- Some neighbors have taken matters into their own hands regarding speeding they've noticed on Old Bainbridge Road.
- Lots of improvements have been made to Old Bainbridge Road, say county leaders; LCSO says they haven't received any patrol requests for this area.
- Watch the video to find out what measures they've taken, and how you can contact local leaders if you have noticed speeding in your neighborhood.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A look at speeding on Old Bainbridge Road.
Some neighbors here are expressing their concerns when it comes to traffic here.
"It's a substantial mess we have here, and it really needs to be taken care of," said Greg Neumann, resident on Old Bainbridge Road.
I'm finding out what lengths they're going to to slow drivers down.
I ask Neumann if he feels safe driving on the road.
"No. Not in this area," said Neumann.
He is fed up with the speeding he's noticed on Old Bainbridge Road.
"He's probably doing 45 mph. So there you have it. That's, that's the perfect example of what's going on here," said Neumann, referencing a car driving past.
Neumann took concerns to Leon County Public Works in January 2022. They conducted a traffic study which Greg said found the average speed here is 45mph. 10mph over the speed limit.
I reached out to Leon County. In a statement they said a "March 2022 traffic study revealed a speeding issue in the area. To address the issue, the County installed flashing lights to calm traffic." Additionally, they said further improvements have been made. "Radar speed signs were installed on Old Bainbridge Road for the southbound and the northbound traffic."
However, Neumann said this hasn't helped the issue.
"It really hasn't done anything to mitigate the speeding here," said Neumann.
And he's not the only one that thinks so.
"It's gotten worse over the years," said his neighbor, Ken Dutton, who has been a resident here for 40 years. "It's very, very dangerous."
So, recently, Neumann took matters into his own hands.
"We bought a bunch of these aluminium signs," said Neumann, highlighting the "PLEASE SLOW DOWN" signs he and his wife put up outside of his house.
He said he had one goal in mind.
"In the hopes that people would pay more attention to the speed limit," said Neumann, however, he said cars are still speeding over the limit.
"55 plus, it's blatant, it's blatant and it just doesn't make sense," said Neumann.
Leon County said to address concerns related to roadway safety and signage, citizens can contact Leon County Engineering Services at 850-606-1500.
Neumann said he would like to see traffic calming bumps installed and more law enforcement presence.
I reached out to the Leon County Sheriff's Office. In a statement they said at this time they do not have an extra patrol request for this area. "We encourage citizens to prioritize community safety by reporting any concerns related to traffic and speeding to the Leon County Sheriff's Office."
I take Mr Neumann's concerns to Commissioner Minor. He described the steps neighbors can follow if they would like to request a speed bump.
"I'd ask them to contact my office and we can help them through the process and figure out what we need to do to make that area of the road as safe as possible," said Minor.
For Greg, he hopes change is on the horizon.
"We want to do this on a proactive basis, not on a reactive basis," said Neumann.
If you have concerns similar to the Neumann's about Old Bainbridge Road or other areas of Northwest Tallahassee, I'd love to hear from you. You can contact me at 850-509-3271 or Maya.Sargent@wtxl.tv.
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