The Winamac Park Board is looking for ways to improve safety and slow down traffic near the west entrance of the Town Park.
During last week’s meeting, Board President Courtney Poor said he’s gotten a complaint about the speed at which vehicles go up and down the artesian well hill. “So I am bringing to the board for thought processes the suggestion to check for the feasibility of placing two speed bumps, one one-third of the way down the hill and one two-thirds of the way down the hill,” he said. “There are a lot of people that walk up and down that hill. There are little kids playing down there. And if somebody comes blasting down that hill at 30 miles an hour, somebody’s going to get hurt very badly.”
Poor added the hill makes visibility difficult. However, since that stretch of road leads to a boat launch, board member Brad Zellers raised concerns that the noise of boat trailers passing over speed bumps could become disruptive for neighbors.
Several other potential solutions were discussed, including adding curves in the road to slow drivers down. Board member Jon Chapman suggested that separating pedestrian traffic from motor vehicles would make a big difference. “Maybe we need to make the trail continue down the stairway more obviously so when you go down the stairs, which is not on the roadway, you’re staying off,” he suggested.
In the end, the park board decided to start with minor upgrades designed to raise motorists’ awareness. These may include installing speed limit and “children at play” signs, as well as an electronic sign displaying the speed at which a car is traveling. Further upgrades may be considered in the future, if necessary.
