After a short public hearing, the Colonie Town Board lowered the speed limit from 40 mph to 30 mph on Pollock Road on Thursday, Oct. 8, after hearing three residents complain of the speeding cars that zip past their homes.
Dolores Wines, of 12 Pollock Road, said it is near impossible to back out of her driveway for fear she will be hit by a speeding car.
Trying to back out of the driveway-it’s like taking your life in their hands, she said Thursday.
Wines’ other biggest complaint was that there are several school bus stops that are hidden behind curves on the road and that one day, a speedy driver may not know of the children and an accident could occur.
During the public hearing, Colonie Police Chief Steve Heider told the residents that he hopes that lowering the speed limit will give the residents some feeling of relief, but that the truth is it most likely will not completely curb speeding on the road.
`I’d like to say that this will give you some relief, but in our experience, this will not,` he said.
Heider talked about traffic patterns and how many times, people drive at their own made up speed limits, ignoring the limits that are set. Other times, he said, people do not know what the limits are.
`Many people don’t even know the speed limits of the roads that they are driving on,` he said.
The resolution to lower the limit was adopted unanimously by the board after the hearing. Wines and G. Richard Lewis, another resident who spoke in favor of lowering the limit, said they were pleased that the board listened to their concerns and that they would be monitoring closely over the next year to see if the lower speed limit helps the situation.
For more on this story, check back at www.spotlightnews.com, or read the Wednesday, Oct. 13, print edition of the Colonie Spotlight.
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