Higher fines proposed for speeders on W. Cary and Semmes

It could end up costing you an extra $200 if you’re lead footing down W. Cary or Semmes Avenue.

April 18, 2014; 9:41 AM • by Richard Hayes

Semmes and W. Cary are heavily used routes to get into and from downtown. It also is apparent, judging by the speed that workers use on these roads, that workers are always either late for work or in a hurry to get home.

Parker Agelasto, councilman for the the 5th District, has proposed that an additional $200 fine be given out to those caught speeding on W. Cary between Addison and Meadow streets and between Granby and Cherry streets and on Semmes Avenue between 22nd Street and Dundee Avenue. The speed limit is 25 MPH on W. Cary and 35 MPH on Semmes. The reason for the gap in increased fines on W. Cary is the location of a gas station and these increased fines can only take place in residential areas.

RTD has the full story.

Agelasto, 5th District, said residents have been asking for more safety measures, and the fines are intended to make the roads feel more like neighborhood streets rather than speedy “cut-throughs.”

“It is very high up on the list of items that the local civic associations had been requesting for years,” Agelasto said.

Mark Brandon, a businessman who owns several properties on Cary and serves on the board of the Uptown Association, said he welcomed the signs warning of higher fines.

“I’m in favor of something because we need some help on Cary Street,” Brandon said.

To impose the added fines, the city must determine that 85 percent of drivers in both areas travel at least 10 mph above the posted speed limit. The two resolutions say the city has made that determination in both areas.

An editorial note here since I travel on both these streets quite frequently. In over 10 years of living in area I don’t think I’ve ever seen any enforcement of the current speed limit. The higher fine won’t serve as much of a deterrent if they are never given out. Has anyone or do you know anyone that has been given a speeding ticket along either road?

Image: RTD