Exchanging a bumpy surface for a smooth one may be encouraging some motorists to exceed the posted speed limit on North Chancery Street.
“We have gotten complaints about speeding on North Chancery,” said McMinnville Police Chief Bryan Denton. “It could just be perception. When you are sitting still, sometimes it’s hard to judge how fast something is moving.”
To see exactly how fast motorists are traveling down newly paved N. Chancery, the police department placed its speed trailer beside the street. Denton says the trailer will register how fast motorists are traveling, how many motorists passed by, and the time of day.
In the case of N. Chancery, perception may be reality. The speed limit on the two-lane street is 30 mph. However, the trailer registered motorists going up to 43 mph around noon on Friday. Several motorists were above 35 mph, according to Denton.
The speed trailer is a device used by the department to determine problem areas in the city. When complaints of speeders are received, the trailer is placed in that vicinity. It logs information for evaluation, but does not give tickets, nor will any motorist receive one in the mail.
“If we look at the information and determine there is a problem, we will increase patrols in the area,” said Denton.
The possible presence of speeders has been the only problem reported since the street was recently paved by APAC-Harrison Inc.