Jan Noble: Please slow down
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Since last spring, I have been increasingly concerned about young cyclists choosing to use a private but heavily traveled access to cross Fish Creek Falls Road on their ride to school. The blind curve is intensified by the 7:45 a.m. sun that continues to blind a driver even on the straightaway toward Tamarack Drive.
I have done my best to contact local authorities asking for signage cautioning drivers, but my efforts have been to no avail. I posted three signs myself, but the sun is so blinding that drivers can’t even see them.
On the first day of school, a fourth-grader stopped, looked both ways and proceeded to cross the road as I heard the roar of a truck barreling around the blind corner going well above the speed limit.
Onlookers screamed, and the truck stopped just short of the boy and his bike.
There are three serious problems with this particular area:
Traffic is moving well above the speed limit.
Even with adult supervision, crossing Fish Creek Falls Road anywhere between the intersection at Tamarack and the private access is extremely dangerous.
Kids will use the shortest way between two points and depend on adults to keep them safe.
Please slow down on Fish Creek Falls Road and look for bikers crossing.
Also of concern is the corner of Amethyst and East Maple Street at the intersection where bikers come out of the woods onto Concordia Lane. Usually there are two yellow caution tents on Amethyst reminding drivers of the state law giving pedestrians the right of way.
The caution tents were not in place on the first day of school. I was told by a police officer that the tents were damaged by a driver and would be repaired and replaced as soon as possible. With no caution tents, there was no police officer at the intersection. Drivers do not slow down nor stop, even when the tents are in place.
There is a flashing speed sign coming from the schools into the intersection but nothing at the intersection helping students go to the schools. The intersection is dangerous for drivers, pedestrians and bikers alike moving in all directions between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m.
Please watch for bikers, stop for walkers, and slow down at that dangerously busy intersection.
Jan Noble
Steamboat Springs
Comments
chickadee 2 years, 8 months ago
Hey worry wart: your home made signs are such an eye sore! Thanks for reminding me to get around to calling Code Enforcement to force you to take them down.
We do not need any more signs to remind people to obey the law. How would you like it if someone posted the entire Colorado Criminal Code in your yard? Why don't you put up signs stating the ten commandments too. Oh, heck...I better not give you any ideas for more UGLY SIGNS.
Please take down your ugly signs.
SPARKYINSTMBT 2 years, 8 months ago
Thank you Jan Noble for helping our kids. The drivers on Fish Creek Falls and also on Amethyst are out of control. I have lived in the Fish Creek Area for 30 years now and have always held my breath in both of the areas that you are speaking about. The loss of 1 child is too many. I have watched 5 dogs be killed on Fish Creek by speeding drivers and my heart would be destroyed if it was a child..Thank you for taking the time to put up the signs....
chickadee 2 years, 8 months ago
Maybe she should put some signs in her yard telling people to KEEP THEIR DOG ON A LEASH WHEN ON FISHCREEK FALLS ROAD. Or how about "NO JAYWALKING" Even better: NO TRESPASSING because that is what the bikers on the "private trail" are doing, aiiiiight?
Those signs on Fish Creek Falls Road are illegal and distracting to drivers. They are more likely to cause an automobile accident than prevent one...which is one of the reasons why these signs are NOT legal and should be removed. immediately!
Hey Code Enforcement, get off yr bums and ENFORCE the OBVIOUS. Illegal ugly signs on high traffic roads? Sub code rental units (there are more) at some of the busiest most visible intersections in old town? What do you "code enforcers" do all day anyway? Besides ignore the obvious.
mtroach 2 years, 8 months ago
Really Jan, how dare you ask local drivers to slow down to take time to make sure that they are operating their autos in a safe manner.
Once again this comes down to a matter where the SSPD is not enforcing the laws, and our kids are at risk. Jan IMHO, take this to city council, and ask for the speed limit on FCF to be reduced to 30mph,and for addititonal enforcement untill drivers learn to go slower on this road.
chickadee 2 years, 8 months ago
I have nothing against saving the lives of local children.
If Jan wants to put illegal signs in her yard that might save children's lives, I suggest these:
Stop Underage Drinking!
Mind your parents!
Don't use drugs!
Don't play with matches!
Don't Jaywalk!
No trespassing!
Wait a half hour after eating before swimming!
Private citizens who take it upon themselves to direct traffic? That is just nuts. And it is very dangerous!
mtntrekker 2 years, 8 months ago
Kudos to Jan for doing what nobody else has the guts to do. People speed thru my neighborhood in Old town all the time and there are kids and dogs everywhere. Some of my neighbors have stood in their yards yelling at cars to slow down. There is (or was) one of those signs shaped like a child at 6th and Laurel streets. I think it is a great idea to put something like that or a sign next to the road or in your yard since the town cannot do it. The police should hire somebody as just a speed limit enforcer. The town could make a lot of money from ticketing speeding drivers. Then that might encouraged people to slow down in dangerous spots like on Fish Creek Falls road. The issue should be brought up with City Council so they could at least provide some signs at that spot. Maybe paint a crosswalk there. Keep calling the local authorites to put out signs. Maybe after so many calls, they will get the hint. As for ugly signs, I would rather see an ugly sign reminding me to slow down beacuse of kids crossing the road than hitting somebody because I had no warning.
bandmama 2 years, 8 months ago
chickadee- a sign for you, "thanks Jan for bringing this to the public's attention"
Zed 2 years, 8 months ago
I agree with Jan, drivers in town are out of control. Just stop and watch the traffic for a few minutes and you will be amazed at how many idiots are blabbing away on their cell phones and roll right through stop signs. I feel bad for the Scott Contracting guys, must be a nightmare having to deal with so many idiots.
