I have continued to receive letters with opinions about the downtown Carefree speed limit. Since the council meeting is tonight, I am sending out the last of the letters now. All letters that I received on this issue I have sent on to the Council at council@carefree.org, so they are all on record for tonight's consideration.

 

While I am very happy to get your feedback too, I would encourage our citizens to contact the council members at the above email address with input on any item you find interesting and/or important, so they know your opinions and priorities. They do care. Town Hall can also be contacted at 488-3686.

 

Thanks for caring and for being involved!

Lyn Hitchon

 

 

 

Lyn- I actually agree with raising the speed limit to 30 mph. I don't think it would hurt Carefree at all.

Jan Dooley

 

 

 

If it's meant to be a revenue bearing speed trap then they won't do anything and should change the name from Carefree to Georgia, but I hope they do change it. I don't want to zoom through there but right now it's like a school zone. If the rich 80 year old's who live there can't handle over 25 MPH then they should sell their Mercedes and get a golf cart.

Joe Arkeat

 

 

 

Hi Lyn,

Raising the speed limit to 30 MPH is the same as raising it to 35 MPH plus. Watch the traffic in Cave Creek, which is set at 30 MPH, but has a longer and wider downtown stretch than Carefree with two lanes in each direction. It moves, at times, between 30 MPH and 35 MPH plus through town, which is appropriate for the length and width of the streets. When you have two lanes in each direction, the right lane is for slower traffic, so Cave Creek has an option for slowing down and shopping. Carefree doesn't have that option, as the speed limit would be the same for all traffic and less of a chance of slowing down and shopping.

 

Carefree's shorter and narrower downtown stretch of street area with one lane in each direction, has many other small streets and that feed into Tom Darlington. The "Round Abouts" also squeeze the traffic to slow it down on Tom Darlington. You don't want people flying through the touristic and commercial part of town, where you have businesses and derive tax revenue, as you want them to "stop and shop". I believe the business community would support keeping the 25 MPH limit. Keep it at 25 MPH which is also supports the image of "Carefree" as a quiet, touristic plus a commercial destination. As far as an increase to 30 MPH, I believe that this would be appropriate at intersection to Tom Darlington and Cave Creek Road heading North.

 

In summing it all up, "What's the big hurry?"

Herbie Natker

 

 

 

LYN...I AGREE WITH THE INCREASED SPEED LIMIT...I CAN'T COUNT THE TIMES I HAVE SLOWED DOWN, ONLY TO HAVE A PERSON BEHING ME HONK, PASS ME, OR SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES....AND YES, I ATTEMPT TO OBEY ALL THE SPEED LIMITS.....WE DO NOT HAVE "SPEED TRAPS" AS ACCUSED BY SEVERAL CARELESS DRIVERS. IF YOU ARE ALERT AND OBEY THE POSTED

LIMITS, THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM, SO GET OFF YOUR CELL PHONE, IGNORE RUSH LIMBAUGH, AND PAY ATTENTION TO BEING A SAFE DRIVER.....PLEASE !!

YES, WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE DEATHS, BUT ONE OF THEM WAS GOING, ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, NEARLY 70 MILES AN HOUR....I DON'T RECALL ANY DETAILS ON THE OTHER ONE, BUT THAT MAY BE THE ONE THAT RAN OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A TREE.

I HAVE BEEN EVER SO PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH ALLTHINGS CAREFREE, THANKS TO YOU. I CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE ALL THE HOURS YOU SPEND ON THIS, BUT I KNOW YOU HAVE A GRATEFUL FOLLOWING. THANK YOU.

 

P.S. WHAT WAS THE REFERENCE TO "KGDS" FROM ED MORGAN ???

SUSANNE LOEPER

(Lyn's note: I broke down a while ago and asked Betsy Wise, the font of all knowledge in Carefree, what Ed's KGDS meant. Of course, she knew. "Keep going; don't stop." The mantra at town hall is, "Ask Betsy!" It works every time! Betsy, KGDS.)

 

 

Lyn —

Mr. Hintze demonstrates a reasoned, logical thought process vis-à-vis the increase in the speed limit. I rather doubt if Mr. Nelson, nor any of the other writers who are opposed to the 30mph speed limit have even read Mr. Basha's analysis report. Mr. Basha has, I believe, more than 25 years experience in traffic analysis and control. The Town contracted with him for his study of the traffic situation in key byways in Carefree and for a report and final recommendation. I thought it was ludicrous when the last Town Council blew-off the recommendations made by Mr. Basha and for which the Town paid him a handsome fee - just a big waste of funds. But then, that was a council composed of too many members more interested in playing gotcha games with other councilpersons. Mr. Basha pointed-out that drivers are exceeding the 25mph limit on a routine basis and by as much as 10 to 15 mph, on average. Mr. Basha also pointed-out that a 30mph limit would actually have a reverse psychological impact to drivers who will unconsciously drive closer to the 30mph limit than they would that of a 25mph maximum. People should at least read Mr. Basha's report and recommendations, and the logic behind those recommendations, before they make suppositions based on personal feelings, instead of empirical fact, empirical analysis and traffic control experience.

Fred Groszkruger