Speed Bumps For All!

To the Editor:

The Police Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday night that they are no longer able to enforce the speed limit laws in Newtown.

The commissioners voted to recommend the installation of speed bumps on Queen Street to force vehicles to follow the posted speed limit. These speed bumps will require vehicles to slow to 15 mph in order to traverse them.

The good news for those other streets in Newtown that have speeding problems — most it appears — is there are very few requirements set forth by the Police Commission to recommend speed bumps.

They are:

1. Vehicles are not following the posted speed limit

2. Residents need to attend Police Commission meeting to complain

Since there were no reported accidents on Queen Street where the speed bumps were recommended, pedestrian safety issues are not required.

Volume of traffic does not seem to be a criteria either. Queen Street has only 5,600 vehicles a day, while Church Hill Road and Main Street have upwards of 21,000 vehicles a day.

The impact on other streets or the flow of traffic does not seem to be a criteria either for the commission to recommend speed bumps.

So the good news for Newtown is that the Police Commission has now come up with a way to enforce our speed limits and almost every road in town seems to qualify. Hurry on down to the next Police Commission meeting and get in line for your speed bumps.

Oh, it also seems to help if you have a little political clout!

Bruce Walczak

12 Glover Avenue, Newtown                                             July 11, 2007