During the May 2 Northampton Borough Council meeting, speeding and parking concerns throughout the borough were a main topic of discussion, with some residents even taking matters into their own hands to prevent potential accidents with pedestrians.
Jeffrey Kreps of East 21st Street appeared before council to once again bring up concerns with speeding on Station Alley. Kreps last spoke to council in October. Since then, he said, there has been little improvement.
“Someone is going to get hit there,” Kreps said. Cars are traveling up to 40 mph and ignoring stop signs, despite the fact that children use the alley to play. After a child was nearly injured, Kreps installed his own speed bumps to slow traffic down. (Council stressed that the self-installation of speed bumps is not allowed.)
Police Chief Bryan Kadingo said the law indicates that if a mile-per-hour speed limit is not posted, the default is 35 mph. In addition, police cannot legally enforce speeding unless the driver is traveling 10 mph or more over the limit. This means drivers on alleys like Station Alley can travel as much as 45 mph. Meanwhile, the speed limit on Main Street is only 25 mph.
Councilman Kenneth Hall, who lives in the area of Station Alley, understands residents’ concerns. He has repeatedly brought the issue to council’s and police’s attention.
“We will get on the Station Alley issue,” he told Kreps. “[Police] have been monitoring it.”
Councilman Ronald Glassic said this issue is happening all over the borough.
“The reckless driving, the erratic driving, the quick starts, quick stops, loud music.” All of it, he said, has gotten worse with the warm weather.
Parking concerns were also brought up during the meeting, with resident Karen Murphy requesting new signage outside her property on Main Street. A barber rents a storefront on her property; however, some neighbors are parking in the “1 Hour Limit” spots due to unclear signage.
Currently there are eight to nine spots in this area of Main Street that are restricted to one-hour parking between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This excess of business parking has made it difficult for residents to find parking.
Council asked Chief Kadingo to study the area and come back with a recommendation. Council does plan to potentially add signage for two spots directly in front of the barber shop, with parking restricted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday (to accommodate the shop’s hours). Chief Kadingo will return with further recommendations.
Council also asked residents to be aware of their properties as the weather warms.
“The weeds are just growing everywhere,” said Glassic. “We need to be relentless.”
Some weeds and shrubbery are even blocking sidewalks, he said.
He encouraged anyone with physical restrictions who may have difficulty doing yard work to reach out to the borough.
Finally, Mayor Tony Pristash said the borough’s Building, Land and Development Committee will be gathering to formulate a “budget friendly” plan for expanding the borough’s police station.
“We have outgrown the police station,” said Pristash. He hopes an expansion will provide a “better overall work facility.”
The next Northampton Borough Council meeting will be Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m.
