photo by Boyd Loving
the risk of fatality rises pretty quickly as cars go faster than 25mph. There are a lot of studies that looked at this, mostly from a statistical standpoint (they didn’t take people and run them over at various speeds). Here is a well known study: https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/relationship_between_speed_risk_fatal_injury_pedestrians_and_car_occupants_richards.pdf
Dive 25 PSA from 2007 https://theridgewoodblog.net/drive-25-psa/
This is so sad , This should not be happening , People are driving through town so fast on their phones texting in such a rush . The police need to crack down . We should not be having people hit by cars in our Village.
With all the hooplah over the parking rates, new meter hours, kiosks, cops for utility work, etc, it seems like the casual scofflaw is being missed – and they are the ones that create the dangerous scenarios for pedestrians. Cases in point: u-turns into parking spots on Broad, Chestnut & Oak, speeds in excess of 25 going into and out of the CBD, and blatant cellphone use throughout the village by drivers. Until the police take a hard look at these motor vehicle infractions and ticket the offenders, pedestrian safety will be second to revenue production to fund Garagezilla. (Note to pedestrians…pay attention! You do not have a force field around you for protection, so take a break from your phones and don’t jaywalk.)
the police are seen mostly standing around open utility excavations even a small project to change a residents Gas connection ..
we pay their pension and earned benefits while PSEG KICKS in a per diem to the town
for a portion of their days pay..
many have a police car there at the excavation site more costs and more wasted assets
let PSEG post a flag man
MORE accidents happen when the speed limit is 25mph.
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1. It is so slow the driver’s mind wanders
2. It is so slow that OTHER drivers get frustrated and aggressive and drive recklessly when following someone driving 25mph
3. The cars are moving so slowly that pedestrians perceive cars to be a lesser danger and treat them as such.
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This is what puts pedestrians at greater risk.
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This 25mph hysteria is wrong headed. What is needed are responsible speed limits based the congestion and traffic patterns… but that approach is not an easy hashtag-feel-good solution.
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To the person claiming lower speed limits are dangerous-show or cite one study that backs up your post. I could come up with 10 or 20 peer reviewed studies that say you are wrong.
To the person claiming 25mph speed limits will reduce accidents and fatalities in Ridgewood by citing statistics from a city of London England traiffic study, please cite REAL statistics from the Village of Ridgewood on a street by street basis from prior to Ridgewood’s implementation of the 25mph speed limit to after its implementation. Show me any increase in safety of Ridgewood residents.
All the other theoretical and statistical studies are largely irrelevant to Ridgewood.
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We can also argue the banning all cars is statistically safer, so lets ban all cars.
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And while we are on the subject, why is Lincoln Ave not resticted to 25mph in Ridgewood?
Are the children on Lincoln Avenue not as important as other Ridgewood children?
Are the children on Lincoln Avenue smarter then other Ridgewood children and are able to better aviod being stuck by cars?
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Or is the 25 mph speed limit just a feel-good-knee-jerk panacea implemented by a politically ambitious disgraced politician looking to get ahead professionally.
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https://one.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/pub/hs809012.html
https://aaafoundation.org/impact-speed-pedestrians-risk-severe-injury-death/
https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/on-foot-at-risk-study-highlights-rising-pedestrian-deaths-points-toward-solutions
Ridgewood averages 22 pedestrians hit per year and 1 death about every 2 or 3 years. Accepting these injuries and deaths as the trade off for being able to drive as fast as you can is unacceptable. The position that we should ban all cars is childish but if you are in a position to make this happen lets talk more… The speed limit on Lincoln Ave in my opinion is too high for a residential area but it is a county road and they determine the speed limit, not the village.
And FWIW the cars in London are similar to the ones in Ridgewood (although probably smaller) and the peoples bones and flesh splatter the same as ours.