speed enforcement

[Daryl Odhner]

Greetings Sheriff Baxter;

I am writing to request better speed enforcement in my community.  Where I live enforcement is—for all purposes—non-existent.  I realize I don’t live and pay taxes in a village, where more consistent and vigorous enforcement would be expected.  But some periodic sheriff presence, to remind people of “our civic duty to others,” would be appreciated.

Cars, trucks, and buses going 45-50 MPH in a 30 MPH zone is, of course, a safety hazard to pedestrians and bicyclists.  But it is also a stressor.  To focus solely on whether a car hits a pedestrian is only part of the problem.  The stress of fast and noisy traffic also discourages use of the roadways by pedestrians and bicyclists.  Sometimes I think some drivers feel their only duty to a pedestrian is to avoid hitting you.  Never mind that your blood pressure just went up 50% as they whizzed by you at 45 MPH!  Even where there are no pedestrians or bicyclists immediately present, excessive speed discourages the inclination to walk or ride a bike, so the argument that “There weren’t any pedestrians/bicyclists” is spurious.

We are (hopefully) at the end of an era in which our collective chief priority regarding road travel has been [to expedite and convenience motor vehicle traffic].  Increasingly there is a recognition that roadways belong also to pedestrians, bicyclists, and patrons of mass transit, and that there are significant benefits of alternative transportation modes, including environmental, personal health, and social benefits.

I attended the 2019 Active Transportation Summit at the Riverside Hotel this past May.  (I would highly encourage a member of the County Sheriff’s Department to attend one of these in the future.)  A major theme of the Summit related to the health and social benefits of walking and biking in our communities—for people of all ages.  The health benefit is obvious.  The social benefit aspect included, for example, the ability of young and elderly persons to get out of the house and interact with friends and neighbors.  And of course where there is a health benefit, there is also a financial benefit related to healthcare costs, not only to the individual, but to the community pool.

I realize issuing tickets to people may not be a deputy’s favorite task.  Perhaps deputies don’t like being in an adversarial role in relation to a motorist.  But unfortunately, some motorists are adversaries to other actual and potential users of the roadways, and it’s part of law enforcement’s job to help preserve the safety and tranquility of our communities.  My wife and I got a speeding ticket in Franklinville this past year (my wife’s first).  While it wasn’t fun, we didn’t deny our speed, and it was a learning experience.

Kindly do something about this.

Sincerely,

Daryl Odhner

595 Chestnut Ridge Rd

Rochester, NY 14624

dod...@gmail.com