Politics & Government
Double Fine Zones for Speeding: Board Wants Resident Input
The Travel Safe Zone on Hwy. 40/61 was the inspiration for the proposed ordinance.
With complaints about speeding in neighborhoods mounting, the Wentzville Board of Aldermen are taking a look at a possible ordinance that would designate certain streets as double-fine zones.
At Wednesday night's work session, Chief of Police Lisa Harrison shared a draft ordinance that identified 11 streets:
- Bear Creek Drive
- Whisper Creek
- Meyer Road
- Carlton Glen Parkway
- Perry Cate Boulevard
- Great Oaks Boulevard
- May Road
- West Meyer
- Mexico Road
- Wall Street
- Peine Road
She said that the choice of streets could be changed to whatever the board decided. However, once the streets were chosen, she said, she would like that the program be given a year so its effectiveness could be determined.
Alderman Sonya Shryock said that she didn't like the idea of targeting main roads.
"People are upset about speeders in their neighborhoods," she said.
"This is significant policy change," Alderman Forrest Gossett said. "We owe the pubic a full hearing and discussion of it. Otherwise, it will just be viewed as a money grab."
"The public has to be willing to be governed, to follow the laws," he said.
Alderman Rick Stokes asked for more time to run the idea by the neighborhood associations. "I'm not ready to sign off on this yet," he said.
Stokes commented that enforcement could be a problem. "You could have triple fines, but if there's no one there to enforce it . . ."
Harrison suggested that they use the National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6 as a chance to informally survey the residents about the possible ordinance and which streets they would like to see targeted.
"That's a good grassroots way to do it," Gossett said.
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