I lived on Fish Creek falls rd for a year and everytime the school bus was coming up some idiot coming down would blow right by it doing like 40 in the 25mph zone! I can't ever recall seeing the police running radar on this road either...
Zed 2 years, 8 months ago
And I like Jan's homemade signs, maybe they will get a few to think when they are behind the wheel.
paddlefisher 2 years, 8 months ago
why all the negativity chickadee..if it saves one childs life the there is no harm..worked for waste for a few years..amethyst and fish creek were on my routes..i actually had a parent who was behind me will picking trash stop and blare on her horn at every stop..i finally called the pd..and karma ruled cause she got a ticket..anyway i changed my route schedule so i wouldn't be there while moms and dads were dropping their kids off at school..oh don't we have a bus system..another topic...anyway Jan keep up the good work..and lets remember we all live in Steamboat just some of us are special and some aren't
paddlefisher 2 years, 8 months ago
by the way she got a ticket for harrassment
jerry carlton 2 years, 8 months ago
The city should hire an officer dedicated to nothing but speeding enforcement. Unmarked car and he would pay his way and put money in the city coffers. This town has a reputation for a place where you do not want to drive drunk, so why not give it the same reputation for speeding and make up for lost sales tax at the same time.
Jeff Kibler 2 years, 8 months ago
I drove downtown twice Tuesday, taking the Fish Creek detour past the high school. Each way near the high school, someone was pulled over, I'm assuming for speeding. The city/PD has that stretch nailed.
John Fielding 2 years, 8 months ago
.
I have not seen the signs, don't go up there much, but are they illegal? Are they on private property? Should they be illegal?
It seems to me that if a homeowner wants to put up signs in their yard about some personal crusade, it should be protected as a free speech issue, whether it is "Watch for Children" or "get US out of the UN". In my opinion it also adds real character to the town, not just another homogenized suburban neighborhood.
And please folks, slow down a little, in all the residential neighborhoods. Our kids are worth it.
bandmama 2 years, 8 months ago
Something to think about and be considered. What if EVERYONE put up a sign, just to say "slow down and pay attention"??? So what if some think it is illegal. A complete NUT posted notices recently saying his followers would burn a holy book and resulted in world wide warnings to Americans. If a few handmade signs keep a child from being harmed, what's the big deal in HOW the signs are made??? (if hand made, my taxes ain't paying for them...) Chicky needs to get a new hobby..... SLOW down folks, kids just trying to get all "ed-u-cated" Give em some room. This is Steamboat, and slow down and enjoy the extra 30 seconds of life. Get a life. geeezzzzzz....
jk 2 years, 8 months ago
Maybe some parents need to ed-u-cate their kids on how to cross a road?! Take responsibility for your children!!!
Kuri 2 years, 8 months ago
Jan, did you consider placing signs where the bike riders would see them? How about a rider-directed sign (or three) urging the rider to slow down, stop and check traffic before proceeding? Having stated the reasons you placed signs for drivers, you also noted said signs are not visible due to sun etc. Why not place the signs where they might do the most good?
OnTheBusGus 2 years, 8 months ago
Jeff Kibler, I used to live on Conifer by the high school. The police patrol that pretty heavily in the day. It's a school zone for a long stretch. Easy pickings I guess.
Kuri has a good idea. Has anyone talked to the kids about crossing the road? Do they even know the peril they are in?
JustSomeJoe 2 years, 8 months ago
Yes Kuri and Gus, it's the kids and bikes that are the problem. What are they doing crossing the road or on the road with a bike? They should be in a car, right?
It's not the kids crossing the street or bike riders that are the problem, it's the people in 4000 pound vehicles speeding, talking on their cell phones, doing their makeup that aren't paying attention. They believe they have a right to the entire road at all times, and how fast they get to their destination is their primary goal. I'm on Fish Creek Falls road every day and the problem is drivers in cars, not kids crossing the road or a bike on the road.
How about the stop sign at Blue Sage that's really a yield sign for most of the Blue Sage residents? There are plenty of idiot drivers out there, in every neighborhood in town. Drivers need to recognize the damage to life they can cause and slow down.
OnTheBusGus 2 years, 8 months ago
Just drove on FCF road and noticed the signs are posted for drivers heading uphill. Um, aren't the faster cars usually headed down the hill with gravity helping them go faster and able to stop in less time? To be really effective, perhaps some signs should be posted for drivers heading down the hill too.
sledneck 2 years, 8 months ago
"The ultimate consequence of protecting men from the results of their own folly is to fill the world with fools." Herbert Spencer
JustSomeJoe 2 years, 8 months ago
Gus - right around the corner from those signs is frequent crossing for kids walking/riding to school as they head to the city trail that heads down to the church on Amethyst. Since there's no visibility to uphill motorists rounding that turn (a blind corner), that's probably why Jan put the signs there. The downhill driver can see bikers and walkers crossing there.
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