County shouldn't abandon speed hump plans

Editor:

As a resident in Columbia County for 35 years and living in neighborhoods for 20 years, the experience of speeders, drag racers and careless driving is not at all new to me. Our neighborhood at Timberidge is a well-known cut-through from Old Evans road to Old Peters-burg road. (More than 600 cars pass through in a 24-hour period, according to a Columbia County study.) During the summer months and on Friday and Saturday nights the teenagers use it as the speedway. ...

We do not want speed humps to try and make a statement to keep up with the other neighborhoods in the county. We are not trying to pick on teenagers. Some-thing must be done to help protect the children, elderly and pets in our streets. ...

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office has been notified and the radar trailer has been put out for a couple of weeks on different days. Police patrol was also increased in our area but there are not enough police to sit and wait in all the neighborhoods in such a large and continually growing county. "Slow children at play" signs have been placed along with speed limit signs that the police cannot enforce, per the state. Some of the commissioners recommended this. Hello!

Some of the county commissioners recommend hiring more deputies to help out with the problem. But when the issue is brought up in meetings to vote on, the budget to pay for more deputies, cars, radar, salaries and benefits is voted against. We need more deputies in our large county now!

More curves were recommended. I can tell you, we are the curviest street around and that makes for more fun. You can hear the rubber tires squealing as the cars enter the straightaway. Speed humps are more economical and seem to do the job in other neighborhoods that have implemented them.

I ask commissioners to please not end the speed hump program. Please look at it more closely. ... It not only saves money and makes sense, it could save lives. ...

A program should be started for future growth of neighborhoods and speed humps and turn lanes put in from the beginning. It probably would save time and money. I am sure someone thought of this, right?

Heide Martin

Martinez