Residents, Council Weigh in on Speeding

Since Michael Karl and his wife moved with their two young children to Morristown eight years ago, he says their cars have been hit by speeders at least once every year.

That was what the Macculloch Avenue resident brought before Town Council on Tuesday, in his bid to convince the town to look into figuring out how to slow down drivers who race down his, and other, roads around Morristown.

"Police have informed me Macculloch often is used as a quick way out of town," Karl said. "There is an excessive amount of speeding."

On the road, which has speed markers of 25 miles-per-hour, Karl said drivers often are going up to 40 miles-per-hour. "I'm demanding the town do something about this serious situation. We've had enough of risking our lives and we'd like to know what Morristown can do about it."

He wasn't the only one to bring up the issue on June 28. 

John O'Donnell, of Colonial Road, told the council drivers often use his road as a cut-through, driving in excesses of up to 50 miles-per-hour on the neighborhood street. "There's a lot of children on that road," he said, suggesting the town may be able to assign a couple of hours to canvass the area for a while in order to deter speeders from using it.

"What do we have to do, wait for some kid to get killed," O'Donnell asked.

The issue of speeding drivers on neighborhood roads is not limited to just a couple sections of town, however. During the meeting, First Ward Councilwoman Rebecca Feldman, Second Ward Councilwoman Raline Smith-Reid, and Fourth Ward Councilwoman Alison Deeb (whose area includes Macculloch Avenue), each expressed concerns about traffic safety.

Another problem area, Feldman said, was the intersection of Ford and Franklin–near Town Hall and Morristown Medical Center. However, that situation was "more complicated," she said, and might require the long term solution of installing a "roundabout," like a smaller traffic circle.

"What concerns me most is there are traffic meetings going on in different parts of town, and we're all having the same issues," Deeb said. She suggested Department of Public Works head Jeff Hartke give a presentation at the next council meeting–set for July 19–to provide the entire town information on what is happening with speeding traffic and other road concerns.

Although there are speeding concerns, Feldman also noted a 100-percent increase in DWI stops this year in Morristown, according to records she obtained from the police department. "There is apparently a lot more enforcement occurring," she said.

While several councilmembers echoed the residents' requests for greater police presence, especially on roads used by speeders leaving bars at 2 a.m., Council President Anthony Cattano noted the police are already short-staffed at that hour to do deal with all the bars closing at that time. "They have their hands full," he said.

Mayor Tim Dougherty suggested Police Chief Peter Demnitz speak first about the issue before anyone suggests any further action. "One incident isn't going to change how police operate," he said.