BETTENDORF, Iowa — The Bettendorf Police Department (BPD) is urging visitors and residents to respect the speed limit in the community after receiving numerous complaints from residents.
“This is something that affects us daily and it really comes down to awareness,” Keith Kimball, Bettendorf Police Chief, said. “Speeding creates unsafe situations for people who are walking, biking, kids playing in neighborhoods, and it can cause serious traffic accidents.”
Residential areas are the ones that create the most concern for the Department where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour and signs may not necessarily be posted in every block. Drivers may start noticing more police officers and digital signs showing a car's speed limit on the City's major routes.
“Our goal is not to have police officers in every neighborhood writing more tickets,” Chief Kimball said. “Instead, we simply want to remind our residents and visitors to be aware of their surroundings – whether it’s kids playing in their yards, someone riding their bike alongside the road, or a ball that accidentally rolls into your route.”
As a community member, you can be a part of the solution by identifying problem areas using the Speed Spots Map which allows users to drag a pin to any spot on the map where you have noticed an increase in speeding drivers. A box will appear where you can share information about the location.
The Speed Spots Map will help the BPD decide where to place portable signs, add more officers, and other enforcement strategies. All responses are anonymous.
“Sometimes we get into a routine and don’t even realize how fast we’re going down the streets we use every day,” Sergeant Patrick Mesick with BPD’s Traffic Division said.
To see more of the city's goals for next year, visit their website.
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