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Resident says radar speed signs on Eggert Road are poorly sited and may be creating hazards; board requests traffic-safety review
Summary
A resident urged the board to reassess two radar speed-feedback signs on Eggert Road, citing crashes and visibility problems. Board members asked staff to bring the issue to the Traffic Safety Commission for field review and requested the contractor’s placement documentation.
A resident told the Town Board on Feb. 25 that two radar speed-feedback signs installed on Eggert Road are poorly sited, obscured by trees and may be contributing to crashes.
Heather All said the southbound sign is hidden behind trees and the northbound sign is located in a narrow section of road where parked cars and tight geometry already increase crash risk. She told the board that the signs use flashing displays and that she has documented crashes occurring near both signs since installation. All provided photos and an excerpt of a U.S. Federal Highway Administration interpretation letter and said the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) discourages flashing displays and strobe-like elements on changeable-message signs.
Council Member Jasinski and others visited the area and acknowledged visibility problems for the southbound sign; a council member asked whether the Traffic Safety Commission had reviewed the installations. Town staff said the sign installation had been coordinated through highway and an outside contractor and that the traffic-safety panel had recently had a canceled meeting; staff recommended presenting the matter to the Traffic Safety Commission for a field inspection and review of the sign vendor’s siting report.
Why it matters: Radar speed counters and changeable-message signs are a traffic-calming tool, but placement and design affect their effectiveness and safety. Residents cited two crashes at or near the sign locations and requested the town review numbers and placement.
What’s next: Board members asked Community Development, the Highway Department and the Traffic Safety Commission to review the signs in the field, produce placement documentation or vendor engineering reports, and report back to the board; the resident said she would attend the next Traffic Safety Commission meeting and provide her photos and crash observations.
