The speed limit as you approach downtown Floyd is 25 miles per hour but you wouldn’t know it based on the speed that trucks and other vehicles travel when they barrel through town.
Too often I’ve watched those huge semis streak down Locust Street at speeds well over 25 while pedestrians jump back because the monsters are traveling much faster than they should.
In recent weeks, we’ve had parked cars hit by trucks that couldn’t make the turn at Route 8 and U.S. 221 under the stop light and I’ve observed too many near misses when cars pull out of side streets and underestimate the speed of the approaching trucks.
Somebody is going to get killed if we don’t take steps to slow these speed demons down. Or do we have to wait for someone to die before action is taken?
Boones Mill has a population of what, 200? They have a police officer who is nationally known on speed trap web sites, and truckers are so paranoid that the majority of cars and trucks slow down to 40-45mph when passing through town. Before the light was put in the officer was making $60K a year for Boones Mill. If you have a part-time police officer who spends 8 hours a day tagging absolutely anyone going 10mph over the limit, the problem might be solved in less than a year. News travels fast nowadays.
People exceed the speed limit because the chances of being caught are low. When the speed limit is enforced, people learn to drive the speed limit.
The borough of Hartleton, PA has one east-west paved road and a few that cut off in other directions are paved as well. For 25 years that I know of, they have had a speed enforcement policy — it’s 35 in Hartleton and if you forget it, you’re going to help Hartleton maintain its low tax policy. They have 4 part-time officers and are now doing well-enough that they are contracting their officers out to nearby towns that need a police presence.
In 1983, one of Hartleton’s residents forgot to slow down while passing through town and got a ticket. He was mad enough to put a sign on the western approach to town which read “Charlie Sez Speed Trap Ahead”. On the eastern edge of town where he had is business, he would put out a little lawn tractor with flashing lights and a sign that said “Speed Trap Active” anytime he knew that the police were active. The only people who paid attention were those who were local — the people driving through on their way to a football game on Saturday still got caught.
There is no way I could negotiate the turn at the stoplight in a big rig. The big rig drivers I have seen are good at making the turn if the other drivers stay behind the white lines to wait out the light. Some mishaps are inevitable. I haven’t noticed dangerously excessive speeds through town, but few are driving the posted speed limit.