Residential Streets Aren’t Racetracks: Slowing Speeders [Block Talk]

Speed bumps, more visible traffic patrols, speed cameras and even an income-based fine structure are among Patch readers’ suggestions to get motorists to slow down in residential neighborhoods.

In her answer to our informal survey for Block Talk, Patch’s exclusive neighborhood etiquette column, Madison (New Jersey) Patch reader Breeze suggested a progressive fine structure with a sting the main culprits — wealthy folks, she said — will feel.

“Most people don’t see the fines as a deterrent, and they are unfair to poor people,” Breeze said. “Basing fines on a percentage of income would change things — fast.”

Doing nothing is a deadly option, Hillsborough (New Jersey) Patch reader Barbara said.

“A recent pedestrian death in my neighborhood has deterred no one,” she said. “We have school bus stops, resident parking on the street, dog walkers, a large deer population and families crossing to get to the community pool. Yet people round two blind curves and exceed the 25 mph limit like it's a personal challenge to conquer.”

Barbara said she has written the mayor, the city engineer and the police department to request speed bumps or a greater police presence in the area, “only to be told that neither will happen” because of existing ordinances and limited resources.

‘Z-man’ Can’t Stop Being A Cop

A Southeast-Brewster (New York) Patch reader and retired police officer known his entire career as “Z-man” from the “Police Academy” series, can’t get anything done, either.

Z-man can’t stop being a cop. He clocked a motorist in his neighborhood driving twice the posted speed limit of 30 mph and notified area police departments.

“They come, observe, actually sit in my driveway with radar showing speeds in the 50s,” said Z-man, who also reads Connecticut Patch local news sites. “Nothing was done about it!”

“Frustrated resident,” a Severna Park (Maryland) Patch reader, claims that despite meeting with engineers who recommended it, county officials refuse to install stop signs, speed bumps, crosswalks, cameras or take other mitigation efforts.

“There are no sidewalks and kids walk to the middle school,” Frustrated said. “Older residents are scared to walk. An elementary school parent was hit by a speeding car at the bus stop last school year. The county says there aren’t quite enough cars per day to warrant any measures.”

The issue is complicated by local politics, Frustrated said, explaining, “If you’re not politically connected, as some neighborhoods are, none of the typical ways work without putting yourself at risk.”

Ellen, who reads Elgin Patch and Algonquin-Lake In The Hills Patch in Illinois, is exasperated by a situation in her neighborhood, admitting, “I haven’t a clue where to even start” to address it.

A new paved street just opened and “all the neighbors think they’re race car drivers now.” Ellen said. “We live, and most of us live very close to the street and some have young ones or little ones. … I walk across the street with my dog, people rarely slow down or move over. It’s insane.”

Just getting a paved street was a lengthy and jurisdictionally complicated process. Her neighbor’s request for a speed bump was turned down, and Ellen holds little hope anything will be done but said, “At least it makes me feel better to explain it all.”

Design Changes Can Slow Drivers

Toms River (New Jersey) Patch reader Jake said motorists don’t always see their driving habits as dangerous and harmful.

“As drivers we pay less attention to speed limits then we would all care to admit,” Jake said. “The speed we drive comes down to what feels safe on a road more so than what speed a specific road is signed for.

“A road with wide lanes, generous shoulders and wide clear zones around it makes us feel safe to drive quickly, while a road with narrow lanes with cluttered sight lines or parked cars makes us slow down and be more careful.”

The most effective way to slow drivers is in road design, he said, explaining, “If people are speeding down a residential road it is probably because the design of the road makes the driver think it is safe to do so.”

Narrower lanes, trees and other design elements that clutter “signal to the drivers that they need to be aware and careful.”

Roundabouts and fewer through streets can help, too, said Oak Forest (Illinois) Patch reader Brian.

‘It’s Out Of Control’

Design changes are expensive and take time, though. Readers want a quicker solution to fast drivers.

“Old Guy,” a Bridgewater (New Jersey) Patch reader, wants his area to become a “well-known speed trap” where police are routinely seen enforcing the speed limit by writing tickets. Local drivers will adjust their speed, “even when being tailgated,” Old Guy said.

Kate, a Chelmsford (Massachusetts) Patch reader, said speeding drivers in her neighborhood get the message when there’s a police car in the area, and a temporary electronic speed-monitoring sign also did the trick. But once those visual deterrents were gone, it was back to the same old, same old.

“This is simple,” Reston (Virginia) Patch reader Ken said. “Start putting police in a regular car and two officers with cameras. First off, the police wouldn’t have to pull over the speeder which is dangerous to all parties.

