City installs speed trailer following resident's concerns about speeding drivers

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A speed trailer is now stationed along Tamarack Avenue near Richmond Park after a Grand Rapids woman contacted 13 ON YOUR SIDE about drivers speeding up and down the street in May.

Donna Plato says it was happening at all hours on Tamarack and she wanted something to be done before anyone was hurt.

"It just becomes a problem when you scream and holler at them, and they cuss at you as if you did something wrong," said Plato back in May.

Plato had started a petition to get speed bumps put on the Grand Rapids street.

"Even if we're in the yard and a kid is walking across the street and a car is flying and slams on his brakes, and you know swerves into your yard and hits your kids," said Plato. "They just need to slow down."

Speed bumps, according to Ariana Jeske, are actually part of phase two of Mobile GR's traffic calming program which looks at ways to slow traffic down. They use phase 1 before physically changing roads.

"Some of the enforcement like the speed trailers, just to get people to recognize, you know, neighborhood campaigns signing, if necessary, and then also additional policing," said Jeske.

The speed trailer was recently installed, and it appears to be helping. In a Facebook post Wednesday night, Plato commented about seeing drivers hit the brakes when they see the speed trailer.

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