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2 On Your Side: Residents demanding action from City-Parish to end dangerous speeding in neighborhood

2 years 4 months 1 week ago Friday, November 19 2021 Nov 19, 2021 November 19, 2021 8:45 PM November 19, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Neighbors living in a small neighborhood are fed up with reckless drivers speeding down their streets.

"Every time I hear that long, long noise, it frightens me because I feel like someone else is going to get hit," said resident Ollie Lawson.

Home surveillance cameras capture cars speeding down Cunard Avenue off of Highway 19. The speed limit is 25 miles an hour, according to signs, but those living along the road say they are ignored.

Lawson says her home was almost hit last month after someone crashed into a ditch near her house while speeding. The incident brought up old wounds from 50 years ago when her family members became victims to highspeed drivers.

"I had three young people get run over by a car," Lawson said.

"I am beyond frustrated. Frustrated. Frustrated," said Tamara Coleman who has been tackling the issue for years. "We have elderly people who have been on this street for more than 60 years and they have become afraid to cross the street to check their mailboxes."

To get the problem some attention, Coleman told 2 On Your Side she went to the City-Parish for help.

"I spoke with councilwoman Chauna Banks," Coleman said. "I emailed her and she assisted in telling me to do a traffic calming study."

The City-Parish Traffic Division did three studies starting from 2018 but the data collected told a different story. According to officials, speeding activity in the area was minimal and did not reach the necessary criteria to qualify for speed bumps. Residents are not thrilled with the results.

"But we don't know how they calculate that data or what they are looking for," Coleman said. "All that we know is what we see with our physical eyes."

The City-Parish says although they do not qualify, they can install the speed bumps, but the residents will have to pay half the cost. Coleman and others feel this is outrageous.

"I totally disagree with that," Coleman said. "We as tax-paying citizens, we are concerned about pedestrian safety and they dare to ask us to pay half the amount for speed bumps? That won't happen. They need to figure out a way to help us get pedestrian safety on this street."

Those living in that neighborhood are still working with officials to figure out a solution.

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