HomeMy WebLinkAboutStreet Racing Solution Ideas 09072022A Proposal to Address Street Racing
on North First East
Quick Facts About the Street Racers
Street racing has become an increasingly
dangerous situation on North First East. This is
especially true from Second North to the corner
near the canal by old K Mart parking lot.
Most of the street racing occurs between 10 p.m.
and 1:00 a.m.. Racing can involve side-by-side
drag style racing, but the most common is for
two or three pickups to get in a row and achieve
extremely high speeds between the canal and
the intersection with Second North. It is not at all
uncommon for street southbond street racers to
ignore the stop signs at the intersection of First
East and Second North. Street racers going north
along the same street will slow for the corner
north of the canal, but still will often try to ‘float’
that corner at a very high speed.
Quick Facts About the Roadway
First East from the canal to Second North is 1000
feet, or about a block and half. Street side parking
is not common along most of this part of the road.
That is primarily due to the fact that it is not faced
by residences from about 300 feet north of the
intersection. Parking for residents of The Grove at
Riverside rarely includes use of the street.
This part of First North is unpainted and has no
street lights. The bus facility for Madison School
District, and some of the business facilities along
the west side have parking lot lights, but otherwise
the street itself is dark at night.
There is a street light on the power pole near the
entrance to the parking lot for Heaven’s Best, but it
has been inoperable for years.
With the absence of streetside parking, no signage,
an unpainted road, very little lighting, and an
extra half block of length, this stretch of road looks
like a drag strip. Unfortunately it is being treated
as such.
Proposed Traffic Calming Solutions
In preparing this packet I have drawn from the
United States Department of Transportation, and
12 years of personal experience of serving on the
Rexburg Traffic and Safety Committee.
One - Repair the street light at the outlet of the
parking lot near Heaven’s Best, and install one
near either the north or south end of the section of
road under discussion.
Two - Paint lanes on the section of road. This
should be one lane each way, and the Department
of Transportation suggests bike lanes be included.
Three - Install speed limit signs west of
McDonald’s and southbound from the turn by the
canal.
Four - Install a speed indicator sign about halfway
between the canal and the intersection with
Second North. Admittedly some of the street
racers may be enouraged by this, but data show
these speed indicators help calm most speeding
drivers.
Five - Install a photo system that will activate
when drivers exceed the posted speed limits
by certain speeds. I know this cannot be used
for citations per se, but it can certainly help law
enforcement identify those for whom they should
be aware.
Six - Install speed bumps. I am well aware there
may be resistance to this based on previous policy,
but I want to encourage the council to consider
the following: the majority of this stretch of road
is not adjacent to residences, new technology has
developed a wide varieties of speed bumps, some
with more or less height, and suitable to seasonal
removal for snowplow use. Please note that the
vast majority of school buses turn south out of the
parking lot and speed bumps north of that point
would rarely be encountered by the school buses.
Seven - Negotiate a use plan for the old K-Mart
parking that would allow for no trespassing
outside normal business hours for Stan’s Paint.
Current
non-functioning
street light.
Proposed location
for speed bumps.
Proposed location
for speed limit
signs.
Proposed location for
speed indicator.