October 28, 2007Drivers take need for speed way too farThis isn't about a retreat in Salem or political shenanigans in Richmond or, for that matter, breast-feeding in Massachusetts. It's about something that frequently grates on many people here in the Roanoke Valley: speeding. I'm no advocate of vigilante justice. But who among us hasn't muttered under his breath as we watch an unidentified Speed Racer do 50 down our 25 mph-posted block, "Where's the cops when you need 'em?" Who doesn't occasionally wish they had their own radar gun and ticket pad? Everybody knows a speed alley where local speed demons gun it at will. I want to hear where yours is. Go to my blog at blogs.roanoke.com/shannaflowers/ and tell me the spots where local speedsters confuse area streets with the Martinsville Speedway. I'll come back in a future column and share the informal findings. Speeders galore When I put the question to the ink-stained wretches here at the newspaper, the responses poured in faster than a mom in a speeding minivan heading to Raleigh Court Elementary in the morning (more on this one later). "Virginia 24 on the other side of Vinton has historically been a place where people go to wind out a new car and see what it'll do," Matt Chittum wrote. "Straight stretch, low traffic, rural area -- you get the idea." "Fridge magnet" Lindsey Nair weighed in with this observation of Grandview Avenue Northwest: "I think it's used as a cut-through between Hershberger and Williamson. It doesn't help matters that it's a long, straight stretch with a hill at one end -- the better to gain speed coming down." After revealing Sherwood Road Southwest as a speeder's paradise, Outdoors writer Mark Taylor regaled me with vengeful plots he has dreamed up for the Louis (and Louise) Leadfoots near his house: "My neighbors and I fantasize about spike strips and putting lifelike dolls on radio-controlled cars and running them in front of speeders." Radar vigilantes Police agencies across the country hear residents' laments. Some have taken the concept of "Neighborhood Watch" to a new level. They're lending residents radar guns and turning them into neighborhood speed-watchers. In DeForest, Wis., police allow residents to borrow a battery-operated radar gun for a week or two. The volunteer radar gunslingers stake out a spot on their front lawns and record the speeds of passing motorists. The program doesn't allow any of that citizen's arrest monkey business. But police can use residents' reports to send warning letters. DeForest police typically send a warning letter when speeds are 13 mph over the limit. Police in Loveland, Ohio; Shawnee, Kan.; and Naperville, Ill., have similar programs. Last week, police in Dalles, Ore., began taking names of interested residents who want to catch neighborhood speeders in their tracks. Maybe you're not interested in training a radar gun on your neighbor. But I'm betting readers are as peeved about this as my colleagues. Here's some more from them: Staff photographer Eric Brady is gentle soul who lives in the Wasena neighborhood. But what he sees on Main Street sometimes leaves him downright fearful. "The speed limit is 25, many speedsters will go over 50 mph in this stretch," Eric wrote. "However, the worst offenders I've seen are police cars traveling without lights or sirens going speeds of over 70 mph in either direction." Night shift page designer Carrie Cousins tries to steer clear of Gus Nicks Boulevard "as soon as you turn off Orange Avenue ... especially late at night." Farther east in Roanoke County, reporter JoAnne Poindexter worries about Cloverdale Road (U.S. 220 Alternate). "A few vehicles seem to think they are still on the interstate as they travel toward U.S. 460 (Challenger Road)." Ann Hackworth is a poised, regal and unflappable editor who lives near Patrick Henry High School in Southwest Roanoke. She absolutely lost it, though, at the mention of neighborhood speeders. "The worst ... are parents who drive their kids to PH [Patrick Henry High] and Raleigh Court Elementary in the a.m.," Ann wrote. "The second are the students themselves. Not only do they speed, they ignore stop signs. "I've become that crazy old lady who lives on the corner because I have actually hollered at people who blow through the stop signs. (I'm usually greeted with dumb stares)." Ann actually thanked me for allowing her to vent. No, thank you, Ann. |
About this blog In her signature plainspoken style, Michigan native Shanna Flowers peels away the layers and gets to the heart of the issues. No pretense. Just straightforward perspective. Shanna writes about local people whose circumstances reflect decisions made as near as City Hall or as far away as the halls of Congress. Other times, she weighs in on a topic because it is incredibly ridiculous. Or heartening. Or fascinating. Read Shanna's column three days a week, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, at roanoke.com
.....Advertisement.....
|
...Advertisement...
