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Sheriff urges stop sign and targeted enforcement on East Center Street; asks patrols to monitor handicapped school parking
Summary
Sheriff Huntington recommended installing a stop sign on East Center Street to address speeding near the elementary school and asked the council to authorize a short-term enforcement push to protect future wheelchair-using students.
Sheriff Huntington told the Huntington City Council on June 18 that deputies have observed repeated speeding on East Center Street and recommended placing a stop sign at or near 300 East (Third/Fourth East) to slow traffic approaching the elementary school. He said deputies sat on Center Street and “witness[ed] some speeds definitely faster than the allowed speed limit,” and that the street currently has only one stop sign east of Main Street.
The council and sheriff discussed the process required to add stop signs. The sheriff said the state—s uniform code for street signs requires the city to advertise sign locations and ensure signs are visible and sized appropriately. He suggested the council consider a four-way stop at 300 East (Third East) and offered sheriff—s office help with public education and a light enforcement period so residents can adapt: “We would work with the city to use our own Facebook and social media to talk about this stop sign——we're out there to enforce it and the seriousness of that road,” he said.
On the subject of handicap parking near the school, the sheriff asked the council to prioritize enforcement at the start of the school year. He said school officials reported a student will be using a wheelchair this coming year and requested heavier enforcement during the first one to two months to ensure legally entitled drivers have access to marked spaces. “That way we can make sure they know that they need to park in the true people with handicaps—spaces,” the sheriff said.
The sheriff also said his office has applied for a portable speed radar through a Highway Safety grant but was initially told the city does not qualify because of small population; he said he will pursue other options and offered to bring out deputies from neighboring jurisdictions to assist with enforcement if the council prefers a neutral enforcement presence.
Council members directed staff to pursue neighbor notification and a public-survey process about sign placement and to coordinate with the sheriff—s office on an enforcement and education plan. No formal vote on installing a sign was recorded at the meeting.
