Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
New speed signs will collect data on Sweet Home streets and help police locate areas with speeding problems.
The first two of six new digital speed signs went up nearly two weeks ago on 1st Avenue and Airport Road.
The new signs may be repositioned around town as needed, said Police Chief Jeff Lynn.
The sign digitally displays speeds as drivers pass by.
“The nice thing about them is they also record the traffic data. That’s what we’re most excited about.”
Members of the public and city councilors have been complaining about motorists driving too fast, particularly along those streets, and the signs will give police information about where speeding is a problem.
The first two signs went out where there are chronic concerns about traffic, 1st Avenue, and where the department has been receiving complaints recently, Airport Road.
Some studies show that leaving the visual displays on causes drivers to slow down, Lynn said.
The signs are capable of getting a truer picture of what’s really going on by turning the displays off, Lynn said.
“For the first week, they weren’t showing (speeds),” Lynn said. The signs displayed speeds for a couple of days last week but are currently in stealth mode.
Four more signs are planned to go into the downtown corridor, Lynn said. Public Works is working on permitting for the highway.
“When the ones go on Main, we’ll try to do a two-week period where digital is not displayed,” Lynn said.
The plan is to make the data available for everyone to see in a way that’s easy to read, Lynn said, but he hasn’t yet been able to go through the data that have been collected.
With that data, Lynn said, police officers will come up with a plan to address any issues they find.
Elsewhere with traffic safety, Lynn said, the city is moving forward with plans for pedestrian crossings at Hilltop Market, the new City Hall and especially at 22nd and Main.
22nd and Main has been the site of two major pedestrian crashes in the past couple of years.
The city has identified four or five options for the intersection, Lynn said, but right now, his preferred option is a crosswalk with flashing lights. Other options include safety islands in the middle of the highway.
While he sees the benefit of the safety islands, a downside is they would prohibit left turns, Lynn said.