...Advertisement...
Comments
[October 28, 2007 8:37 AM]
Rob MilesIn Salem, Harrison Avenue is one of the worst roads for speeders I've seen. VDOT vehicles, both private and branded, hit well over the 25 MPH posted speed whether they are going uphill or downhill. I've called and complained, but it hasn't done much good.
One of the biggest problems in Salem, I think, is that the worst drivers seem to be the Salem cops. I constantly see them exceeding the speed limit, failing to come to a complete stop, tailgating cars that are doing the speed limit, etc.
If VDOT and police vehicles don't bother following the rules of the road, it's no wonder everybody else follows suit.
[October 28, 2007 8:42 AM]
Jonathan BrownThis is a topic that has fired me up for sometime now. Probably since May of 2005 when I moved to the 1800 block of Bluemont Ave. This is the block between Winborne and Watauga with Evergreen cemetary across the street. People turn off Winborne and fly straight down Bluemont to see how fast they can get to Terrace Apartments. I have left 3 messages for the Police department requesting this stretch of road be monitored for radar enforcement. I have also sent four letters to the police department requesting the same thing. I have never observed an officer out on Bluemont patrolling. Nor has anyone from the police department ever acknowledged phone calls or letters. Maybe they do enforce while I am sleeping. But it is more helpful during the waking hours when kids/children are out and around the street from the 1800 block to the 1500 block. When I see the radar enforcement places in the paper they will list Sherwood or Windsor for instance but never this area. Thanks for letting me vent. This may have been better therapy than the police patrolling. But this definitely was a quicker response to a citizen requesting help. Thanks for all you do, Ms. Flowers.
[October 28, 2007 8:49 AM]
Shae MarlinOh you hit my pet peeve on the head!!! I live in the 2100 block of Denniston avenue and we have a serious problem with folks that speed down our street. They use Denniston to avoid Memorial Avenue and the light at Grandin. There are alot of children on our street and we even have an elementary school on the 1900 block. This issue has repeatedly been brought up at the neighborhood watch meetings and radar has been requested but to no avail, We even requested a stop sign at Denniston and Brunswick and were denied.....see what you can do. Thanks, Shae
[October 28, 2007 10:10 AM]
Ed S.Shanna--
Great article. This is definitely a problem everywhere. I did want to pick on one of your observations. We should not label people who want to do something about problems in their neighborhoods "vigilantes". Aside from the jokes about creative solutions we share with each other (such as Mark Taylor's comments), we're talking about friends and neighbors who are trying to solve real problems in their neighborhoods.
A vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands, acting in lieu of the law to address a problem. But when we're talking about neighborhood problems like speeders, the majority of the time I hear from people who want to work with the law to get the problem addressed. This is *not* vigilantism. This is a neighborhood operating the way it *should* be--people taking a personal interest in the safety, health, and well-being of their community. These people should *not* be derogated for wanting to make their community better.
We have a real problem in today's society where people believe that the police are the only ones that can solve problems. They will apathetically sit on their duff and complain about all of the problems and the police not being there to solve them. What we should all realize is that *we* make the community, and *we* are responsible for keeping our community safe. This is done by taking initiative and action, working with neighbors and the police to solve problems and better yet, prevent problems from arising.
Rather than "vigilantes", we should call these people "citizens" or "neighbors", because they are exhibiting the true spirit of community by taking an active interest in their neighborhood.
[October 28, 2007 10:14 AM]
GloriaShowalter Road in Northwest Roanoke has always been a race track but has grown progresssively worse. Being a residential neighborhood the speed limit is 25 MPH, but apparently this does not apply to most people. I have even seen a speeder blow his horn, curse and do the middle finger thing at my neighbor because he was turning into his driveway. He did not have time to wait behind the turning car for a couple of minutes. Where are you going in such a hurry,people?
[October 28, 2007 11:06 AM]
Roy LindamoodWe live on Penn Forest Blvd. The stretch of road coming downhill (traveling east) is 30mph. However many motorist, including a large number who cut through to avoid going to 419, have no regard for this posted speed limit. Rke County officers sit in Penn Forest Christian Church property occasionally but they seem to be very lenient. I have gone to my mail box and my wife has wondered where I have been as it takes so long to safety cross Penn Forest Blvd. I feel that many are traveling more than 50mph. This road is extremely unsafe. When I travel 30mph many drivers behind me get very impatient and tailgate. We need help to keep our neighborhood safe. Thanks.
