By Rumasa Noor
Staff writer
High speed limits in residential areas are often a matter of concern for many people, especially for parents of young children.
In the July 28 meeting of the Police Commission of Union Grove, a parent and a resident of Union Grove, Martha Sheahan, raised concerns over drivers speeding on 11th Avenue.
Sheahan said there are several households near 11th Avenue where families with young children reside and their children can easily run toward the road and get hit by a speeding vehicle.
She also said there is an autistic child that lives near 11th Avenue and their parents have to keep an eye on the child at all times.
Sheahan proposed placing signs near 11th Avenue among other solutions to inform the drivers about children being in the area.
This was Sheahan’s second visit to the police commission meeting. She said she also came last year and left discouraged.
There were a few other parents in attendance at the meeting as well. Sheahan’s husband said if the issue isn’t resolved soon, he is afraid they might have to attend a memorial for a child.
Police Commission member and village trustee Tim Mallach said they won’t be able to do much except having the Sherriff’s department visit the 11th Avenue at certain times of the day when people are seen speeding.
He said Sheahan could also take this issue to the street department as they handle the road signs.
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The opening sentence of this article is very misleading. The speed limit on 11th Avenue is 25 MPH, the same as every other Village street. Also, Tim Mallach is a Police Commission member, not a Plan Commission member.
What is considered HIGH SPEED LIMITS? 35? 45? 55? We reside on a road where the speed limit is 45. No child has ever been hurt because we TAUGHT our children and grandchildren NOT to play in the streets or near them. A responsible parent teaches a child that vehicles have the right away, to respect them, that a ball isn’t worth dying for and as a parent we are responsible for watching our kids and not expecting society to continually change rules because its easier for us. When you see your child in the road is it acceptable. If you don’t have room to play baseball or kickball, consider being a parent and taking them to the park where they can play. They can’t get hit if they aren’t in the streets. That is the summation of this comment! And WHO’S responsibility are they? Not the drivers to watch for them its YOURS!
correction: WHEN you see your child playing in the road, its is NOT acceptable!
No one is asking for society to change for the residents. We are asking for signage that reminds drivers of the posted speed limit and/or a stop sign. Our children are taught to not go into the road after a ball. However, there are times when a ball does get into the road. A driver’s first reaction is most likely to serve to avoid it. If his or her speed is too high, control of the vehicle could be lost, sending the vehicle into yards and leading to injuries.
Drivers are responsible for the lives of others on or near the roadway. That is why a driver can be charged with manslaughter if he or she kills someone.
Since you do not know us our the other families in our neighborhood, please do not assume or insinuate that we are lazy parents.
I want to clarify. The main reason we proposed a stop sign at Pheasant Run and 11th Ave was to reduce the speed of the DRIVERS on 11th Ave. It was not to reduce the POSTED speed limit of 25mph. There is a high population of small children in the area of Pheasant Run and Cardinal Ln. We as responsible parents do take the time to educate our children to stay out of the road, but accidents can and do happen. All it takes is a second, 1 second to look down at your phone or reach behind into the back seat for something to hit a child in a moving vehicle. At the time this article was written there was 1 speed limit sign posted on 11th Ave between 67th Drive and Cardinal Lane. The sign is located approximately 4 feet to the east from the turn onto 11th Ave from 67th Dr. The span of road between 67th Dr and Cardinal Lane is long and open, with only few installed stop signs on the east end. It can be easy for drivers after the last set of stop signs to exceed the posted limit. At the Police Commission Meeting that night we were looking to raise awareness for the safety of our neighborhood children. A stop sign is what we proposed in hopes of stopping drivers one more time before the end of 11th Ave at Cardinal Lane. It was communicated at the meeting they were not able to help us with signs, as we needed to speak with the Streets Department for this type of thing. They did offer increased patrol to the area, as well as a speed box to be placed on the road. We appreciated that very much, and did observe a positive impact from both. There has since been a Streets Department meeting. At that meeting we were approved for the installation of 3 additional speed limit signs between 67th Drive and Cardinal LN, as well as 2 specialized children at play signs to be installed at the intersection of Pheasant Run and 11th Ave. Is this the stop sign we hoped for? No, but I am thankful where we are at now. It’s a start to help make this area safe for our children. With additional speed limit signs posted there will no longer be the excuse of “I didn’t know what the speed limit was.” Soon there will be plenty of flagged speed limit signs to communicate what every person who has completed Driver’s Ed should know. As to the question of how fast is fast? Fast is any speed above 25MPH in a residential area. Driving above the posted limit is breaking the laws that keep pedestrians, bicyclists, and children safe on our roads.
Cathy,
You obviously do not have young kids and do not live in UG! Children are children and cannot be watched EVERY second of EVERY minute of EVERY day! Martha is a VERY responsible parent and until you know a situation I suggest you just zip it!