Sussex Borough to study speeding problem

The Sussex Borough Council is considering a traffic study on Unionville Road and Walnut Street, where vehicles zip through at high speeds.

Councilman Robert Holowach on Nov. 4 proposed putting temporary speed bumps on those two roads, much the way Sparta Township does on Lake Shore Drive. He said the bumps would be an inexpensive solution to the problem.

Holowach said drivers are using Walnut Street as a shortcut.

“If you put a couple of sets of them there, that should slow stuff down,” he said.

Borough resident Jana Barts said she’s been speaking up about speeding on Unionville Avenue, and that the borough’s discussions with the state police have not curbed the problem.

“The police are not up here,” Barts said. “Where’s my sheriff? Where is he to protect us, because the state police are not up here.”

Business administrator Toni Smith said she reached out to borough engineer Harold Pellow about the speed bumps. Pellow said that, by law, the borough is required to do a speed study first. Smith said she was waiting for Pellow to send her the text of the law.

Holowach said the speed bumps have a retail cost of about $130 each, which will have to be factored into the borough’s 2022 budget.

“That’s good news,” Holowach said. “So, let’s work on the study so we can get that squared away.”