"Pre-morial" — An Accident Waiting to Happen?

A "pre-morial"? It's a memorial in advance for the person who will someday be killed by a car on Rose Avenue, say neighbors, who hope the graphic representation will get the attention of Piedmont city staff.

They have put together a wreath, a "Slow Down" sign and a petition to dramatize what they feel is a serious traffic problem on the section of Rose between Pleasant Valley Road and Greenbank Avenue.

There was a chalk outline of a body, like ones sometimes used by investigators following a traffic accident, but a city employee spray painted that out of existence last week, according to area residents.

They say there's too much speeding and too many near misses, especially since a traffic signal was installed at the corner of Rose and Pleasant Valley. Now drivers turning onto Rose from Greenbank or Linda Avenue speed up, hoping to make a green light, they believe.

The city did set up a radar-activated "Your Speed Is ... " device briefly about a year ago, but it was faulty and poorly located, according to neighbors.

Adding to the problem: Rose is at the city limits, with houses on one side of the street in Piedmont and on the other in Oakland. The street itself is within Piedmont, but even Piedmont police officers sometimes think it is in Oakland's jurisdiction, the neighbors say.

The next step, they say, will be a petition asking Piedmont to install a three-way stop sign at the corner of Rose and Greenbank.

Residents of other Piedmont neighborhoods have also expressed concern about speeding on their streets. In April, the Piedmont City Council authorized a contract with a traffic engineering firm to study conditions on lower Wildwood Avenue, Nova Drive and Magnolia Avenue and make recommendations. Their action followed a petition and discussions with residents concerned about speeding in that area.

You may see additional photos of the "pre-morial" at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rchrd/7299010986/in/photostream