CLEVELAND — Some Cleveland homeowners want what their neighbors already have to slow down drivers.
Last month, the city began installing the first 100 speed tables on neighborhood streets this summer.
Councilman Mike Polensek says traffic enforcement is a big concern for residents.
Willie Williams has seen a lot in his 30-plus years on the corner of East 156th Street and Grovewood Avenue.
“Oh yeah,” Williams said.
Speeding is right up there.
“The new cars, more power and the whole nine yards, no one wants to take their time going anywhere,” Williams said.
The posted speed on his street is 25 miles per hour, but Williams says drivers go well over that.
“The problem is with that light being there. They’ll be speeding down there to make that light all the time. All the time,” Williams said.
About halfway down nearby Grovewood Avenue in North Collinwood are new speed tables.
The targeted streets under the city’s program have documented speed problems, crash histories, and lots of people who walk.
Cleveland expanded the speed table program in June.
But even drivers told News 5 Investigators they like what they see and want more of them.
“I thought about it when I went down earlier, maybe I’ll call Mike and say hey 156 is a good place to put a speed table,” Williams said.
Councilman Mike Polsensek says in one week last month, he got 14 requests for additional speed tables in his ward.
“They drive real fast up and down the street all the time,” said Maggie Boone.
Boone has lived on Windward Road off Lakeshore Boulevard since 2000.
She says people use her street as a cut-through, going more than double the speed limit, and rarely see police.
“Not often, but sometimes they go up and down the street not often though,” Boone said.
"We want the traffic laws enforced,” Polsensek said during an interview with News 5 Monday about summer safety.
Polensek suggested the city add speed tables as they resurface streets if they meet the criteria, he says, possibly to save money.
But, according to the city's website, the tables are not installed by the same equipment that resurfaces streets.
Polensek says more speed tables coupled with patrols would be ideal.
"With us being so short-handed on the police that’s something else to bog down the police department but they’re not going to set any speed traps or anything,” Williams said.
Williams will wait and see if his street makes the cut.
“I doubt it, there’s so many streets that could use these speed bumps you know everybody would like them I’m sure,” Williams said.
You can fill out a request for speed tables on the city’s website.
