Vehicles are slowing and driving over the new traffic table or ‘speed hump’ on Jennings Road in Newburgh.
It was installed on Sunday between Monroe and Madison Streets. It’s seven-feet wide and is designed to discourage speeding over 20 or 25 miles per hour.
Town Administrator Chris Cooke said this is one piece of the puzzle to reduce vehicle speed on town thoroughfares.
“One speed hump by itself is not a magic bullet solution,” Cooke said. “They have to work in conjunction in various places within a community. But it's also not just putting out speed humps. You have to look at some of your ordinances on overweight vehicles.”
And install solar-powered radar speed signs and re-stripe some lanes.
Six additional speed tables are approved by the town council but will be installed after studying the effects of the current speed table.
The idea is that it doesn’t really disrupt motorists if they’re following the speed limit.
Cooke said speeding has been one of the top complaints he’s received in nine months as town manager.
“… and I'm not the only one that's received it. So this is kind of like step one, where we're doing some fact finding on this type of traffic control device to see if it's an option that we want to go with in the community at various other locations.”
Those locations would likely continue with the two elementary schools and other major thoroughfares.
He also needs to inform various GPS companies of their local ordinances on load limits to stop heavy haulers from using local streets.
Cooke says they’ll tweak the program based on motorist and police feedback. He said they already know a wider table — likely 14 feet instead of the current 7 feet —is needed to lessen the 'bump' to the vehicle and passengers.
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