[October 28, 2007 12:00 PM]
Chris EShae Marlin is correct regarding Police Officers' driving habits. When I lived in the City of Roanoke, I would be startled if a Police officer would actually use their turn signals. Speeding, too, seems common for police; but they will claim that they are going on a call. With conversations I've had with police in other juristictions, that's usually not the case.
[October 28, 2007 12:23 PM]
James C. MartinWe reside on Maplewood Drive in Lindenwood off of Rt. 24, and have many times wished for some way to correct the speeding mentality of more then a few drivers on Maplewood. About three weeks ago my wife witnessed 2 drivers side by side up the hill in front of our house and into a blind curve at the top, by the Grace of God no one was coming. We have witnessed speeders on a daily basis and complained to our Supervisor and the Police Department and have had only one "spot enforcement" operation and that was with a marked car at the bottom of the hill and in plain view in both directions. Should not take a rocket scientist to figure out that there would not be too many violators in that situation. I was called and informed that this "spot enforcement" was going to take place and when I offered the times of day when most of the problems occurred the Sergeant on the line became very indignant and I thought he had hung up before getting a less then
polite response. A few years ago while attending a citizen's budget advisory meeting (in itself a big farce) this was mentioned to the County Administrator, Elmer Hodge, his reply indicated that if this was a little more affluent area of the county then we might have more police patrols. So much for equal treatment!! Some of the irony is, a county employee is one of the daily offenders on the way to and from work but then I guess we cannot expect the Police to cite any fellow county employees. The speed limit is 25 MPH and is posted, we of course are well past any children but there are several within a two block area, I certainly one does not have to be hurt by a reckless (speeding) driver before someone wakes up to the situation. Then of course there are the drivers that run red lights at every intersection we pass through, but I suppose traffic law enforcement is just too much to wish for.
Thanks for taking the time to read my rant, you definitely touched a nerve.
[October 28, 2007 12:52 PM]
JayYeah, the police do seem to abuse their power. I frequently see police cars speeding, not using their turn signals, etc, even when their lights/siren are off. Where's their ticket?
[October 28, 2007 1:21 PM]
Jonathan BrownShanna:
Ed S is right with his entry above. I agree that vigilanties are not good. We as citizens or residents of the area of problem try to work with the police or neighborhood associations. We want what is safe and good for our neighborhood not vigilanties. The blog posting are great to read today because as you can see this has hit emotionally on many levels and frustrated many of us for some time. Lets keep this blog today going!! Thanks Shanna for your article in the paper today.
[October 28, 2007 7:45 PM]
Gonna stay annonYou should check out garden city some time New Spring Branch in particular, street racers with the mufflers and all that jazz love this 25 MPH strech, I have used a radar gun on this strech and seen a quite a few speeders buzzing in excess of 70 MPH on this residential street. One of the cars likes to do drifting circles around Carico St to New Spring Br, to Danfoth St, to Garden City. and the sad thing is 3 city cops live within 2 blocks of all this and i have never seen a cop.
[October 28, 2007 8:15 PM]
Carissa SouthRoselawn Dr., where it approaches Brambleton Ave/221...drivers fly down the hill and come aroung a blind curve at the bottom where Wing Commander meets Roselawn. I frequently encounter cars and SUVs going in excess of 20mph over the posted limit of 25 MPH!
[October 28, 2007 8:32 PM]
batonmommyI have to agree with Mr. Lindamood. We live off of Penn Forest Blvd and at certain times of the day you are taking your life in your own hands to turn onto this stretch of road. The posted limit is 30, I understand it used to be 35, but the minimum most people travel is 40-45. I have learned many a new nasty word from drivers behind me when I do the speed limit.
[October 28, 2007 9:15 PM]
BJTwo places close to my home...Cove Rd. and Ferncliff...are very bad.
