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New resident urges lower speed limit and noise enforcement on Lake Street; city to run speed study
Summary
A new downtown resident told the committee that high speeds and loud motorcycles on Lake Street reduce neighborhood quality of life; staff said City Engineering will run speed counts but noted Lake Street is US Highway 42, limiting local control over posted limits.
Brian Fields, a new resident at 201 Lake Street, told the Parking & Safety Committee on June 24 that traffic on Lake Street is "very, very heavy" and that drivers frequently exceed the posted speed. Fields also decried loud motorcycles and modified cars that he said make it difficult to sit on front porches and undermine neighborhood quality of life.
"I think 35 miles an hour is way too high for a residential area like that," Fields said during the committee's public‑comment period. He asked for a lower posted speed, radar monitors and a traffic volume study, and said he had not observed any traffic enforcement on Lake Street in the five to six months since he moved to the neighborhood.
In response, the vice mayor and staff told Fields they would follow up. The city indicated City Engineering plans to deploy a stealth speed device to collect counts and speeds in the area. Staff also cautioned that the stretch cited by Fields is part of US Highway 42 northbound, which places legal constraints on local authority to set speed limits, and that final changes to posted speeds may require coordination with state or federal agencies.
The police chief (referred to as Chief) and other staff acknowledged ongoing community complaints about downtown noise and high speeds. The chief said enforcement has noticeable effects and that increased enforcement last year produced a measurable change in behavior. Staff also noted recruiting and retaining parking and enforcement personnel has been difficult and that enforcement resources are finite.
Fields asked whether the city would follow up. Staff offered to take his contact information and have someone respond with follow-up details. The committee had no formal vote on the Lake Street comments; the item was recorded as public comment and staff follow-up was requested.
