Speeding worries area parents

DE PERE - Jennifer Newman has a message for drivers in her neighborhood.

"Slow down! Everybody just needs to be conscientious of small children," said Jennifer Newman

Newman lives in a subdivision in De Pere that doesn't have sidewalks. To ride their bikes, kids in the neighborhood have to use the street.  Newman says when she sees cars zoom by, she gets worried.

"Even neighbors come cruising down the street," said Newman.

You'll see this plastic turtle on her block. It's used as a reminder for people to watch their speed.

"It catches your eye so we'll see if it helps slow people curtail speeding and get people to slow down," said Newman.

Signs on Waubaunqua Trail in De Pere are being used for the same purpose. Jeff Davis has two young daughters and says he's just one of several parents living on the street with concerns.

"As much as you tell the kids to stop, look both ways, that kind of thing sometimes they forget and we don't want any tragic accident," said Jeff Davis.

Davis thinks part of the problem may be the construction on Highway 172. He says a lot of drivers make residential streets like this one part of their detour and may be trying to get to their destination just as fast as if they were taking the highway.

"I think people are in more of a hurry now," said De Pere Police Department Captain Dale Hagan.

Hagan agrees more people may be taking residential streets because of the construction.

"Sometimes it's a perception by individuals. Sometime it's a few cars that speed and there's a perception that everyone is speeding," said Hagan.

But Davis says if more police were monitoring the area, they would see speeding is a real problem.

"I think if they really wanted to make an impact, they should just park halfway down here on Armond Court for half a morning and see what happens during rush hour," said Davis.

Hagan says if someone makes a former complaint about cars going too fast on certain streets, the police department will try to put a speed board on it.

In the meantime, parents say they'll do their best to remind drivers to slow down, and their kids always to be cautious.