All too often, we see progress bogged down by too much bureaucracy as our world becomes ever-more formalized and hierarchical, wrapped in red tape. It’s nice to see old-fashioned, person-to-person dialogue result in problem-solving among neighbors, as is the case for the Kimball/Beacon Street neighborhood in Sanford.
Residents there raised concerns, about 18 months ago, about speeding motorists who would blaze down Kimball Street as a shortcut from Route 202 into town, to avoid the traffic lights at Main and Lebanon streets.
Drivers also speed by school bus stops, residents say, and one youngster, who was carrying a bag of leaves, was reportedly knocked to the ground by a motorist on Beacon Street.
Clearly, there is a safety issue here, and the speeding is of particular concern there not only because of the children, but also for motorists who use the five-way intersection that connects to Kimball Street. Motorists turning onto the street from these roads are also at risk, as a traffic study conducted by the city there showed that nearly 10,000 vehicles passed over the roadway in eight days, with some clocked at 50 mph and above ”“ and this area is a 25 mph zone.
When residents first complained, the police department did address the problem by increasing patrols in the area, issuing warnings at first, and later tickets, but the results have not been lasting, as speeders only seem to slow down when police are present.
Residents continued to be concerned about their children’s welfare while walking or playing alongside the street, so in October, 45 of them signed a petition to submit to the city council, and that was what truly got the ball rolling on a solution to this problem.
Councilor Brad Littlefield subsequently visited the neighborhood to see the speeders for himself, and a few councilors and city staff members joined a neighborhood meeting there on Nov. 6. The council’s public safety subcommittee looked into the complaints as well, and this past Tuesday, Nov. 19, the council agreed to install more stop signs at the intersection, to improve safety and reduce speeding. Petition organizers Paul Rumery and Jon Stimmell said they’re happy with this approach and believe it will help. We agree that it seems an appropriate measure to address this problem.
Councilor Alan Walsh did raise the concern that councilors should not be expected to attend neighborhood meetings or meet privately with citizens to address their complaints. We agree that the process generally works when issues are brought to the attention of a city councilor or the council as a whole, and referred to the appropriate committee for review. In this case, however, some councilors and city staff did decide to meet with residents privately, and there is nothing wrong with that.
What is the city council for if not to address the city’s budget and the public concerns of its residents? We’d like to applaud the residents who organized the petition, and those councilors and staff members who went the extra mile to hear these residents’ concerns, one on one. That’s how business really gets done, and that personal relationship is what people like about Maine’s small cities and towns.
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