MOUNTAIN PARK, Ga. — Some drivers say new speed bumps on public streets in a North Fulton County city are doing more harm than good.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
“I actually think that the speed bumps are more the problem than speeding,” said Emily Bahney, who regularly drives through Mountain Park, a city of fewer than 600 people. She lives just outside city limits. “We are full of speed bumps in Mountain Park right now. There’s an excessive amount of speed bumps.”
At a cost of about $10,000, the city installed 14 or 15 speed bumps several months ago to prevent speeding and non-local cut-through traffic. For years, the city has had speed humps – they’re more rounded and less steep than bumps – but Mayor Bill Kolbrener said they had been paved over so much that they’re no longer effective in slowing down traffic.
“Speeding and racing have been an incredible nightmare,” Kolbrener said. “To call it a problem would be an understatement.”
Suzanne Close, a resident of Mountain Park, said before the speed bumps, drivers frequently ignored stop signs and sped through the community. She said Mountain Park Road is a popular cut-through for drivers traveling between Cherokee County and Georgia 92.
TRENDING STORIES:
- These are the best 30 public high schools in Georgia
- Federal grand jury indicts Georgia sheriff
- Ex-Georgia housing authority director indicted in alleged $2.5 million fraud scheme
“After we put in the first speed bumps, that traffic diminished by about 60 percent,” she said. “They’re very effective.”
But some drivers who use the road every day call the bumps too big and too jarring.
“The cars, when you’re driving, it’s just unpleasant to drive over the bumps,” Bahney said. “Especially if you’re driving senior citizens or young children.”
Ed Blair’s daughter Lily tripped on a speed bump while running and wounded her knee. He’s concerned about them being impediments to first responders.
“There’s no way that emergency responders can get over them quickly,” Blair said.
The mayor said after hearing complaints, the city removed the first speed bumps and replaced them with less steep and more “user friendly” bumps.
“I find it a shame that people put the inconvenience, or perceived inconvenience of a speed bump, over public safety,” he said. “The speed bumps are there for public safety and they’re positioned in such a way that they’re near a stop sign, so a car should be coming to a stop regardless.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]