On a recent morning, I saw yet another example of why speed cameras are needed on 99th St. and why the current location at Vanderpoel is ridiculously ineffective for the stated goal of safer crossings at 99th and Walden.
A line of cars had stopped for a young family in the crosswalk at Walden. Suddenly there was a screech of brakes from a car that raced downhill past Longwood, not anticipating that anyone might need to cross the street. The driver nearly rear ended the line of stopped cars, then she crossed center line and blasted past the young family and other people trying to cross from the other side of 99th. She zoomed across the tracks, nearly hitting another car head on before veering back across the center line. It happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to get a video.
 |
| Westbound view of camera from 99th & Vanderpoel |
 |
| Westbound view from 99th & Prospect |
 |
| Westbound view from 99th & Wood. Next crosswalk is Walden. |
The camera location is almost 2 blocks east of Walden and is totally ineffective for slowing traffic at Walden. Now there are new crossing guards at Walden - often the only way to give anyone a fighting chance of getting across safely at morning and afternoon rush hour with this ridiculous camera placement.
Eastbound signage placement is equally idiotic, with the 20 mph school speed limit less than 20 feet before the 30 mph park speed limit sign, which makes the 20 mph sign completely useless for school crossings.
It would make SO much more sense to have the camera a lot closer to Walden so that it actually helps to slow down drivers there. This is just one more example of how lack of enforcement (since 2020, especially) has encouraged drivers who don't care about anyone else to do whatever they want. The rest of us should NOT have to keep dealing with the consequences.Will it take someone being killed or seriously injured by a reckless drivers to get a GOOD solution here. Enough already!
