Speeding a City Problem -- Not so Fast

Speeding, whether actual or perceived, is one of the most frequently received complaints from all quadrants of the city. There is also an increasing trend toward running through stop signs and red lights, failing to stop for pedestrians at intersection crosswalks, and just plain rude driving. What is going on?

Are we so rushed in our daily living that we ignore safe driving practices? Are we so accustomed to our personal "rights" so as to extend them to owning our share of the roadway and darned be those who get in our space? Is it that we believe laws are for others to obey? Should we blame the increase of speed on the improved technology that gives us quieter, easier handling cars, vans, SUV’s, and pickups as well as quieter, smoother roads with greater visibility?

I think it’s ridiculous that we have to try to engineer around personal responsibility. We put up stop signs or traffic signals and studies show an increase of accidents or an increase in the seriousness of accidents -- even an increase of speed to "make up" for the lost time at a signal or stop sign. Appalling! Just the opposite of what you would want or expect. We now have to resort to "big-brother-watching-you" technology like Photo-cop to catch red-light runners -- something being studied in the Twin Cities – and they are issuing thousands of tickets in their trial run!

Soon it will be photo cop for speed as well. Then what? Un-signaled lane changes? Rude hand signals? (Since elected I have learned to wave to someone cutting me off on the road with ALL of my fingers!)

It's not only ridiculous to try to engineer solutions to make up for the lack of personal responsibility but very costly as well!

I, and others on the council and in planning, have been looking with a much more critical eye at developments with long, straight streets - especially where grades are concerned. I've been a proponent for narrower streets, curves, medians, and, yes, mini-roundabouts. These solutions generally increase the cost of development, cost of maintenance, or otherwise impact the economics of future development. There are parking and emergency vehicle issues to consider as well.

I helped develop a practical, low cost means to combat at least some of the residential speeding issues with the Traffic Tamer's program -- you get to use a radar gun, log speeders, give the license number to the cops, and then they send a "warning" to the vehicle owner -- which is really effective in the case of kids using mom and dad's car! (contact me for more detail.) You get to educate your neighbors about the program, do it, have an organized follow-up program with the cops and all kinds of stuff.

We get very few takers because the expectation is that "the city" caused the problem by building streets and roads so "the city" has to fix it. Folks, if "the city" workers were the ones violating the driving laws I'd be first in line to kick butt.

Let’s try to use some care especially as winter and the holiday season approaches.

To quote one of my favorite contemporary sages, Pogo, "We has identified the enemy and it is us!" Thanks