Residents urge safety improvements on Horsemen Club Road before new school opens

A Horsemen Club Road resident told Putnam County commissioners the road is unsafe for children and residents and urged immediate safety measures before a new school opens in about eight months.

"There's no sidewalks. There's no traffic calming devices. No meaningful protection for children or residents," Tiffany Crozier told the Board, asking the county to consider visual and physical speed limiters, sidewalks where possible and a turning lane off State Road 19. She said vehicles travel at speeds higher than Department of Transportation recommendations for residential roads and that the road is used by heavy trucks and motorcycles.

Public Works staff and commissioners discussed what the county can do: Mr. Stout said the county lacks sufficient right-of-way for a sidewalk along Horsemen Club Road and that school beacons will be installed for drop-off/pick-up but changing speed limits would require a traffic study. "If we're going to do a reduction in a speed limit... I think we'll need a traffic study in order to reduce that," Stout said. He also noted the county generally avoids speed bumps because of the secondary issues they create but that rumble strips can be used to draw drivers' attention.

Commissioner Alexander, who said he was raised on Horsemen Club Road, pressed for prompt action and offered to back efforts to find temporary calming devices the county can deploy. Commissioners asked staff to check whether the school board completed a traffic study and to report back with options and cost estimates.

Next steps: staff will contact the school district to confirm any traffic study, evaluate temporary calming devices and report findings at a future meeting or workshop.