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Traffic review: speeds fall slightly on Ozagi Road; resident urges more enforcement for e‑bikes
Summary
A traffic report showed small but measurable speed reductions on Ozagi Road after sign‑based measures; a resident urged officers to target e‑bike speeders. Officials said red flashing stop signs will be installed and extra patrols are planned for summer.
A traffic commission representative reported modest reductions in speeds on Ozagi Road and outlined near‑term steps to improve safety, while a resident warned that e‑bike riders are creating a nuisance and asked for increased enforcement.
The speaker said average speeds recorded during a study fell from about 28.8 miles per hour to 26.2 in one direction and cited 85th‑percentile speeds falling northbound from 35 to 33 miles per hour and southbound from 33 to 31. The presenter characterized a 2‑mph change in the 85th percentile as meaningful in engineering terms and noted vehicle compliance rates “within five miles an hour” as 94.76% northbound and 97.98% southbound.
Public commenter Helen Kasnookki told the commission, “I suggest that the officers… can you be used for additional speeders or for additional ebike because ebike users do not know the rules of the road,” asking for stepped‑up enforcement as school season approaches. The commission and staff discussed immediate enforcement options: the traffic office has scheduled extra patrols dedicated to speed enforcement, traffic officers can flex shift start times to target early‑morning complaints, and officers are logging complaints for patrol follow‑up.
Public works will install red flashing stop signs at Spithead and Daniels this summer, the representative said. Staff also reported additional outreach to the state Department of Transportation about congestion at Route 1 and Crossroad, citing new developments and a new school as reasons to add those factors to DOT planning.
Officials described the town’s use of automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs, vendor name Flock): four fixed cameras are in town and vehicle‑mounted readers provide alerts to officers showing location, date and time. As an example of the system’s use, officers said an ALPR/Flock alert on May 21 helped locate and stop a vehicle reported stolen from Bradley Airport on May 18, resulting in the arrest of a 21‑year‑old man from Vernon.
The commission asked staff to continue sign placement and targeted enforcement ahead of the busy summer season and to bring the dropped‑off Cedar parking request back to a future agenda for formal action.
