Chad Saylor says the alleyway by his house too often turns into a speedway.
"I believe it is a valid safety concern for myself, my family and my neighbors," Saylor said Wednesday at a Fargo Traffic Technical Advisory Committee meeting.
Saylor lives south of 34th Avenue South between 25th and 28th streets. He asked city officials to construct speed humps to combat dangerous drivers in his neighborhood.
The committee voted to conduct a speed study in the alley to see if the site meets basic requirements for further action. Committee members also directed the Police Department to increase enforcement in the area.
City Engineer Mark Bittner said it's highly unlikely the alley's traffic exceeds 1,000 cars per day, which makes it ineligible for speed humps under a policy adopted in 2003.
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And since the cost of the project is assessed to homes in the area, Bittner told Saylor that speed humps "might not be as advantageous for you as you might think."
Shane Gebeke also expressed concerns about traffic in his part of town. Gebeke lives just north of Interstate 94 on 20th Avenue South, which is under construction.
"Once construction is done, it's going to be a nice, smooth drag strip in our neighborhood," he said.
Committee members approved another traffic study for that neighborhood. The construction project also calls for a pedestrian crosswalk at 20th Avenue and 17th Street.
In other business, the committee rejected a request by the Fargo Optimist Club to place two signs along streets.
Granting that request would set a bad precedent because other clubs might expect the same treatment, Bittner said.
"We don't need additional competition for signage along our roadways," he said.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Bryce Haugen at (701) 235-7311
