A six-month-old town traffic study done on Palmetto Palm Avenue will be reevaluated after residents pleaded with officials about children being vulnerable to racing cars.
Over a dozen residents spoke at the May 14 town council meeting about speeding vehicles in the east Lake Martha neighborhood, south of Miami Lakes Drive.
Councilmen Luis Collazo and Bryan Morera both listed the issue on the meeting agenda.
“While running for this seat I had an opportunity to meet a lot of residents … this by far became the biggest one I had,” Morera said. “Not only did I hear [about] it, but I experienced it.”
For the past two years, residents have contacted Collazo about the avenue where there are two small parks.
“The town reduced the speed town-wide, and there are pocket areas where we still have issues,” Collazo told The Miami Laker on May 31.
The speed limit on Palmetto Palm Avenue is 25 mph. David Campos has lived in the neighborhood for 22 years. He and other neighbors led a petition drive to get town leaders’ attention.
He says more families with little kids have moved in.
“All of the homes where we want to have the speed bumps support the effort and signed the petition,” Campos said.
Town Manager Edward Pidermann told the council that the former way to study traffic “only took into account speed and the number of vehicles. And now it takes in other factors.”
Pidermann said the new studies use a point-based system.
“It takes into account other factors [such as] proximity to schools, churches, commercial areas and puts more emphasis on exceeding speed,” Pidermann said.
The review could take up to four weeks.
The council voted unanimously to add Palmetto Palm Avenue to a list of roads needing speed bumps. Residents are awaiting the results of the new evaluation.
“I feel good about it,” Campos said about the council’s actions. “We had a good turn out who spoke out. I am optimistic it’s going to get done. We don’t want to have a fatality.”