Article from Sentinel 10/8/09

Aptos residents argue the merits of installing speed bumps on Florence Drive
By SHANNA MCCORD
Posted: 10/08/2009 01:30:55 AM PDT

Click photo to enlarge
Rio Del Mar resident Jim Jackson painted white lines on Florence Dr. in... (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

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RIO DEL MAR -- A handful of residents are bickering and blogging over the idea of speed bumps on their street in Rio del Mar.

Some say the bumps are needed on Florence Drive to slow drivers speeding through the neighborhood, while others worry that a bump in the road will delay response from the fire department during an emergency.

County public works officials say Florence Drive is a private road with public access, so the decision to install bumps -- and pay for them -- is entirely up to the 30 property owners.

"It's really dividing the street," said Lisa Smith, who has lived on Florence Drive for 13 years. "What are the rules? Are we really the Wild West where we can do whatever we want?"

Smith is opposed to speed bumps because of safety issues related to her 10-year-old daughter, who is allergic to peanuts.

The possible need for a paramedic constantly weighs on Smith's mind as the slightest contact with a peanut can block air passage and become potentially fatal if medical response is not immediate, she said.

"Time is of the essence," Smith said.

Others on Florence Drive, like retired attorney Jim Jackson, are tired of watching cars whiz down their street to get to either Cliff or Martin drives.

Jackson said he's seen enough "near misses" between cars and dogs and cats to justify the bumps.

Jackson and a neighbor painted white arrows on the road in front of his house to get drivers used to the idea of having
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a bump in that area. "These people come around the corner and really rip," Jackson said. "The traffic is too fast by far."

Aptos/La Selva Fire Chief Tom Crosser said research has shown speed bumps, depending on their design, can affect response times.

He warns residents about the unintended consequence a bump can have. "The design we require is wide enough and gradual enough so that the fire apparatus isn't required to stop," Crosser said. "It can go over it without stopping."

Jackson said the neighbors in favor of bumps have pitched in enough money to pay for one, about $650.

Florence Drive residents recently created a blog at florencedrivestreetassociation.blogspot.com to discuss the speed bump issue. A meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Rio del Mar Tennis Club with representatives from the Aptos fire station to air concerns and attempt to reach a consensus.