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Jesse Gordon for Randolph Town Council >
Events>> 25 mph town-wide speed limit
Excerpts from "Everything Randolph" Facebook page:
Mike McDavitt. September 25 at 5:18pm
Are any of the candidates for town council endorsing a more reasonable speed limit?
Jesse Gordon. September 26 at 10:10pm.
I think the town-wide 25mph speed limit is ineffective and unrealistic. It's ineffective because there are smarter ways to get people to slow down -- like new traffic lights at appropriate intersections (West St and Main St, for example, and West St and Lafayette St, for another).
It's unrealistic because when I drive 25mph on West St or North St, people honk so much that I have to pull over and let them pass me. On those through-streets, 30mph or 35mph is more appropriate and should be implemented immediately -- as well as on other streets outside the current traffic study area.
The current law will simply cause lots of Randolph residents to get lots of speeding tickets -- like a "hidden tax" on Randolph drivers. It makes everyone worry about breaking the law, which I don't support.
Arthur Goldstein.
I voted against the new speed limit until we had a full report and recommendations from our traffic study consultants.
Edward Gilbert.
There is a traffic study ongoing as we speak. West, high, Lafayette are all part of the first part of study. Chestnut and high is on the radar as well as high and Canton, High and Reed. Denise drive in in the mix too. We have suggestions from the company doing the study that some roads may be suggested for a speed limit increase. The other issue being looked at is traffic that cuts through neighborhoods to avoid lights. The implementation of smart technologies traffic signals may solve this. Traffic is a major concern for the council and Mr. Burgess and I , as we are the current sub committee given the charge of offering remedies to the council. We have spent hours in evening meetings with the contractor looking at every road to improve traffic flow, while keeping pedestrians and residents safe. I hope this answers some of your concerns
In a nut shell, we are aware of problems and are working hard to address them.
Ryan Egan.
As a TC candidate, I'm very open about the fact that I am against the decision that was made to make the entire town 25mph. I believe there are certain streets (Oak, Grove, Center, Old, Canton, Allen, etc.) that need more attention by RPD when it comes to enforcing the speed limit.
I would be in favor of repealing the current 25MPH speed limit, with the condition of taking a serious look at our current enforcement and traffic safety strategies. Once we take a look at those and consult with RPD, action should be taken (and published to the public) to come to a more reasonable speed limit and enforcement plan.
James F. Burgess Jr.
A motion was made and passed to increase high street from Chestnut to Scanlon to 30 after we concluded the traffic study with many other recommendations for that area.
James F. Burgess Jr.
September 26 at 10:10pm
Part of the vote that was taken that Eddie and I supported and brought to the council was increasing the limit on High Street as well as street calming or road layout changes that forces cars to slow down as they enter residential areas, example entering Chestnut street from High. Area is wide open pavement allowing the 50 mph driver to continue that speed into Chestnut . When you narrow the road width and take the mouth of Chestnut as a more deliberative turn they need to slow to enter . So these are some of the changes that allow us to increase mph on Section of High street. We hope to have thee next phase to review in the spring or late winter focusing on Russ up through Pond, oak over towards North Street up to Mill Street.
I believe that by looking at these areas from a larger viewpoint and seeing just how a change at one location interacts with other locations because it does have a cumulative affect.
An example of this is an order introducing truck limits on certain streets in South Randolph. Now on the face of it , it sounds great and who could be upset about this. So the public safety committee will have to review and report back to the Council.
When we limit truck traffic by weight, plate or otherwise that truck traffic will be directed someplace . Commerce has to happen , we need to get trucks to our industrial and commercial properties . Residents still need furniture and other goods delivered to the homes. So where do you tell these vehicles to go.
Also and please for those that know help me out , I was told by a friend that his pickup truck would be excluded because of the weight. I honestly don't know how much a pick up truck can weigh and what if I'm a mason or a welder and drive my truck for work, does that qualify as an exclusion .
So when we are asked about traffic I have to say I'm not upset about the path we have taken by instituting the speed limit, pedestrian education, enforcement, and taking the Town in Thirds to review all traffic patterns. In the end it will improve our Town.
Jesse Gordon. September 29, 8:24am
When members of the Town Council say they'll wait for a study to be completed before deciding what to do, the key question is "What rules do we implement in the meantime"? Traffic studies take a long time, and right now we are all suffering under an ineffective and unrealistic townwide 25mph speed limit. As a Town Council candidate, I agree with Councilor Arthur Goldstein's vote against implementing the 25mph townwide speed limit until the traffic study was completed. If I were on the Town Council then, I would only support a townwide 25mph speed limit if it included well-thought-out speed limits on through-streets (30mph or 35mph on West Street and North Street, for example) and included other traffic-calming devices (like traffic lights on Lafayette Street and High Street).
The other key question is "What do we do right now"? -- because a bad decision passed the Town Council, and we all have to drive now under the results of that bad decision. My proposed answer is, "Immediately change the speed limit signs to 35 mph on through-streets like West Street and North Street." We don't need the results of a traffic study to tell us that 25mph just doesn't work on North Street -- go drive there at 25mph and you'll instantly feel the consensus of all the other drivers that you're driving too slowly. When I try to follow the 25mph speed limit on North Street, I feel like I am causing a safety hazard by blocking the other drivers! (and it's hard to stay at that speed because my cruise-control won't even set that low!)
When I am out on the streets campaigning, I ask Randolph police officers if they are enforcing the 25mph speed limit, and several have said yes, they're issuing tickets. I'd like to hear from some drivers who got speeding tickets on North Street or West Street or other through-streets -- how fast were you going and how much was the fine? And how much will your car insurance go up for years because of a "moving violation"? Is it appropriate punishment to cost hundreds of dollars in increased insurance for someone who was driving 35mph in a poorly-thought-out 25mph zone? I don't think so!
Kevin O'Connell
September 19 at 5:17pm
The councilors might not post much or at all here, but believe me, they read it!
Kimberly Butler September 19 at 6:18pm
Excellent to know, I don't expect them to respond to peoples gripes on Facebook. But glad to hear they read it. Thanks
Jesse Gordon. October 2
As a Town Council candidate, I support effective enforcement of a more selective 25mph speed limit. I highlight the term 'effective' because I think that includes immediately raising the speed limit on several through-streets to 30mph or some limit higher than 25mph, which is unrealistic on North Street and West Street and other through-streets. I think having a marked police car sometimes show up, for example, on West Street to enforce the speed limit would be welcomed by all residents (including me), who hear real speedsters every night using West Street as a drag strip, whether the speed limit is 25mph or 30mph or 35mph. 'Effective' enforcement means tickets only the serious speedsters, not for going 30mph or 35mph. And effective enforcement should also include a long-term component, such as new traffic lights at the intersection of West Street and Lafayette Street, as well as other traffic-calming devices.
I agree with people's gripes here that the townwide 25mph speed limit is unreasonable, and I think we should immediately place some new 30mph or 35mph signs on through-streets -- and then enforce that with a police presence -- and then make long-term improvements based on a long-term traffic study.
Update Nov. 1: Some people have noted, "well, if you have police officers enforcing the speed limit, that will use up police time," implying we would need new police officers for this purpose. I agree. I would urge hiring a new police officer to cover the additional duties of enforcing the speed limit.
Update Nov. 1: Some others have asked, "well, would you support raising the speed limit on all through-streets?" No, I think we should be selective. High Street and Lafayette Street should stay at 25 mph, and in addition we should add a traffic light at the intersection of Lafayette and West St, as well as traffic-calming structures along High Street. In general, we should be selective about the 25mph speed limit, instead of a blanket rule, and then enforce it.
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