Newburgh council votes to remove test speed table after residents report vibrations and cracks

The Town of Newburgh council directed staff Nov. 12 to remove and store a pilot speed table installed on Jennings Street after hearing resident reports of repeated vibrations and alleged structural cracking.

Town staff presented a seismic monitoring report that found measured vibrations were below published damaging criteria for nearby structures but offered several options: leave the table in place, remove it for the winter, remove and store for redeployment elsewhere, or remove and store pending results of a larger 2026 traffic-calming study tied to grant work. Council and residents sharply disagreed over whether the table was causing damage.

Multiple residents testified at the meeting about feeling repeated jolts and producing dated before-and-after photos. Leila Schafer told the council that the study "surprised me a lot because we feel 5 to 10 vibrations" and said a contractor told her ongoing jolts could eventually damage window seals and foundations. Hal Zorro, a resident of West Jennings for 35 years, described persistent speeding on Jennings Street and urged more calming measures.

Council members split between trusting the seismic report and responding to resident complaints, but a motion "to remove the speed bump as soon as practical" was made and seconded. The council adopted the motion by voice vote and directed staff to store the speed table for now, explore redeployment options (including parks or nonresidential streets), and incorporate findings from the upcoming 2026 study before permanent reinstallation.

Council members said they would seek additional community feedback about alternatives such as different traffic-calming devices, targeted enforcement, or signage, and asked staff to post the study materials and outreach information for residents.