The in basket: Craig Reynolds says speeding is particularly bad on Old Military Road between McWilliams and Fairgrounds roads in Central Kitsap, especially at rush hour.
Both directions are bad between 3:30 and 6 p.m., he said. He presumes it to be commuter traffic not wanting to use Highway 303 for whatever reason.
Many are motorcycles and kids with loud exhausts, he said. He thinks residents of the housing on Pine Road regard it as an option to 303 when heading toward Silverdale.
They get up to 45 to 60 mph in the 35 mph zone, he said.
He wonders how the neighbors might score one of the “Your Speed Is…” signs, such as the one in the dip on McWilliams Road just east of where Old Military intersects it. That sign really seems to slow drivers down, he said.
Frankly, that sign annoys me, as it flashes “slow down” if you’re even a mile over the 25 mile-per-hour speed limit, which is hard to avoid on the downgrade leading to it. I prefer the one Port Orchard has on Mile Hill that blinks your speed if you’re over the limit, and flashes red-blue, simulating a police car, if you’re more than 5 over.
The out basket: Jeff Shea, Kitsap County’s traffic engineer says, “Residents can request speed radar signs from Public Works by calling Kitsap1 (360.337.5777).
“Our traffic investigator completes a thorough study to determine if the sign is warranted. The study includes looking at the number of vehicles that are routinely exceeding posted speed limits.
Jeff said, “The radar signs are reserved for higher functional road classifications that do not qualify for speed bumps or other traffic calming devices,” which describes Old Military Road, I’m sure.
I am sure that the traffic on Old Military Road has increased ever since they decided to lower the speed limit on 303. Which in my opinion was stupid. No one really slows down but there are a few that do slow down and it is usually during the peak hours of high traffic. Now to me thoses flashy signs only make about 1 out of 10 drivers slow down and those who slow down will do way less than the posted speed, because from what I have heard, is the urban legend is drivers think that those speed limit signs are just like the red light cameras and they take your picture if you go over the limit. The other is that those signs with red and blue flashers sends a video to the police department and they come get you. All those signs are is a deterrent which is a good thing, but sometimes it makes it worse. It will make a driver go slower than posted speed and piss off the driver behind them to the point that they make an illegal pass to go around the slow driver and then drive way faster than the posted speed. To me what would work good on that road would be a speed bump just like they have on Tracyton. That will definantly keep those rice burners off that road, because they cant get over them. But even the hard plastic speed bumps would work good because if you hit them while speeding it will give you a good jolt. And they are cheaper. Lay it on the road and put some long bolts into the asphalt. Takes about 30 minutes to install. And they are cheap. But to the writer I feel your pain. I live by the fairgrounds and those same kids who are allowed to drive come speeding through my neighborhood almost every morning or afternoon after school because they are either late for school and they avoid the light or they get out of school and avoid the light and they fly through my neighborhood. Of course those are some of the same kids that cut through the fairgrounds parking lot by the Castle park where kids are playing just to avoid the stop sign. I really wished they could just close the park gate for about an hour after school so help those kids who are by that park. You know I dont care if someone does warp speed out there on the Interstates and freeways and main roads. But there should be more done to slow down traffic in the neighborhoods and urban areas especially where the kids walk to school and play. But like I said in another story about speed bumps, the cops said they cant do nothing unless they get caught. And the county said there has not been a problem because no one has got hit and died. A little prevention can go along way to keep someone safe.