February 14, 2001

 

Speeders, drag-racing topic of meeting tomorrow night

By Bryan P. Sears

     Carney- Neighbors warned Karen and John Raffensparger not to park their car on the street in front of their own house not long after they moved into their home on Glenside Avenue two years ago.  Last year, the couple's six-month old Saturn was totaled when a car came over the hill near their home.  The driver, a teenager, lost control of his car and slammed into Raffenspager's car, crushing it against a telephone pole.  The teen's car continued down the street, in a spin, before finally coming to a rest on a side street.

     The teen fled the scene on foot and was never caught.  Police later told Karen Raffensparger that the car was stolen.  "There are problems on this road," Karen Raffensparger said.  "Teens drag-racing, flying up and down the street.  I can't believe that they don't become air-borne as they come over the top of that hill."

Raffensparger and residents of near- by Sixth Avenue say the problem is bad and is getting worse. So bad in fact that they have taken their concerns to their county councilman and to their state delegates. Tomorrow, the Carney Improvement Association will meet with Capt. Lee Russo, commander of the White Marsh and Parkville precincts, to discuss the problem and some possible solutions. Del. James Ports (R-8th) and Alfred Redmer (R-8th) helped facilitate the meeting between residents and the police department.

'"This has been an ongoing, issue since the formation of our organization three years ago."' Mike Rupp, president of CIA, said. 'The biggest problem is the side streets."

Raffensparger and others believe that commuters are using the residential side streets as a faster way to travel between Harford Rd. and Walther Blvd. Rupp agrees.

Harford and Joppa roads are becoming more congested," he said. 'These roads are becoming speedways. " Rupp believes that the problem started about three years ago when crews performed work at the intersection of Joppa Rd. and Harford Rd. He said the problem eased for a time but has since become worse. People who used those side streets got accustomed to using them," he said.

Russo said he has received numerous complaints about problems in the area and was looking into it. Since Jan. I, the police department decentralized their traffic division and placed traffic officers into individual precincts under the command of the respective precinct captains. Since receiving those complaints, Russo has sent officers to monitor speeds on Glenside and Sixth Avenue using radar on at least three separate days at each location.

 

“Going on separate occasions gives a more accurate picture of what’s going on than just one day ," Russo said. Russo said on Tuesday that, while he is concerned with the complaints he is hearing from the neighborhoods, his data is not bearing out the severity of the problem.

Police observed traffic speeds along Glenside Ave. on Jan 21 and Jan. 22. and on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8.  Russo said the average speed from all four days was 25.6 mph. Glenside is a 25 mph. thoroughfare.  Russo said police did record top speeds of between 37 mph and 45 mph. Police monitored Sixth Ave. on Feb. 5., Feb. 7, and Feb. 8. The speed limit there is also 25 mph. Russo said the average speed from the three days they monitored was 24.5, with high speeds rang- ing between 33 mph and 39 mph. Russo said the officers were there just to monitor speed but were told to cite "more aggressive drivers." He said drivers who were observed to be traveling from 35 mph and up were probably cited for speeding but he could not be sure since those numbers were not available in their reports for those areas.

Rupp said that speed enforcement efforts work but are only a temporary measure that cannot be sustained. We’re happy for the enforcement,” Rupp said, “ but the county doesn't have the ability to post traffic cops there on a daily basis." Rupp said he would like to see stop signs or speed humps used to slow cars down on a more permanent basis. “There are ways to engineer around this problem,” he said. "You can restrict turns on to streets at certain times of day. If we inconvenience drivers it might make them use the major routes again.

The CIA will hold its meeting tomrrow at 7 p.m. at Carney Elementary.