Plains residents seek crackdown on speeders

By CHUCK BANDEL

Valley Press

For a group of concerned Clayton Street residents, enough is enough.

The spark that triggered their call to action came earlier this month when a speeding motorist narrowly missed hitting a young child riding a bicycle.

What makes matters worse, the residents say, it happened in what is a posted school zone in which a growing number of drivers ignore the 15 mph speed limit.

Patti Hanson, who for years has lived on Clayton Street, which runs on the eastside of Plains High School, said she felt something had to be done before a tragedy occurs.

“We’ve watched a growing number of vehicles using this street and have seen how many don’t abide by the posted speed limit,” Hanson said. “The little boy next door came really close to being hit and that can’t be allowed to happen.”

With most area neighbors in support of doing something to slow down the speeders, Hanson paid a visit to Plains Mayor Dan Rowan. He, Hanson and two other residents attended an informal meeting last week to explore what can be done.

“We like to see people out and about,” Hanson said. “There are more and more people walking along the street, including kids on bikes and skateboards. All of us in this neighborhood have seen drivers coming by at 35 mph or more.”

In response to their initial concerns, Mayor Rowan asked for help from state authorities and got it in the form of a State Patrol cruiser parked along the side of the street one day last week.

In addition, Rowan ordered the installation of a light board that indicates the speed of vehicles as they pass by, similar to the one installed near the town pool and park this past summer. He said the city is also exploring other possibilities to help alleviate the problem.

“We are hampered in what we can do with the limited police staff we have,” he told Hanson and others at the meeting. “We have one officer on duty to cover all the other calls that come in. However, there are other things we can do.”

Among the possible actions being considered, Rowan said, were installation of speed bumps, a measure that is unpopular with some but can be effective in slowing motorists such as those who pass through the posted school zone. He said striping of the newly resurfaced street, which has been delayed by poor weather in recent days, can also have a positive impact.

“I don’t really like speed bumps but we can do that,” he said. “There are other areas of concern we are looking at as well in Plains.”

The city is currently in the process of resurfacing streets in some areas of the town with sidewalks under consideration as a means of enhancing pedestrian safety.

Shirley Helterline, one of those in attendance at the meeting, said she thinks putting in a crosswalk could be a good way to keep pedestrians safe.

“I’d like to see a crosswalk at the least,” she said. “Cars just don’t slow down, but with a crosswalk and blinking light, at least people could cross the street in a safer way than they are now. We don’t want to do nothing and then have some little kid get killed.”

Dave Helterline, who has lived in Plains for 90 years, agreed something has to be done.

“Those drivers go by way too fast,” he said. “It’s gotten worse every year.”

Rowan said he too is frustrated by this and other issues that he feels could have been and should have been handled years ago but were not addressed by previous town officials. He said he has spoken with county officials about help in resurfacing and related projects but has not received any kind of commitment from them.

“I don’t mind trying an all-in-one approach to solving the problem, or trying one and see if it works,” Rowan said. “If you witness someone speeding and can get a license number you can always call and report it.”

Area residents are hoping the measures they have suggested and which the mayor has supported will avoid a horrible tragedy.