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Maine Alliance for Road Associations

Enforcing Speeding on Association Roads Legislation

  • 13 Jun 2018 1:15 PM
    Message # 6308969
    Deleted user

    Hello MARA Community,

    As I'm sure many of you are aware, enforcing speeding on private/association roads has proven to be very difficult as law enforcement has no jurisdiction. It is a continuous problem in our road association, especially with delivery truck operators. I believe speeding on association roads, despite efforts to mitigate it, is a statewide issue.

    Proposing a bill a the Maine State Legislature that could in some way address this widespread issue may be a place to start. I was hoping to get some feedback from the MARA Community on

    1) your experiences successes/failures

    2) if you would be in favor of supporting some kind of legislation and

    3) ideas on the direction the bill should go?

    Perhaps this is an issue MARA could cover at the conference and work on on behalf of all road associations?

  • 13 Jun 2018 1:20 PM
    Reply # 6308991 on 6308969
    Deleted user

    1) We have posted multiple speed limit signs and continually remind our members that the more they speed the higher the maintenance costs will be. For the most part, our members respect the limit.

    Our problem is with USPS, FedEx, and UPS. We have stopped drivers and spoken to them directly, and called their supervisors to report speeding. These methods have not provided results.

    2) Absolutely

    3) I foresee many angles legislation could go as well the the problems they may cause. I got this idea from the bill that was passed a few years ago that allowed law enforcement jurisdiction over the roads on the Brunswick Navy Base, after it's closure, even though they were considered private property. Perhaps something similar could be done for road associations?

    Another direction would be to give the association some kind of authority to fine speeders, whether they are members or not. Guests, visitors, service providers, etc. may abide by the posted limit if they know they could be fined. It would probably be very difficult to get something like this passed since large companies like USPS, FedEx, and UPS would lobby against it, but it would serve as a good tool to open up the discussion and perhaps get them to come to some agreement to respect road association speed limit signs.

       

    Last modified: 13 Jun 2018 1:22 PM | Deleted user
  • 14 Jun 2018 11:15 AM
    Reply # 6312119 on 6308969

    This is a topic discussed at each annual meeting of our association and there are never many solutions reached.  We are also at the mercy of many companies who deliver to our homes, gravel trucks, logging trucks and many who like to disregard the posted speed signs.  Law enforcement does not have the man power to patrol here, and there is a great danger involved to have one of our residents patrol and hope to apply a fine to someone and have it carried through. I am all for some hope of legislation but the real issue is who will accomplish this? 

  • 15 Jun 2018 9:35 AM
    Reply # 6314316 on 6308969
    Anonymous

    Thank you for this discussion. Our town police stated that although they don't enforce speed limits on our private roads, if you see a dangerous driver, take license #, date, location and time of incident and they will investigate it. The police asked us that if you know the person that you first approach them if the incident is minor before you contact the police. We are building speed humps/bumps, posting children playing (even though there isn't), putting up stop signs etc. The police want to be contacted if it's suspected the driver is drunk. I noticed one association has set up a ticketing program for unauthorized parking issues (a different subject). Maybe it might help to learned about a citizen's arrest program or if any police dept might have a community program that helps private road associations deal with speeding violators.   

  • 13 Jul 2018 11:21 PM
    Reply # 6380806 on 6308969
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    We have a related problem which, again, doesn't get police enforcement because it's a private road.  Some of our members have ATV's, and although most only use them on the road occasionally and at low speed, every so often one of them will have a guest who doesn't understand the maintenance challenges of gravel roads.  A few trips up and down at speed, or a few donuts in the road, loosen it all up and leave gouges in the surface.  We have yet to find a way to prevent this while still allowing respectful ATV use.  Any suggestions?


    Last modified: 13 Jul 2018 11:22 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

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