Letter: Speeding problem across county hasn’t improved
To the Editor-
It’s hard to believe all the events that have taken place since I originally wrote this letter one year ago:
“West River Drive was a spot that hadn’t crossed my mind but is now a speedway and the gentleman who died on March 5 of this year exemplifies the speeding issue we, as a community, are dealing with. The news talks about how law enforcement is or will be cracking down on the problem but it’s a rarity that I see law enforcement travel these roads when I’m out and about. If you’re reading this, I am NOT condoning Reasonable and Prudent. I’m bringing to light that our roads in this area are becoming more of an unsupervised raceway and that one death due to someone speeding is one death too many.” Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
The realization has finally come to me this week that Stevens Point, Whiting, Plover, and Portage County should officially remove posted speed signs at the following points:
- (West) Clark Street, Centerpoint Dr., Water St., and Main Street all the way to the east side of town and back into town
- Business 51 from the north side of Stevens Point to the southside of Plover
- County Road HH from Highway 66 West all the way to County Road R at the Commons
- Hoover Ave from Plover all the way to Country Club Dr., and finally
- Stanley Street all the way to Highway 66 east
All these areas should now be posted as Reasonable and Prudent because the traffic I see when driving in these areas have no problem going as fast as they wish. Even if I happen to be doing five [miles] over, I’m still getting passed and watching those vehicles that pass me make exceptional headway to the point they disappear out of my sight on some of these roads. And these are civilians driving.
I had a sheriff’s car come up from nowhere after I left my house, follow me to County Road HH, and was at the bus garage by Ben Franklin as I was turning onto Whiting Ave. He didn’t have any lights on but he sure was moving.
I also feel for the pedestrians and school-children who have to cross these roads, notably the crossing area off County Road HH for those kids going to McDill. If a driver leaving the stop light can activate the “slow-down” light on the speed limit sign, that’s a problem. County Road HH is a drag strip from 66 to at least the entrance ramp for I-39.
If law enforcement isn’t going to be made to slow these people down in these high-traffic areas, then just go Reasonable and Prudent and let the sheer stupidity and uncaring of these drivers who don’t feel the need to do the speed limit end up being their downfall by either killing someone or killing themselves. I’m just disgusted by this because it happens more and more on a daily basis.
The other issue I see almost every time I’m on Centerpoint Dr. is drivers blowing through the stop sign off of First St. and treating it as a merge lane onto Water St. I can’t begin to think how many times I had to stop abruptly because drivers paid no attention and went right through the stop sign into my lane. Is the stop sign not big enough?
This letter is written out of frustration because these events seem to be happening more frequently each time I come into town. Drivers are treating these four-lane sections of road as if they are driving on the Interstate or Hwy 10.
I don’t know if there is a community-wide plan to slow this traffic down and pay attention to the signage at crucial intersections or not, but as an individual who drives these areas on a frequent basis, I’d hate to know what my outcome would be if a careless, speeding, or inattentive driver happened to take me out while I’m on the road.
Cash Cooke
Linwood