MOUNT POCONO -- It's been a little more than a month since officials in Mount Pocono installed speed radar and pedestrian signs on Route 611 in the borough. The signs were put there to slow down drivers and make crossing the busy stretch easier for walkers.
For the most part, people we spoke with think these signs are helping the speeding situation. Those who drive along this stretch say radar signs keep drivers' speed in check, and the pedestrian signs are allowing walkers to safely cross the street.
If you asked Kevin Connolly a few months ago what he thought about how fast drivers go up and down Route 611, he'd say it was like a launch pad on a race track. But now after the installation of speed radars and pedestrian walks, his opinion has changed.
"I think they are good," Connolly said. "There are a lot of people who went through here really, really quick and you know when you're coming through there underneath the bridge, it's like all of a sudden you go from 45 to 30, so it's working out pretty good I think."
After residents voiced concerns about the speeding issue on busy Route 611, borough officials decided to fix the problem.
Two speed radars and pedestrian walk signs were added to the stretch, and now people who use it are seeing a difference.
"I think the best thing they ever did was put the signs up like that so people stop, go by the lures and pay attention to the lures that are on here," said Nancy Torres.
But is all of this in the middle of the road a distraction? Some people we spoke to said yes, but it's actually a good one if it makes the drivers slow down.
"It does. It slows people down, and now people can cross the street without getting run over or getting hit," Connolly said.
David Armanini from Tobyhanna usually grabs lunch in Mount Pocono and recalls several petitions going around to fix the speeding problem. He's happy something was finally done and hopes drivers stick to the speed limit.
"I remember what it was like here 30 years ago when there was nobody on this road, so yeah, I hope it helps the people," said Armanini.
Other options to fix the problem included painting the speed limit on Route 611, but right now this tactic seems to be working just fine and people hope to see it stay that way.
