Residents voice concerns about dangerous speeding in Michigan neighborhood
LAKE ORION, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — Residents in one Michigan community are concerned about drivers speeding through their neighborhood.
"They come up over that hill, and they just fly," said Sara Glomski.
For five years, Glomski has seen cars cut through her Lake Orion neighborhood. She says the speeding is out of control.
"It's getting progressively worse and worse and worse," Glomski said.
Parents like Jonathan Ortiz are seriously concerned about the safety of their kids.
"I am terrified. I cannot allow my kids to play outside because these guys are always going so fast as you can see here," said Ortiz.
To make matters worse, Ortiz and Glomski say there are no sidewalks, making the trek to the bus stop at the busy intersection of Sherry Drive and Heights Road worrisome.
"You're like dodging cars when you're walking, and it's very dangerous," Glomski said.
Ortiz says parking is not allowed on the street, and there are very few signs showing the speed limit or speed reducers alerting drivers to slow down.
Police do patrol the area daily and occasionally place speed meters on the street, but neighbors say more needs to be done.
"It's not enough," Ortiz said.
"I'm just scared that one time someone is going to get majorly hurt," said Glomski.
Residents are pushing for a permanent solution, such as adding more stop signs, speed bumps, and enforcement.
Ortiz tells CBS News Reporter Alysia Burgio that neighbors have even taken the issue to the police, the school district, and even the road commission but have gotten nowhere.
"The speed and the bus is very bad news. We are not going to be giving up," said Ortiz.
CBS News Detroit reached out to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, which patrols this area. They sent the following statement:
"The Oakland County Sheriff's Office takes these concerns seriously, especially when they involve the safety of school children. Our deputies routinely conduct traffic enforcement on Sherry Street, and we have also received and addressed complaints related to parking, particularly due to the school bus route. We have made suggestions to concerned residents and informed them that Sherry Street is a priority for increased patrols. We also will continue to deploy a speed cart to gather vehicle count data and record speed patterns by time of day, which allows us to conduct targeted enforcement based on the data we collect. We will continue to monitor and enforce speed limits to ensure the safety of everyone in the community."
Meanwhile, the Lake Orion Community School District also sent the following statement:
"No one within our community has presented this to our Transportation Department or Administration previously as a concern. When concerns are brought to our district, we address them through a defined process and our staff responds to the individual who presents the issue."
CBS News Detroit also contacted the Oakland County Road Commission. The commission says it is not in charge of bus stops and feels appropriate signage is already in the area. They also say that sidewalks can be installed and residents can apply to add speed bumps in their neighborhood, but the community would be responsible for covering those costs.
The road commission says that Michigan State Police must approve any change to posted speed limits.
