Residents: Speed humps have worsened problems
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

JENNIFER AMATO Residents in North Brunswick are complaining that speed bumps, such as the one seen here on Huron Road, have not been effective deterrents in controlling speeding trucks and other large vehicles.

NORTH BRUNSWICK - The township has hit a bumpy road with regard to residents' opinions of traffic-controlling devices in town.

Homeowners on Huron Road have become frustrated over what they say is the lack of effectiveness of two speed humps constructed on their street. Neighbors claim that vehicles either speed down the street and slow down only for the hump or maintain a moderate level of speed and then ignore the hump in the road entirely.

"This makes some of the speeding vehicles slow down and then they quickly accelerate and continue on their speeding way. The ones that don't slow down bounce over the bump, and their cars or trucks vibrate with the shock that reverberates to the surrounding homes. One of my neighbors told me they are getting cracks in the foundation walls from these vibrations. Those of us with bedrooms in the front of the house are constantly being woken from the sound of the vehicles bouncing over the bump. Of course, this happens only when they care to slow down," said resident Jim Hudson, who has a speed hump located in front of his house.

"Landscaping trucks that bounce over the bumps cause a double noise when their trailers that are being towed behind vibrate as the equipment shifts around from the bounce," Hudson continued. "They also usually leave a trail of mulch in the road which spills from their trailers that they leave there for me to clean up. School buses also add to the noise as they speed down the road and fly over the bump. Garbage trucks with their squealing breaks and shifting gears also add to a pleasant, quiet day or night. There are also the motorcycles that have to downshift to avoid being tossed in the air. After downshifting they then go to the racing gear and accelerate, as only motorcycles can, to continue their race down Huron Road."

Lt. William Kloos of the Traffic Safety Division of the North Brunswick Police Department did acknowledge that he receives noise complaints from residents throughout the township, especially during the summer, typically because of landscaping trailers. However, he said that "overall, there have been very few complaints about speed humps."

He said that in order to install a hump, a request from a resident is evaluated. A blind speed survey using a radar trailer is conducted, tracking the number of cars and their average speed as they travel down the specific road. If the results show that a hump could possibly be installed, a neighborhood survey is processed and if a percentage of residents are in favor, the Department of Public Works will begin to plan the installation.

However, Kloos said that although there are over 30 humps in town, the speed-controlling measures are a last resort; he said having police officers check radar a few times a month is more preferable. Because the humps are usually spaced 400 to 500 feet apart, driveways, picture windows and house layouts must be taken into consideration, sometimes causing the distance between them to be extended and therefore limiting their efficacy.

"I generally find them to be effective, but when you don't have the space to put enough out there, they become less effective. But I think overall people are in favor of speed humps," he said.

However, Jacek Terpinski, who has a speed hump located by the corner of his house on Huron, said that he has noticed most travelers ignoring the speed hump and speed limit signs altogether. Huron is located near Axel Avenue, in the vicinity of John Adams Elementary School. The speed limit on Huron is 25 miles per hour.

"It doesn't deter people who don't respect the speed limit. They don't care. You can see them just fly through," he said. "Sometimes everything is calm and you hear this "bang, bang" and it is pretty loud. You're just sitting there and then you jump."

Joan Campisano recalled a recent Sunday night in which there were two cars traveling down Huron, one going slow and the other on its tail. As the slow car approached the speed hump and

slowed down even further, the car in the back passed around the front car. She also mentioned that on several occasions, vehicles travel to the extreme right of the roadway and travel with one wheel on the hump and one wheel on the space between the hump and the curb.

"I don't see them doing anything as far as speeding on my street. They've brought a lot of noise with them. I have a crack in my living room wall. I don't know if it's from the trucks going over it … but my house shakes from it," she said.

As a solution to the existing problem, Hudson suggested either eliminating the humps altogether or installing them closer together, although his personal choice is to have increased police presence.

"I have lived here for 40 years and have never seen a car stopped for speeding on this street, and I am home often. This street is used not only by neighbors but as a shortcut to avoid How Lane," he said.

Terpinski said that cameras could help the situation, such as the ones used to catch drivers passing through red lights. Campisano agreed with having unmarked police patrols, but highly opposed putting more humps on the street.

Kloos said that it is "very possible" in the future to have additional police presence on Huron Road, as well as any other questionable street in town. He said that anyone concerned with their road can contact him at (732) 247-0922, ext. 320, and he will evaluate the speeding situation.