Editor, The Spotlight;
Speed and weight ain’t so great.
No, I’m not referring to NFL players. Instead, this letter is concerned with the lack of enforcement of vehicular speed and weight limits on Elm Avenue between the Town Park and Feura Bush Road. It just so happens that my home of more than 36 years is located there.
I am writing this letter, even though I have contacted the Bethlehem Police Department several times because of my concerns that current conditions are unsafe. Despite the presence of signage indicating a speed limit of 35 miles per hour and a weight limit of 3 tons, the vast majority of cars and trucks totally ignore these limits. Even more surprising, many Town of Bethlehem Highway Department trucks and Bethlehem Central School buses (that either do not service the neighborhood or stop to pick up or drop off students) also ignore posted weight and speed limits. These “infractions” are compounded by the many commercial vehicles that also ignore these limits. Safety issues will become of even greater concern as the weather warms and the number of cyclists and walkers increase, particularly when the town pool opens for the summer.
I strongly urge other residents of Elm Avenue to contact appropriate officials and voice their concerns. After all, in numbers there is strength. I, and the majority of readers of this letter, do not want either serious injuries or deaths to be the motivation for enforcement of existing laws.
Richard F. Seegal
Delmar
