The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

August 9 , 2007

Wahkiakum County officials on Tuesday seemed to reach a consensus that they can’t do more to respond to a Grays River woman’s request for better speed control on Barr-Durrah Road.

Penny Gregory has appeared several times before the board to request lower speed limits and more enforcement of speed law on the road. A large number of drivers of vehicles ranging from family sedans to log trucks are frequently speeding through a neighborhood with several houses close together, making it unsafe for the residents to be near or on the road.

On Tuesday, Gregory told the county board of commissioners that she had noticed the county road department had installed a 35 miles per hour speed limit sign near the neighborhood. She said she had hoped for a reduction in the speed.

“It’s out of control,” she said. “I’m a little disturbed. My dog was almost hit. I was almost hit. I feel you’ve thumbed your nose at me.”

Commissioners denied they were thumbing their noses at her.

Commissioner Tom Doumit said he thought the limit was designed to slow traffic, and the presence of the sign would make it easier for law enforcement to cite speeding drivers.

Commission Chair George Trott raised the issue later in the day with Public Works Director Pete Ringen and Sheriff Dan Bardsley; Gregory had left the meeting.

Bardsley said he doesn’t have enough officers to patrol the area a long period of time. Officers have passed through when they were in the area and hadn’t encountered speeding vehicles, he said.

Ringen said there have been speed studies on Barr-Durrah Road in the past, and they support a 35 mile per hour limit, not 25 miles per hour.

“The study showed no particular problem,” he said. “Eighty percent of the traffic was within the speed limit; there were very few violators.

“Therefore there’s no reason to lower the limit.

“If people are not following the speed limit, that’s an enforcement issue.”

He added that if commissioners instructed him to start the process to lower the speed limit, which is set in county ordinance, he likely would recommend against it; the commissioners could lower it, and he would go and post new signs.

He suggested that when the road is next striped, the lanes be made narrower; this has a visual impact on drivers, and they slow down, he said.

The current limit seems safe, said Commissioner Dan Cothren, adding that he would have issues with creating a slower speed limit.

“Fencing might be a more reasonable fix for the property owners to keep kids, dogs, toys and so on out of the road,” Doumit suggested.