Summer greetings to all our residents and visitors! When I first stood before the City Council in February of this year, I had no idea that my serious concerns about speeding in town were so widespread and significant. At our May 24 Town Hall meeting, more than 50 people, many of whom had not been previously involved in city issues, came, and spoke their minds. I want to personally thank ALL those who attended and who support our efforts, including the over 375 folks who signed our petition!
After many discussions, research, and community input, we are preparing a Phase 1 Action Plan to present soon to the Mayor and City Administrator for their serious consideration. I am writing to share with the public some of our suggestions for reducing speeding and increasing public safety. This is not an exhaustive list. We also acknowledge the budget difficulties that currently constrain the city.
We believe that a consistent, lower speed limit (20 mph) throughout the entire town would alleviate the confusion entering town via 238 as there are currently 3 different speed limits within several hundred yards as you enter town. We also feel that this change is manageable even though 238 is a state highway, as the current speed limit is 20 MPH on 238 near California Street AND on California Street in downtown.
At the May 24 meeting, Police Chief David Towe spoke about the town borrowing 4 radar guns (from Medford) that could be checked-out by citizens, once educated and waivers are signed. We are volunteering to assist the PD if needed to accomplish this. Volunteers could also assist in moving around our street speed signs or charging batteries. Central Point has an excellent volunteer program which we could adapt for several projects.
Crosswalks are a significant concern due to inconsistent design and signage. We have several specific ideas to address these problems, including adding several additional crosswalks around town, and better signage. We are also recommending that all crosswalks be repainted with white reflective paint plus putting “SLOW” on the road in certain hilly streets feeding into downtown. Temporary banners at all 4 entrances into town could welcome everyone while alerting drivers about our speed limit and our goal of protecting our pedestrians, pets, and wildlife.
Lastly, we want to encourage town leadership to better enforce our laws regarding speeding, illegal parking, etc. Increasing parking fines is a beginning. If there are no consequences for offenders, we put our elders, children, pets etc. at dangerous risk. NONE of us want a tragedy here.
We appreciate any and all thoughts on this ongoing issue, and welcome you to contact us at oregongal@me.com. Come to City Council meetings and get involved!
Respectfully, Cindy Rasmussen, Citizens for a Safer Jacksonville