Spencer Road residents urge immediate traffic calming after hit-and-run; council asks staff to study options

Residents of the Spencer Road neighborhood pressed the Ithaca Common Council on Nov. 5 to complete a long-delayed traffic study and install traffic-calming measures on Spencer Road and Stone Quarry Road.

Tracy McEvilly, speaking for the Spencer Road Neighborhood Association, said the group has gathered more than 20 signatures and maintained a traffic-incident log documenting routine speeding, drivers mounting sidewalks near Stone Quarry apartments and a February 15, 2025 hit-and-run that seriously injured a neighbor. McEvilly asked for an expedited study and installation of measures including raised crosswalks, speed bumps, a removable bollard in front of Stone Quarry Apartments and stepped-up speed enforcement.

"Spencer Road and Stone Quarry Road provide the only scenic way to access Buttermilk Falls from downtown and thus are frequented by many pedestrians and cyclists in the city," McEvilly said. "The volume and speed of this traffic have created persistent safety hazards for residents, pedestrians, cyclists, and children in our neighborhood." (Tracy McEvilly, Spencer Road Neighborhood Association.)

Evidence cited: Residents said speed monitors placed at 333 Spencer Road recorded multiple vehicles traveling between 41 and 46 mph earlier this year; neighborhood logs and resident testimony cited vehicles regularly driving 40'70 mph in some blocks and drivers failing to stop at signs.

Council response: Council members thanked the neighborhood for sustained advocacy and said staff will accept the formal traffic-study form and engage the engineering department. Ald. Kiel and others urged immediate enforcement while engineering develops an intervention plan.

What's next: Mayor Cantelmo said the engineering department had received the neighborhood's formal traffic-study request and the administration will work with residents to identify near-term enforcement and longer-term calming measures. Councilors offered to help by advocating for state-level speed-camera authority and to review enforcement options with police.

Ending: Residents asked the city to prioritize Spencer Road because of heavy pedestrian and bicycle use, children waiting at bus stops and repeated close calls. Council members said they would follow up with engineering and report planned next steps.