Slowing Speeders Down with Stickers

In keeping with the school season spirit of , the governing body is promoting the use of cautionary stickers on borough garbage bins.

The stickers, which have several different “slow down” messages, such as “Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25,” can be ordered via borough hall.

“Borough Clerk Allyson Cinquegrana has the order forms,” Mayor Ben Lucarelli said. “Anyone can just go to borough hall and get one from her. They’re cheaper to purchase in bulk (about $1.50 a piece), but you can order a couple at a time. My thought was that groups, such as the PTAs and the group that petitioned to get the speed limit lowered from , could buy them in bulk and distribute them as they see fit.”

The groups and individuals, however, if they want to use the stickers on the receptacles, must get them from that specified distributor. The reason: The garbage bins are borough property; and, because of that, the Borough Council had to pass a resolution approving the use of the stickers offered by that single seller.

“It’s just a formality,” Lucarelli said. “But, since the garbage cans are owned by the borough, we had to formally approve it. I saw them in another town and I just thought it would be a good idea.”

Adding another layer of safety watch to already strict enforcement by police of speeding laws in Fair Haven is something that Lucarelli said he encourages in what residents have complained is an increasingly careless environment on the road.

“I’m proud of the fact that our police are known for being extremely vigilant about keeping the residents safe,” he said. “Hey, they’re tough, people know it and that’s a great thing. They need to be. They are also reasonable, though. They’re not going to ticket someone for going a couple of miles over the limit, but there are just too many people who feel they are entitled to speed disregard safety and Fair Haven police are happy to keep their tough reputation to keep people safe, especially during the school year. The stickers will just serve as reminders. Every little bit helps.”

And the borough's Web site has included an alert that school is open and speed limits need to be obeyed. The banner that runs across the top of the page reads "School is starting, obey all traffic laws. When in a school zone, the speed limit is 25 MPH."

When clicking on the banner, the following message shows:

"Third Street is closed to vehicle traffic on school days between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Make sure to stop for any pedestrian or bicyclist that has entered a crosswalk.The speed limit on DeNormandie Avenue is 20 MPH with a four-way stop sign to be abided by."

Lucarelli said that while he realizes trash bins are not at the curb 24/7, the added touch on collection days throughout town is a help, especially on main arteries, such as River Road, and streets that kids traverse during school times, like Kemp.

In the near future, the mayor said, the order forms for the stickers will be available on the borough’s Web site as well as for pick-up at Borough Hall.