FORT WRIGHT, Ky. — Hundreds of cars travel Amsterdam Road in Fort Wright each day. Residents have noted to Mayor Dave Hatter that speeding is an ongoing issue on the road.
He knows it's a problem, not just because he hears about it, but because he often sees it.
"I live very close to here. I walk in this neighborhood all the time and I see it firsthand," Hatter said.
Hatter said recently the issue was brought up to him by multiple residents who live along Amsterdam Road.
"A lot of residents in this area are frustrated, I hear the complaints and I know they're legit cause I see it myself," Hatter said.
The speed limit on Amsterdam Road is 25 miles per hour. Fort Wright police say it's not uncommon to clock drivers going more than 40 miles per hour.
You can hear more about the ongoing concerns in the video below:
A study by the police department last year found that during one week in January, roughly 70% of drivers were speeding on the road.
A similar study was conducted in August. While the number of speeding drivers decreased, it still showed nearly a quarter were going over the speed limit.
It's not just speeding concerns, Hatter said his biggest issue is with people ignoring the stop signs.
"People won't even tap the break sometimes, they'll go right through the stop signs," Hatter said.
Hatter grew tired of the problem. That's why he's working with police to increase patrols in the area.
"We just want people to slow down and think about safety, again for themselves and others," Hatter said.
Fort Wright police say a "heavy police presence" will be seen in the area for the "foreseeable future".
Hatter wants to make it clear it's not to meet some sort of quota. He said the city doesn't benefit financially from police citations.
"Almost none of that money comes back to the city of Fort Wright," Hatter said.
Hatter said it's simply a matter of keeping people safe.
"Let's not create a situation where someone gets injured or killed simply due to bad driving behavior when it's something so simple to stop," Hatter said.
