"I have noticed several times when there is high traffic volume that there is a police car at an intersection with a uniformed officer sitting on the hood or otherwise observing.

Why don't they direct traffic anymore? What other point would there be of them being there?"

This could have been a number of things. The officer may have been monitoring traffic and checking for compliance with Vermont’s seatbelt law. The officer may also have been on a walking beat downtown and was taking a break. If you can tell me the date and/or time I could probably get a more accurate answer for you.

As far as directing traffic, officers in Brattleboro usually do not do this unless a signal is broken or during a high traffic event such as a parade. Modern traffic pattern engineering as well as stop signs and lights have generally taken over this duty for police. In fact, having a police officer directing traffic can sometimes add confusion to an intersection.

An example is the intersection of Main Street, Canal Street, Vernon Road, and Bridge Street, also known as “malfunction junction.” When an officer tries to direct traffic at that intersection the traffic flow tends to be much slower. This intersection, despite its reputation, is one of the safest in town. It has an extremely low number of collisions each year. This is mostly due to the fact that people drive through it so slowly and cautiously.