Friday, August 20, 2004

Ketchum eyes speeders

Councilman demands action while mayor asks for more data


By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

With traffic congestion on Main Street prompting many motorists to speed through short cuts to other parts of town, Ketchum officials have been gathering data on just how many drivers might pose a hazard to pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists. Photo by David N. Seelig

It?s a problem that hits almost every city in every state: Motorists, many of them local, push the envelope of the generally conservative speed limits posted in residential neighborhoods.

In Ketchum, where in the summer months area residents compete daily with thousands of tourists for an open stretch of asphalt, the problem has caught the attention of city leaders and residents.

?I think it?s an issue all over the city,? said Karen McCall, a resident of Sunnyside Road.

McCall appeared before the Ketchum City Council Monday, Aug. 16, to request that the city reinstall a speed bump on her residential street north of downtown.

The council heard the request during a lengthy discussion about speeding in the city limits and a decision by the Police Department to remove approxi-mately 15 temporary speed bumps that were deemed to be unsafe.

McCall said most motorists who drive Sunnyside Road exceed the 15 mph speed limit, traveling instead at 20 to 25 mph.

?Everyone seems to be moving fast,? she said.

Mayor Ed Simon brought the issue to the City Council because he determined the city needs to develop a protocol for installing so-called ?traffic-calming? devices, including speed bumps, electronic speed indicators and stop signs.

The mayor noted that research being conducted by the city has indicated that some motorists have been clocked traveling at speeds up to 43 mph in residential areas.

Ron LeBlanc, city administrator, said a recent study of vehicle speeds on Edelweiss Street, a well-traveled residential street southwest of the Ketchum Post Office, indicated that the 15 mph limit there is being violated on a regular basis.

Some Edelweiss residents have in recent weeks expressed concerns about speeding motorists endangering cyclists and children in the area.

City officials Monday agreed that action should take action. However, it appears that the City Council and the mayor?s staff do not see eye to eye on what that action should be.

Council President Randy Hall demanded immediate action to address the issue, asserting that discussions that do not end with a firm directive often end up with staff getting ?constipated? in dealing with critical issues.

Hall said he wants the city to reinstall 13 or so speed bumps in residential neighborhoods that were removed by the Police Department earlier this year.


LeBlanc and Police Chief Cory Lyman said they do not want to reinstall the devices because they are unsafe and do not meet established traffic-control standards. The temporary bumps, they said, are actually cable guards?used to protect cables that cross roadways?and have themselves caused three injuries to unsuspecting cyclists in the last two years.

Lyman said he wants to ensure city streets are safe but wants to install only approved traffic-calming measures in areas that warrant them.

Lyman noted after the meeting that his goal is to have at least 85 percent of motorists comply with any area?s posted limit, giving him an opportunity to manage the remaining, relatively small number of speeders.

?In spite of what people think, you can?t force compliance through enforcement,? he said.

Simon said he wants to gather more information before throwing ?good money after bad? to install any new asphalt speed bumps?which conflict with snowplows?or certified temporary speed bumps?which cost thousands of dollars.

In the end, council members directed Lyman and LeBlanc to study the costs of installing approved speed bumps in the sites from which they were removed, as new sites deemed problematic are studied with traffic counters and speed calculators.




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