is the same as a flagger rate.
    Most details are paid by private companies.
    Road crews prefer POLICE for their safety.
    Utility bills WILL NOT go down because companies are paying $3.00 less an hour for a flagger.

    If cops don't work details, towns will lose money, ALOT of money.

  • Vet60 - 15 years ago

    Rep. Driscoll's pandering to the Police Unions and other unions is totally absurd and the majority of his constituents, the Taxpayers and Ratepayers better wake up and see where his allegiance is truely at. They need to hold him accountable at the ballot box. The majority of Taxpayers and Ratepayers are not stupid.
    How can we believe such an outrageous statement that says we are at "Huge Risk" if civilian flaggers are allowed. The rest of the nation is wrong and he is right? If so, this could propel him to national prominence. Next stop the White house!
    This is about MONEY! Pure and simple! We are not as stupid as he and the unions think we are.

  • highrgrnd - 15 years ago

    BMPOPO , Robert can`t help it, he probably attended our local public schools . How dare you or anyone eles critisize anyone for poor spelling or poor math. OUR public schools are useless and need a complete overhaul, just another waste of tax payers money . And I love the way friends! of mine ( cops) brag about their details and how much money their sucking up for sitting in a nice warm cruiser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are real people out here that deserve to work , instead of SUCKING UP OUR TAX MONEY. when we were in high school and college everyone loved to get the flagger jobs , because it help pay for school or supplies . Someone needs to wake up ..............

  • BMPOPO - 15 years ago

    I believe only intelligent people should be allowed to post here (I don't what to hear the opinions of high school drop outs).

    ROBERT "Extortionaided by intiminated polititions and greedy cops."

    Robert, This is not a complete thought, also out of the 7 words you used, you spelled 3 wrong!!!
    Robert, please don't try to impress us with your Enteligance (

  • joe butler - 15 years ago

    I can not believe the people in this state have put up with this abuse so long. Only politicians afraid of thug tactics from police unions could have and did pull this mockery off.
    People of Massachusetts, now is the time to throw off this idiocy. Forty nine other states are laughing at us, as are the police of this state. Perusing the line up of the most highly paid town employees disgusts me with the sight of so many "first responders" "FIRST TAKERS" would seem a better epithet.
    Shaws perennially is seeking baggers, walks can be shovelled, lawns can be cut. There is always a way to make ends meet. Don't break the back of the people who feed you!

  • AAAA - 15 years ago

    vote..you ow the police unins will flod this outragious outdated bill with votes..it should be 99 to 1 in favot or getting rid of useless police details..driscoll shoild be ashamed ofm himself to cater to this small powerful, bulling group in such a time when americans need leadership not kickbacks or politals support//shows what driscoll is made of and he knows it..if this is what is ti come out of the future politician with what i thought was potential ..get rid of the bum..outraged from a braintree guy trying to pay his bills 5 % of which is going to police details...who never show up 1/2 the time except to look i the hole.

  • robert - 15 years ago

    Extortionaided by intiminated polititions and greedy cops. Agood opportunity
    to stimulate the economy by pr0viding jobs while saving money.

  • Linda - 15 years ago

    I agree with the frustration at Libby. A police officer was posted there all weekend although no verizon staff were present. As to the details at businesses, I agree that it is extortion. I can't believe we let this go on. I see the same overweight policeman at the Blockbuster in Weymouth every time I pass it-nevermind that Blockbuster's business has dwindled...

  • scott - 15 years ago

    Police and Deputy Sheriff's should continue with police details. With a trained law enforcement professional you get a first responder if something happens. For instance if there is a medical emergency you have a trained person there and if by chance a criminal activity should happen the police are there as well. Keep the police on the details.

  • dick - 15 years ago

    Whyare we the only state in the union that mandates police details instead of flaggers? Are we smarter than all the other states? No, its just that our politicians dont have the guts to stand up to the police unions.Write your reps and DEMAND they support getting rid of these unnessesary details...

  • r. r. hubbard - 15 years ago

    Details are a perk to over paid police at the expense of citizens that are out of work and barely making it in this tax riddled state, thanks to the police unions several automatic details exist during business hours everyday in Weymouth, that was the only way the town would grant them permision to build and open business in Weymouth thanks to pressure on town boards from the police, one location is the Bank of Boston next to the car wash almost across from the old Stetson Shoe building on RT.18 and the other is at Fox Plaza near Kentucky Fried Chicken on Washington St. Details are a form of extortion.

  • WHAT NEW LAW - 15 years ago

    When did this go into effect October still see the same old police detail at every site What a joke!

  • Unemployed - 15 years ago

    I was at the same intersection at Libbey Park.

    SOOOOO FRUSTRATING!! Plus it was snowing like crazy!! People were having trouble proceeding because of the slippery road. If the cop got out of the way traffic would have run smoother!!

    I observed the same inaction by this Weymouth cop. Back to the traffic coming out of Libbey.

    Ridiculous!!

    Partys over!!

    Flagmen!!

  • frank myett - 15 years ago

    a civilian flagger is not a police officer. he does not posses the training or authority to control traffic arrest serious offenders or contact emergency services if required. we depend on police officers to protect us and preserve the peace. traffic control mand safety should be left to the police.

  • nancy L - 15 years ago

    they have been using civilian flaggers in New Hampshire for the last 30 years that i know of and it works for them.
    police are always talking or using their cell phones and not paying attention to the traffic at hand anyway.
    the police have been flagging in Randolph on Canton Street and you never know when they are waving you on or not...
    PAY CIVILIANS.....Save the towns and states money.....

  • Wish I Had Their Job - 15 years ago

    Yesterday, 2/3/09, I was at the end of Libbey Parkway in Weymouth, trying to get on to Middle Street for 8 minutes (yes I timed it). There was a truck (it may have been Comcast) at the corner of Middle and Libbey, and a lane on Middle blocked off with cones. There was a policeman standing with his back to the traffic attempting to exit Libbey. Not once did he turn around to acknowledge traffic on Libbey, stop traffic on Middle so we could exit, or even indicate if traffic was coming. Yes, I understand it was snowing - all the more reason to DO YOUR JOB and not just collect the detail pay! With unemployment so high, give someone else a paycheck.

  • alleyoop3@verizon.net - 15 years ago

    Flagmen work very well in other states, this would be a good oppotunity to give some other qualified people badly needed jobs. This is not a police officers job, they are needed for law enforcement., they are needed for law enforcement. Thank you!!

  • go for it - 15 years ago

    Putting flagmen is a great idea. It should have been done years ago. Seems to work for other states. With the unemployment rate as high as it is, it could only help getting people off unemployment and able to support themselves. Police should be protecting the public and not standing around at job sites.

  • OneMoreTime - 15 years ago

    MA is the only state that requires policemen to do the work of a flagman. 49 other states cannot be wrong in putting civilians to work.. Most police who do detail work do so on overtime status. I do not want to put my faith in a policeman who has exhausted themselves by working these details. Most times when I have been approaching a work site, traffic is a bit bogged down because the officer is talking to the work crew, sitting in his car or talking on his cell. In todays world with the economy so bad what companies are paying for a detail as opposed to a flagman is huge. I used to live in Maine and flagman were always used and there was never an incident. I do not believe that policeman are needed for these jobs.

  • Anthony w Perry - 15 years ago

    It works well in Texas. We have more construction here in Texas than they do in Mass. It's a lot cheaper too. Enough is enough They need to put the police out in the streets to fight crime not direct traffic.

  • bert f. - 15 years ago

    Most times, police officers at construction sites are too busy talking on their cell phones to bother with traffic tie-ups at the construction site. Their being there is useless and costly.

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