Godfrey Residents Call For Traffic Safety Improvements

GODFREY - Multiple Godfrey residents on Tuesday expressed safety concerns regarding constant speeding and reckless driving on Pierce Lane and North Hanser Lane in Godfrey, calling on village officials to take action and proposing various solutions.

Resident Samantha Steele said a drunk driver drove through her house, extensively damaging the home and leading her to fear for the safety of her 3-year-old child while alarming the surrounding neighborhood. Both she and her neighbor Jill Wegescheide, who witnessed the incident and also feared for her family’s safety, said Pierce Lane desperately needs more traffic safety measures in place.

One proposed solution concerned a guardrail which once stood in the area but neighbors say has been in a state of disrepair for far too long. An item on the Public Safety Committee agenda later passed unanimously to not only repair the guardrail but also install new signage, including two arrow signs and three Chevron signs at a total cost of $8,900.

The possibility of extending the guardrail was raised during public comments, but Village Engineer Rich Barron said any utility lines in the area would need to be more closely examined before that could be looked into.

Others were hopeful that speed bumps could force drivers to slow down, but Barron advised against them due to the problems they can cause for snow plows in the winter. Instead, he suggested temporary “rumble strips” which would make enough noise beneath the driver’s tires to hopefully either wake them up or alert them.

Stop signs were another idea proposed by the public which Barron advised against, saying the area was deemed not suitable for stop signs when it was first designed. He added that in practice, stop signs don’t stop speeders who often ignore them anyway. Alternative solutions Barron proposed included additional signage and reflective tape on the guardrail to draw drivers’ attention and give them more of a visual warning in advance.

Overall, Barron said he would look into the viability of each of the solutions proposed and noted the guardrail improvement resolution which was later approved.

Trustees also later voted unanimously to approve an unrelated street improvement project for a separate section of Pierce Lane further north. More details about that project are available in this story on Riverbender.com.

A full recording of the Aug. 6, 2024 Village Board meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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