SNOW HILL – Speed limits have been lowered in the Public Landing area in response to citizen concerns.
The Worcester County Commissioners this week agreed to reduce speed limits in the Public Landing Wharf Road area. The changes come at the request of local residents.
“I think this goes a long way toward addressing the concerns,” Commissioners Josh Nordstrom said.
Nordstrom said he and Public Works Director Dallas Baker had met with area residents to talk about issues in the neighborhood. With significant upgrades to the beach and marina there, residents wanted to ensure increased traffic didn’t create safety issues.
“After meeting with the constituents, we discussed what the issues are,” Nordstrom said. “A lot of them point out there are a lot more children playing there than in years past and they’re a lot more concerned about the speed limits on the roads leading into Public Landing area.”
Public Landing Wharf Road has not been posted with a speed limit, meaning 50 mph governs.
“After investigating the area involved, I would recommend that we post this road at 25 mph from Route 365 to the road end,” Baker wrote in his report to the commissioners. “This posting would allow the sheriff’s department to provide enforcement of the speed limit sign in order to control and speeding related issues.”
In addition, Baker suggested setting the speed limit at 25 mph from Route 365 to Carryback Road, 30 mph from Carryback Road to Stagg Road and 50 mph from Stagg Road from to Paw Paw Creek Road.
“Hopefully that will work,” Nordstrom said following the meeting. “If it doesn’t we’ll do other things.”
He said that residents had reached out to him to express frustration with speeding vehicles. While they like the beach and marina improvements, they said they were seeing more traffic and more speeding associated with it.
“People are driving faster, some with boats on trailers,” Nordstrom said. “There’s no sidewalks. People are walking dogs on the side of the road, kids are riding bikes.”
He said he was committed to ensuring residents’ concerns were addressed and that if the changes approved Tuesday didn’t work, the county could pursue other possibilities. He added, however, Public Landing Road itself was a state road so the state would have to be petitioned for changes to it.
