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Residents press Mound council for stronger enforcement and traffic calming on West Edge Boulevard
Summary
Residents urged the Mound City Council to turn temporary 20 mph warnings on West Edge Boulevard into enforceable measures, citing near-misses, property damage and persistent speeding; the council directed staff to adjust signage, deploy a speed trailer and work with police while a formal resolution is refined.
Residents described near-miss collisions, property damage and heavy traffic on West Edge Boulevard at a packed June 23 Mound City Council meeting, pressing the council to move beyond temporary orange warning signs and toward enforceable traffic-calming measures.
"My son had to ditch his bike and run into the front yard to avoid being hit," said resident Kendra Andrick, describing a recent incident on Oak Lawn-adjacent streets and asking the city to investigate enforcement options. Matthew Meyer, who lives at 2676 West Edge Boulevard, told the council that temporary 20 mph signs have not stopped high speeds and asked how many tickets had been issued; council members and staff said recent police log summaries showed few speeding citations and a mix of warnings and enforcement activity.
The council heard competing data from short-term traffic counts and mobile trailers. City engineer Matt Bauman summarized June 9–15 data for one trailer placement, saying average speeds at that site were around 27 mph with an 85th percentile near 31 mph, and that only a small share of drivers were extreme outliers. Councilmember Michelle (identified in meeting discussion) said a June 1–10 speed summary provided to the council showed a much larger vehicle volume and flagged a top speed of 62 mph during the sample period.
Council and staff discussed several near-term measures: installing white, regulatory R2-1 speed-limit signs to create an enforceable 20 mph limit during the detour; replacing or relocating the mobile radar trailer to the hillcrest by Beechwood to capture southbound speeds; adding targeted no-parking signs where parked trailers narrow sightlines; and requesting more scheduled patrols or CSO presence from the Orono Police Department. The council directed staff to work with police on enforcement schedules, check battery power and placement of speed-display trailers, and report back; it did not adopt the citywide construction traffic resolution proposed that night, instead asking staff to refine the language for a future meeting.
Residents proposed temporary speed bumps and stop signs as immediate fixes. Council members and the engineer cautioned that permanent speed bumps have maintenance and noise implications and that stop signs can shift risk if drivers accelerate between devices. "Speed bumps can work, but they often increase noise and maintenance burdens, and we need an engineer’s recommendation on placement," Bauman said. Several councilmembers agreed to convene staff, the police and engineering this week to test trailer placement and to procure white regulatory signs if warranted.
The item remains in discussion; staff will bring updated enforcement data, a recommended trailer location and revised language for the proposed resolution to a future council meeting. The council’s next regular meeting is set for July 14 at 6 p.m.
