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Slow down on lower speed limit, councilman says
(by Sue Reid - December 23, 2009)
Slow down on lower speed limit, councilman says
By SUE REID
The only people who are observing the 20 mph speed limit on Bainbridge Road are subject to road rage, Councilman John T. Scott told City Council Monday.
"I really think we jumped the gun on this," Mr. Scott said. The signage for the speed should only be there for active construction, he said. "For us to sit up here and think people will do 20 mph on the road now is crazy," he said. "I don't think we've thought this out."
Due to the activity on the road related to utility placement, the city decided earlier this month to institute the 20 mph speed limit rather than wait until the contractor starts work on the road next spring.
Currently, the 20 mph speed is posted along the road in phase one, which is between SOM Center (Route 91) and Liberty roads. It was a condition based on the resolution put in place when the city decided on the two-way temporary road as the maintenance of traffic scheme. It was also the recommendation of City Council's safety and public properties committee.
Council approved the ordinance by a vote of 5-1 Monday, providing for a 20 mph speed limit on the road during the construction phase. Voting in favor of the ordinance were Councilmen Lon D. Stolarsky, Robert N. Pelunis, William D. Mooney, William I. Russo and Edward H. Kraus. Opposing it was Mr. Scott.
"We need to do what's safest for the motoring public and the residents in that area," Mr. Scott said.
Mr. Mooney said he would rather see it kept at 35 mph until the two-way temporary road is in place.
Phase one will last at least until the end of next year.
"We wanted to be consistent," Mr. Russo said. "We were looking at the fact that, if you look at interstates when there is a construction zone, it's a construction zone 24 hours a day from the time it starts to the time it is finished. We were looking at consistency and how those rules were applied."
Police Chief Wayne Godzich said that, unless a schedule is in place for the start and stop time of the construction, it was decided that the city be uniform in its application. The problem is that the city does not know when utility companies are coming to work on the road on a regular basis, he said.
"It's more consistent to keep it at one speed," Mr. Pelunis said.
Mr. Kraus said he, too, thought the city jumped the gun, "but for consistency sake, we should keep it at 20 mph, since we don't know when the utilities will start."
After the first of the year, there will be much more activity on the road in terms of utility work, Mr. Kraus said. AT&T, Time Warner and First Energy Corp. all will be working on the road. Construction is slated to begin in April. Residents already are used to the 20 mph, Mr. Kraus said.
"Now until April 5, 75 percent of the time, there will be no construction," Mr. Scott said. "We can pass this, but it won't have any effect and it will cause more problems."
Bainbridge Road resident John Nolan said he appreciates the fact that people don't like to slow down, but they have to live with it. "They will be lucky to go 20 mph when this construction is under way," he said.
People don't like the inconvenience, but they really must slow down on the road and "take safety serious in construction zones," Mr. Nolan said.
"People need to heed the signs. This will be going on for two years. People need to get used to it."
Mr. Nolan thanked council for passing the ordinance.
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