Fountain police issue 152 speeding citations in first month of reduced speed limits on Mesa Ridge Parkway
Scott Harrison
FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) — Several viewers have told KRDO 13’s The Road Warrior that they’re concerned about student safety along Mesa Ridge High School because of a perceived lack of speed enforcement by police.
Early last month, as reported by The Road Warrior, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) reduced the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph on a three-mile stretch of Mesa Ridge Parkway between Interstate 25 and the south end of Powers Boulevard.
That decision included establishing a 35 mph school zone outside the school, at the request of Widefield School District 3 and based on an earlier CDOT traffic study.
“People are still speeding when the school speed limit signs are flashing, and with no law enforcement,” one viewer recently wrote.
Sgt. Matthew Davidson, of the Fountain Police Department, responded to that concern on Tuesday.
“I can tell you that we’ve been extremely busy just from the reduction of the speed limit on Mesa Ridge Parkway in general,” he said. “And in the last six weeks, we have issued 152 citations in that period, on Mesa Ridge Parkway, for that reduction of the speed limit zone.”
Davidson said that limited resources prevent officers from even stronger enforcement; the department has only three officers assigned to the traffic unit, and they’re often called away to respond to higher-priority matters.
He mentioned another reason why speed enforcement may not be easily visible to many drivers.
“Unfortunately, on Mesa Ridge Parkway, the design of the roadway is kind of restrictive in allowing us to actually park and get out after people,” Davidson explained. “We’ve used fully-marked police cars. We have unmarked police cars. We’ve used our police motorcycles and different aspects of enforcement through that area. And every one of them has its own challenge.”
The sergeant said that he’d like to see a few more speed limit signs and school zone flashing lights because he finds that most violators are distracted or unaware of the lower speed limit.
“We’re trying to talk with CDOT about that,” he revealed.
Davidson also hopes that the steep fine for violators will deter speeding.
“All school zone fines are generally doubled for the charge that you’re getting stopped for,” he said. “So, a simple ten mph over in a school zone is going to cost you, here in the city of Fountain, about $305. So, we’re trying to make an example of that and have people pay attention.”
Davidson also disagrees with CDOT’s earlier statement that new businesses across the parkway from the school — including a King Soopers grocery store and the future opening of In-N-Out and Whataburger — aren’t expected to significantly increase traffic congestion at the Mesa Ridge Parkway/Syracuse Street intersection near the school.
“I think we’re going to see more pedestrian traffic once those burger places open,” he said. “There’s a new road (Mesa Road) behind the store that connects to Fountain Mesa Road, but most of that traffic just gets back on Mesa Ridge Parkway.”