“Second, start mailing huge fines (like really big fines) for these drivers, and then people would stop speeding,” Ken continued. “If you had no idea what car are police, and the tickets just came to your mailbox, you would stop speeding. It’s out of control on the beltway in Washington, D.C.”

But, he said, “Our officials in our county say that our force is depleted due to funding.”

Police Can’t Be Everywhere

Sarasota (Florida) Patch reader Joey said stop signs at a couple of T-intersections haven’t done much to slow speeding.

“We were told we didn’t have enough traffic to warrant electronic [speed monitoring units] and speed bumps were too expensive,” Joey said. “Part of the problem is that our street is a cut-through to avoid the traffic light at the intersection where people want to turn right from one busy street to another busy street.

“Any suggestions?” Joey asked.

Barnegat (Massachusetts) Patch reader Amanda has one.

Police can’t always respond to every single thing that goes wrong, making it the personal responsibility of everyone to keep their loved ones safe from unsafe drivers, Amanda said.

“Children do not belong in the street,” she said. “Let’s not forget that ‘right of way’ only exists when it is granted by one party. People do things they should not do all the time. Don’t trust drivers to be paying attention when it comes to the safety of your loved ones.”

Failure by public safety officials to address the problem wasn’t a universal theme among respondents. Several readers said they understand police have other priorities and traffic patrol unit staffing issues.

Perseverance can pay off, Natick (Massachusetts) Patch reader Rich said.

“Over the last 30 years,” he began, “we have had one fatality in front of our house; we have had two cars totaled by one drunk driver who failed to negotiate the curve in front of our house; one driver wrapped around the utility pole in front of our house; and one accident where the driver came to our door with a jagged piece of glass stuck in his neck.”

Rich said he “could go on,” but the point is the situation has improved over the past couple of years “with a lot of Natick police patrols keeping people on their toes.”

‘You’re Bottoming Out Your Car’

Rich is also a big proponent of speed bumps as long as signs alert drivers to the traffic-calming device. Another idea: His job took him to Providence, Rhode Island, where “we noticed that some streets have built small trees and shrubs in curbs protruding 3 feet or more into the street to slow vehicles.”

Eileen, a Plymouth-Canton (Michigan) Patch reader, said the city installed large speed bumps in her brother’s neighborhood to slow down drivers. They weren’t “the small speed bumps that you can still fly over, but the large kind that if you take them too fast, you’re bottoming out your car and hopefully doing some damage to it,” Eileen said.

“When spaced closely enough together, it prevents speeding,” she said.

Silver Spring (Maryland) Patch reader Herb said the answer could be as simple as putting up more speed limit signs. In most areas of his county, a single speed limit sign is posted at the entrance to the neighborhood, but there are no signs on interior streets.

That’s the case in his neighborhood, which is surrounded on all four sides by major streets leading into the city. The speed limit was lowered to 20 mph about four months ago after a young girl was hit by a car.

“Not a single speed sign at the entrances to our ’hood has been changed yet and speed signs only when you enter the ’hood are not sufficient,” he said. “We need speed limit signs in the interior sections of the ‘hood. How hard or costly could it possibly be to add these signs, and how long should it take to get them installed?

Getting 20 mph sighs within the ’hood coupled with, at least, intermittent enforcement, especially during rush hour, would go a long way.”

Herb thinks safety seems to be snarled up in government bureaucracy. “Our concerns are not being heard, even with a very active neighborhood association,” he said.

Unofficial signs can be effective, too, a couple of readers said.

“Get as many neighbors as possible to buy those neon ‘Slow Joes’ that are holding the red flag and put them as close to the street in front of your houses as you can,” said Cindy, who reads Braintree Patch, Quincy Patch and Weymouth Patch, all in Massachusetts.

“Some of my neighbors have put up signs — ‘drive as if your kids lived here’ — and I think that helps.” said Chicago Patch reader Elizabeth. “But most people who drive on this street live here and know there are lots of kids in the neighborhood.”

Courts have generally upheld the use of traffic enforcement cameras and said they don't violate due process rights.

Bring them on, said Upper East Side (New York) Patch reader Joe.

“Ticket offenders with increasing fines for succeeding violations,” Joe said. “Move camera locations, so their locations cannot be anticipated.”

Better yet, Peabody (Massachusetts) Patch reader Shelley said, work with law enforcement to attach a camera to the mobile electronic speed monitoring signs.

“Pictures of license plates with the first a warning, after that speeding tickets sent to the person, showing the location where their speeding happened,” Shelley explained her plan. “All this can be done via computers, emails or snail mail if necessary.

About Block Talk

Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like for us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with “Block Talk” as the subject line.

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