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Residents urge reassessment of Hawkins Road speed limit as committee approves reconsideration and plans monitoring
Summary
Public commenters told the Southampton Township Committee that new signage has slowed traffic and questioned a recent change to the speed limit on Hawkins Road; the Committee approved an ordinance to reconsider the limit and reported plans to use speed‑monitoring software and a second speed sign.
At the Oct. 16, 2018 Southampton Township Committee meeting, residents raised traffic‑safety concerns about Hawkins Road during the public‑comment period while the Committee adopted an ordinance to reconsider that road's speed limit.
Pat Topham of New Road told the Committee that a recently installed sign has reduced vehicle speeds. A resident identified as Finley, of 207 Hawkins Road, thanked township staff and the Zoning Board, said an engineer designed Hawkins Road for 35 mph and stated that the township "randomly changed the speed limit." The minutes record no direct response to Finley's assertion during the public comments.
Committee members reported actions addressing traffic safety. Mayor James F. Young, Sr. said the township will deploy software to monitor speeds and share data with the State Police. Committeeman Ronald Heston noted the township purchased a second speed sign and urged motorists to slow down. The Committee's formal action during the meeting — adoption of Ordinance No. 2018‑10 to reconsider the speed limit on Hawkin/Hawkins Road — passed by unanimous roll call.
What happens next: The ordinance was adopted at second reading, and operational steps reported at the meeting (speed monitoring software and additional signage) will be implemented by Public Works as resources allow. The minutes do not record a specified timeline or whether the township will revert to a posted 35 mph limit.
