With more development and subdivisions in the Clarkston area, Denise Sprock noticed an increased amount of traffic through her neighborhood. She is particularly concerned with the traffic going by bus stops in the neighborhood..
Sprock is not alone. Many once quiet neighborhoods now deal with frustrations from increased traffic.
‘We have people cutting through our neighborhood to bypass part of Clarkston Road. They maintain the same speed on our roads they use on Clarkston Road,? said Sprock.
Unhappy with the situation, Sprock and her husband Mike contacted several agencies, including the Oakland County Sheriff and Road Commission of Oakland County, to see what could be done.
Denise explained how suggestions like speed bumps and stop signs were not an option due to various factors. Speed bumps, for instance, interfere with snow removal.
Feeling frustrated, Denise turned to the Internet and discovered Keep Kids Alive Drive 25.
Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 is a non-profit educational organization designed to bring neighborhoods together to promote safe driving.
The organization’s Web site claimed it could increase the number of drivers who respect the 25 m.p.h. neighborhood speed limit caught Denise’s attention.
After gaining support in her neighborhood with a letter, Denise organized a bulk ordering of the yard signs designed to slow traffic and create safer neighborhoods for children.
Denise and many of the thirteen households who purchased signs noticed an immediate impact.
‘The Web site said that over 75 percent of motorists who drive by the sign will put on their brakes. It’s definitely true,? said Sprock.
The signs are red, white and black with caricatures of kids and the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 motto.
Sprock puts out the 18 by 24-inch yard sign in the morning and takes hers in at night. To her, the effort has been worth it.
‘I didn’t see any options in making the traffic go away. The only option is to get them to slow down,? said Sprock.
Overall Denise said the yard signs have gone over well in the neighborhood.
‘I’ve gotten good feedback, all the people seem to think the signs are working. I think it works well in sequence, having three signs in close proximity really catches the drivers? attention,? said Sprock.
For more information about the signs, please go online at www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org.