Resident complaints put MV speeding on town’s radar

The frequency and severity of motor vehicle speeding has recently surfaced as a hot-button issue across Canton, with the Board of Selectmen seemingly addressing a different trouble spot each meeting, from “cut-through” streets such as Wentworth Road and Lawrence Street, to the usual high-volume traffic locations such as Dedham, Bolivar, and Washington streets.

The Citizen has also fielded several recent calls and emails from residents who are concerned about speeding motorists, and an online poll conducted last week only served to underscore the issue, with nearly 60 percent of respondents identifying speeding as a serious problem in Canton and 64 percent suggesting that the problem has gotten worse over time (click here for additional survey results).

A number of respondents also expressed their dissatisfaction with the current level of enforcement and would like to see more active monitoring of trouble spots as well as additional traffic-calming measures, including more digital speed signs

Police Chief Ken Berkowitz said he welcomes citizen input and said police are willing to beef up patrols and enforcement, where documented, at high-volume areas and on roads that are frequently used for cut-through traffic. But he also feels he has enough officers and resources to control the problem, which he said is common in suburban areas with lower crime rates.

Ultimately, Berkowitz feels the solution rests with the motorists themselves — by exhibiting more patience on the roads, observing posted speed limits, and “leaving themselves five or 10 extra minutes of leeway time in the morning.”

At the same time, Berkowitz, who himself wrote many a ticket as a young officer, said that motor vehicle law enforcement has been a priority for the department ever since he became chief 11 years ago and it will continue to be a priority moving forward.

According to data provided by Lt. Patty Sherrill, Canton police officers wrote 2,566 traffic citations in 2014 — an average of 213 per month. Last year, officers wrote an average of 207 per month (2,494 total), and the numbers are similar for 2016 with 209 citations per month for a total of 1,469 through the end of July …

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Posted by Mike Berger on Aug 11 2016. Filed under News, Police & Fire, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.