Hampden looking to curb speeding

HAMPDEN – Rumor has it that scrawled in spray paint on an overpass somewhere in Massachusetts is a warning that speeders will be stopped in Hampden, Maine.

The town has had a reputation for aggressive enforcement of speed limits for more than a decade, although Town Manager Sue Lessard said she gets more calls from people in town complaining about the opposite, that not enough is being done about speeders.

About a day after the council began discussing speeding as a topic last Monday, a resident contacted Lessard and wanted speeding on the Kennebec Road to be considered as an agenda item at a future council meeting.

Councilors seem sympathetic to both sides, with Councilor Robert Gilberti acknowledging last week that sometimes it is all too easy to forget how fast you are going and it can seem to be impossible to maintain the speed limit going down a hill. But they also know that speeding can place motorists and pedestrians at risk.

Hampden Public Safety Director Joe Rogers said recently that despite the tough reputation, many times more warnings are issued than tickets.

“What we’re hoping for is voluntary compliance,” Rogers said.

He also knows that speed is a leading cause of accidents and higher speeds can contribute to more serious injuries during those accidents.

“If you want to reduce accidents, obviously you concentrate on reducing the speeders,” he said.

Plans are already in place to deal with at least some speeding concerns.

With the start of school just weeks away and an expected increase in traffic – especially trucks – rolling through because of restrictions placed on the Hancock-Waldo Bridge, Hampden police officers will be more visible in the coming weeks. Some of the increased emphasis on traffic violations has come with having a full complement of officers, with new officers being broken in through traffic details.

Officials in town are looking at other ways to curb speeders, ways that will get the point across without leaving motorists smarting from a speeding ticket. Penalties for speeders now range from $109 to $247, up from last year.

Taking their cues from other municipalities, Hampden is considering using a mobile radar sign that flashes how fast motorists are going. It has been used effectively in Brewer and Bangor.

Brewer Police Chief Steve Barker said his city has used such a radar sign for a year and that he has seen dramatic changes when the sign is in place.

Whether it’s guilt or being embarrassed at being seen speeding by other motorists, drivers do slow down, he said.

The effect the sign has on drivers doesn’t last forever and Barker acknowledges that once forgotten it’s back to their old speeding habits for some.

“It might be a short-term effect, but it’s better than nothing,” Barker said.

With a price tag of $3,400 the speed-flashing sign is not only inexpensive when spread out over the life of the sign, it also frees an officer to do other things, including radar patrol in another area of the city.

“Now, it’s like having two officers out there,” Barker said.