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Narrows council weighs radar signs, speed bumps and photo enforcement for school zone
Summary
Council members discussed temporary radar signs, permanent speed-display signs, portable units, speed bumps and photo enforcement near the local school, asked staff to collect speed data and research legal, cost and snow-removal implications before returning with recommendations.
Narrows Town Council members spent substantial time on Sept. 9 discussing speeding near the school and options to improve safety, including temporary radar units, permanent speed-display signs, portable radar displays and photo enforcement.
A council member who brought residents' concerns said some people "were asking the speed bumps to be put in" and noted heavy congestion during pick-up and practice times. The town manager described temporary battery-powered radar signs and said they can "give us some data" on how often drivers exceed the limit; those temporary units last about a week on battery power. "Those signs can give us some data," the town manager said.
Council members weighed trade-offs. One member warned that physical speed bumps would complicate snow removal and could damage certain vehicles; another council member supported portable or rotating displays to reduce politics around enforcement. The idea of automated camera (photo) enforcement prompted legal caution: a council member asked the town attorney whether warnings or other legal requirements would be required before issuing citations if the town pursued photo enforcement.
Staff agreed to deploy temporary radar signs to gather data, to explore permanent electric speed-display signs and to research legal requirements and costs (including insurance implications and warning periods) before bringing a formal proposal back to the council.
Next steps: staff will place radar units to collect usage and speed data, obtain cost estimates for permanent signage and report legal constraints on photo enforcement.
