The Natchitoches City Council voted to introduce Ordinance No. 022 of 2023 to enact ordinances relative to the assessment of civil penalties for speeding within the city limits at the March 27 meeting. The ordinance is a precursor to the implementation of the recommended traffic calming plan by the city’s Task Force committee.
There is a speeding issue around town. A six day speed study on Keyser Avenue showed that 25 percent of motorists were exceeding the posted speed limit by at least 8mph, and by as much as 15 mph. At the speed zone in front of Natchitoches Central, in a one-week period during the times for the school zone, there were over 300 vehicles a day that were exceeding the posted speed by more than 6 mph.
The traffic calming plan includes the implementation of a portable handheld camera device for speed enforcement that will be operated by a certified law enforcement official. Motorists who violate the speed limit will receive a ticket in the mail.
The city is looking at this not as a money making tool, but as a tool for the improvement of safety on city roads.
“We don’t want to place a hardship on people with these tickets,” said Council member-at-large Betty Sawyer Smith, who sits on the Task Force committee.
Other details will be ironed out after the ordinance is passed by the City Council.
Russell Sarpy is the owner of Emergent Enforcement Solutions, which provides infrastructure including the court management, online ticket payment portal, and the software solution for the collection of the citations. All of the controls (setting speed thresholds for locations, reducing fines, etc…) is up to the municipality.
According to Sarpy, everywhere the company is deployed at, speeding has been reduced by at least 60-70 percent. He explained that people will complain whether a law enforcement officer issues the ticket, or if an automated system does it. This way it’s safer for the officers and the motorists.
The suggestion is to start with two locations for 90 days before they do a city wide program. The City Council will vote on this ordinance at its April 10 meeting.
Photo: File Photo