Yesterday, there was another serious accident near our house. This one involved an SUV and a motorcycle. The traffic is getting worse on Cove. It's used as a shortcut, people go well over the speed limit, and it is not a straight road. It has many dips and some bad curves (especially on either side of the section where we live) and many streets that come into Cove which have limited view of what's coming in either direction. We live on Cove and have to back onto it. We back out with a prayer and hope that nobody is coming too fast. We cross to get our mail the same way. Ferncliff is another raceway. It is a straight road, and you can hear the cars coming at a high rate of speed. Many times when you hear a car coming at an extremely high rate of speed it is a police car! Just as others have said...no lights and no siren. We thought they had to be using one or the other to speed, but we've found out neither is required. While they may be responding to an emergency, they don't need to put others who are walking along or crossing Ferncliff in danger.
[October 28, 2007 9:54 PM]
VGI agree BJ, Cove Road between Hershberger and Peters Creek. Pulling out of Ranch hoping for no speeder toping the hill is a "pedal to the medal" experience. Now with a large political sign blocking from the other direction it has been a miracle no one has been killed. Code enforcement said "you have to pull out from the stop sign anyway to see what is coming over the hill". Then after asking the City engineer for more caution signage he said "there were not enough accidents" to warrant extra signage yet.
According to our Community Resource Officer he had a radar gun but has never had time to sit and use it as it is call to call, then paperwork. Our neighborhood would fight over a radar gun. We'll share it with BJ.
Where was it I saw that cardboard cutouts of police officers with radar guns propped beside the road actually made people slow down.
[October 28, 2007 10:34 PM]
Deborah DurrettIt's funny you should address this issue as I've been in contact with VDOT fairly recently regarding ridiculous driving and unnecessary vehicles(tractor trailer of crushed cars went up through here not long ago) on our street. We're on Dexter Road in NW Roanoke. Many people use our street as a cut through to Hollins Kroger. Alpha Daycare is on the other end of the block from where we live and I thought this would be a good reason for VDOT to consider making this a "no cut through" street. Yet if the street doesn't qualify we're in the same predicament as many who have to listen to constant winding up and blowing out of their rather pitiful engines as they pretend they are actually Nascar or IndyCar drivers. It wasn't quite like this when we moved here about 13 and a half years ago. Now we have a lovely car wash behind our house and people that work there also are some of the largest contributors to the morning and evening noise of cars racing by here like there's actually somewhere to go. We appreciate your addressing this issue and hope that along with others in the same sort of predicament that some sort of solution is just over the horizon so people can live peacefully in their homes as much as is possible in this crazy life we live.
[October 29, 2007 9:41 AM]
RichJohnathon Brown beat me to it.
Bluemont Avenue is horrible. I lived a few doors down from Johnathon, and moved in the Spring.
I'd say 45 MPH is the slowest cars go through this 25 MPH zone. Also, I hate to think how many of the cars speeding toward Terrace Apartments are illegally registered and uninsured, too.
[October 29, 2007 10:11 AM]
JLWGreat article, Shanna! Thanks for this opportunity to say how sick I am of drivers who don't think the laws apply to them. I agree that Cloverdale Road (Alt. 220) has become a speedway. Two warnings that the speed limit changes to 45 apparently aren't enough for some people. Also, it seems that all the stop signs in The Orchards neighborhood are invisible! This includes the roads coming from The Orchards Apartments and Wal-Mart onto Crumpacker. Let's also mention anyone leaving around 7:30 AM from the industrial park off Cloverdale Road. The DMV should develop a test to determine if drivers are too arrogant or too stupid to have a driver's license, or if they just have a death wish. I've come to feel like I'm suddenly responsible for everybody else on the road, so here goes: "Use your turn signals and seatbelts, obey the speed limits, and learn that "stop" means "STOP".
[October 29, 2007 12:31 PM]
Jonathan BrownHey Rich. Glad to see your blog entry. I thought about Overland Rd, the cut-through from Colonial Ave to Brambleton. 2 schools and a church on this road and people do 50 mph. Where are the enforcements? Definitely a child safety issue here. Avenham is horrible too but they seem to patrol here pretty good and Yellow Mountain Rd from behind Jefferson past the Parkway watch out its 25 but everyone thinks they're on 581.
[October 29, 2007 12:39 PM]
Local ResidentI know that speeders are a problem in many areas, but Belle Avenue and Mecca in northeast Roanoke are particulary bad. We have a daycare on Belle, and the drivers will speed by at at least 50 miles an hour. It is ridiculous, a waste of gas, and dangerous.
