Wednesday, July 3, 2002

Littlejohn neighbors meet to control speeding

Published in the Current

Several residents of Littlejohn Road met with Cape Elizabeth Police Chief Neil Williams last month to discuss the problem of speeders on the residential street. About 20 residents had signed a petition asking the police to help with the problem.

Meeting organizer, Peter Hollingsworth, said he has seen people go by at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. The street’s speed limit is 25 miles per hour.

“It’s just a matter of time before something serious happens,” Hollingsworth said, though he noted that no people have been hit on the road. A dog was killed a couple of years ago.

“I don’t want to be here saying, ‘I didn’t do anything,’” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth put up a sign in his truck, parked near the street, asking drivers to slow down.

Williams said it was a productive meeting, and the police will cooperate.

“As in most neighborhoods, the people there did understand that it was an issue because of their own creating the speeding,” Williams said.

And, he said, “it’s not kids in this area. It’s adults.”

Williams said the department will continue to do speed enforcement patrols in the area, and perhaps pull over more speeders to warn them they are going too fast.

“Speeding is an issue” throughout the town, Williams said, and no law enforcement agencies have come up with ways to control speeding permanently.

Williams commended the residents’ willingness to work together to solve the problem, but noted that people with complaints about traffic in their neighborhoods don’t need to petition the department for action to be taken. “Just come in and see me,” he said.