CPD to increase presence on Scott Boulevard, claims drivers caught going nearly 100 mph
Erika McGuire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Police Department said it is increasing speed enforcement along Scott Boulevard in southwest Columbia in an effort to bring speeds down after catching drivers going nearly 100 miles per hour.
A CPD spokesperson confirmed in an email that the traffic unit will be increasing enforcement on the road. In a Facebook post Tuesday, the department said speeding drivers are turning a routine drive into a “high-risk situation.”
In the post the department said, “let’s all commit to slowing down, reducing traffic collisions, and ensuring everyone gets home safely.”
On Wednesday, ABC 17 News used a radar gun on Scott Boulevard near Georgetown Drive to see how fast drivers were going.
Drivers were clocked going anywhere from 40-67 miles per hour in the 45 mph zone. Driver Sandtara Johnson said speeding in the area has been a concern for a while now.
“People are going pretty fast, I’ve seen 80-85 at least going down Scott Boulevard,” Johnson said. “It’s extremely dangerous I mean people are just passing each other when they really don’t need and people are getting real close,”
Tom Cantley, who lives off Chapel Hill Road, said drivers frequently speed in that area, but on Scott Boulevard, he’s especially concerned about how fast people are going.
“I just ask them what in the world are they thinking and why are they in such of a hurry on basically a residential street,” Cantley said.
“It seems like regularly I am not the fastest one going down,” driver Kent Van Landuynt added.
On the stretch of the street the speed limit abruptly changes from 45 to 40 mph hour near Gillespie Bridge Road. Drivers say the speed should be consistent to avoid the confusion.
“45 seems to be a good sign in my opinion, any faster would probably cause some more issues,” Johnson said.
Cantley believes changing the speed limit won’t reduce the problem. Instead, he thinks more police presence and enforcement are needed.
“Police probably need to be out here a little bit more than they are and try to catch them speeding because I don’t think changing the speed limit on the road is going to do any good,” Cantley said. “Pull them over and give them a ticket or give them points or take their license.”
There are also only a handful of speed limit signs along Scott Boulevard. Johnson believes adding more signs would make the area safer, reduce confusion, and help keep drivers more aware of how fast they should be going.
“There’s one way up there and threes one way down, we need some more like in the middle,” she added.
ABC 17 News did a search of the Columbia Police Department’s 2024 traffic stop data and found 193 entries for Scott Boulevard.