[October 29, 2007 2:16 PM]
DOREEN BEERWe liver on Windsor Road S.W. When we moved here 2 years ago, we thought it was a nice, quiet area. Heck no! Instead of 25 mph, most people drive 35. Several times, we've seen people drive in excess of 50. The police can't be everywhere. Our citizens must be more considerate of their neighbors.
[October 29, 2007 5:15 PM]
Annette KrollI too have become the "crazy old lady" who yells at drivers on her street! Mr Lindamood is correct, Penn Forest Blvd is a speeders dream. Unfortunately, it is only one part of a huge cut through. Drivers end up there after screeching through my neighborhood, Belle Meade. They come from Merriman, through Sunnyside (ignoring the stop sign) onto Belle Meade Dr and back again in the afternoon. A good portion of these speeders seem to be parents taking kids to and from school. I complained enough to get a 25 MPH sign erected, but apparently, these people do not think it applies to them.
Between the speeders cutting through and the neighbors on the hill running through the stop signs it is quite a road rally around here.
[October 29, 2007 11:58 PM]
Frank GisinerShanna, I was just thinking this past Friday when I saw a City of Salem Animal Control truck barrel down North Broad Street at no less than 45-50 MPH that I somehow need to get this fixed! The rain soaked leaves flew up behind the speeding vehicle screaming, "wait for me", to no avail, because that truck was gone. Salem's North Broad Street has some beautiful old homes and lots of cars parked on the street. I'd like for the speeding drivers on N. Broad to think for a second, "what if a kid stepped out from between the cars, what if the car itself pulled out, what if it were MY kid that stepped out or ME in that car that suddenly pulled out." I've imagined getting one of those big radar signs that tells the speed you're traveling and installing it in front of my place, but when I saw the speeding Salem Police vehicle whiz by, I realized it just wouldn't matter.
[October 31, 2007 9:44 AM]
heatherHi Shanna,
The street where I live is used as a cut-through to avoid the intersection of Brandon Ave and Grandin Rd.
We witness people speeding down the street to "beat the light" countless times every day.
There are about 40 children under age 10 living here - playing ball, riding bikes, waiting at the bus stop, etc. One family's cat was recently hit and killed (hit and run, no less) right in front of their home.
The official speed limit is 25 MPH - but we see people driving more than 40 MPH daily. Truth-be-told, many of us believe 25 MPH is even too fast for a narrow residential street.
We've asked the police department for help - but they are unable to do anything for us. We've called the city's traffic engineer and left messages asking for help (but never received a return call).
Some families have "children playing" signs, two have those new life-size and realisitc looking photo signs of a preschooler which were recently featured in the news.
What will it take for people to just slow down and respect the safety of the people in their own community?
I think people are not speeding with the intent to harm anyone, and many probably think that they might be able to stop fast enough to avoid killing or injuring a child or pet... But the parents on our street are worried about our children. We want our street to be safe for everyone.
The amount of time a person saves by going 40 MPH instead of 20 MPH down our street is less than 10 SECONDS. If a person is going to use a residential street as a cut-through to save time by missing a light, PLEASE be respectful of those who live there and drive slowly.
Thank you
[October 31, 2007 3:58 PM]
Lisa R.There are two roads that make me crazy. The first is the street I live on with 2 young children. The street is Castle Rock Road. The speed limit is 25 mph but when someone actually drives the speed limit, they look like they are going very slowly. The street feeds alot of housing and is used as a cut through but that is no excuse for doing 40+ in a residential neighborhood! We have even seen speeding drivers pass by school buses with yellow or red lights on. This is terrifying.
The other street is McVitty between Electric Road and Brambleton. This is a narrow, winding road with a 25 mph speed limit yet almost no one does 25. If you do, you are tailgated by impatient drivers taking their short cut. We are seeing more and more large trucks barreling through and drivers frequently cross the center line. It is infuriating and dangerous.
[October 31, 2007 6:56 PM]
kevin downsFugate Road
[November 13, 2007 2:14 PM]
Virginian stuck in KentuckyI grew up in Vinton and moved to Kentucky two years ago. I had made complaints about the local driving down home all the time that I lived there, that is until I moved to Louisville. The people in Roanoke are the best drivers in the world. Really honest. First day in Louisville I honestly thought, dear Lord what did I get my self into! I do not believe there are any worse drivers on the planet than in Louisville, Kentucky. At least in Roanoke you have a good chance of getting through a green light without three or four people running the red light on you.