Council Member Calls For Hearings Discussing How To Get Philly Drivers To Slow Down
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Prompted by the death of a senior citizen run down by a speeding driver earlier this year, a city council member is calling for hearings on how to get drivers in Philadelphia to slow down.
8th District Councilwoman Cindy Bass -- representing parts of the city's northwest -- says too many traffic tragedies could have been prevented if drivers simply slowed down.
"Just around the corner from my home a motorist blew through a stop sign and killed a senior who bringing his grandson home from baseball or football practice a few months," she said. "So speeding kills, and we need to slow folks down."
So when Council returns from its holiday recess, Bass plans to call a hearing on the issue. She wants to hear from the Streets Department and police officials on what is being tried, or what has been tried in the past.
"If we have to slow folks down through traffic calming measures, speed bumps or grading the streets or whatever it may be -- additional stop signs or stop lights, then we need to do those things. Because tragedies do occur," she said.
Bass says she also wants to look at what successes other cities may have had, since speeding is of course not only a Philadelphia problem. No date is set yet for the hearing.