By Donald Wittkowski
A narrow cul-de-sac that winds through a neighborhood of bayfront homes in Sea Isle City will be getting “speed humps” to slow down traffic following the death of a beloved family dog last year.
Sadie, a 3-year-old mixed breed and certified companion dog, was killed in September when she ran into the street and was struck by a delivery truck in front of her owners’ home on Venicean Road.
Devastated by the death of their dog, Terry and JoAnne Mason started a neighborhood petition drive demanding that the city take action to slow down the delivery trucks speeding on the street.
Councilman Jack Gibson, who lives on Venicean Road and signed the petition, said the city plans to install three speed humps by Memorial Day weekend in response to the petition drive.
“There was a legitimate petition here that was signed by over 75 percent of the property owners in the neighborhood requesting speed humps,” Gibson said in an interview Friday.
Speed humps consist of a slight bulge in the road that aren’t as jarring as the better-known speed bumps commonly used in parking lots.
“Clearly, this will be a traffic-calming measure,” Gibson said of how the speed humps will force drivers to slow down.
The Masons could not be reached for comment Friday about the speed humps. In November, when Terry Mason presented copies of his petition to City Council, he stressed that he was worried that the next time there is a traffic accident on Venicean Road, it could be a child who is hit and killed.
The petition primarily blames speeding delivery trucks that serve the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City at the bay end of Venicean Road. But it also says that summer visitors to the popular shore town are among the worst speeders.
“We also bear the brunt of visitors during the summer months who think our road is part of the main highway, also ignoring safe speed limits,” the petition says. “Many of our cars have been clipped by fast moving vehicles on our road.”
The posted speed limit on Venicean is already a snail-like 15 mph, but the petition alleges it is blatantly ignored, particularly by the delivery trucks heading to and from the yacht club.
According to the petition, Sadie “was run down by a speeding delivery truck.” Tragically, the dog was not on a leash when she ran into the street.
Jim Collins, general manager of the Yacht Club of Sea Isle City, said it is still not clear whether the delivery driver who hit Sadie was speeding. The driver told Collins he was not speeding.
However, Collins noted that the dog’s death has prompted an extensive safety program by the yacht club to keep its members, employees and delivery drivers from speeding on Venicean Road. It includes emails, letters and signs reminding everyone to use caution while driving on the residential street.
As an extra step, letters have been sent to all of the yacht club’s vendors to emphasize the need for caution by their delivery drivers, Collins explained.
Collins said the yacht club has been promoting safe driving on Venicean Road for years, but Sadie’s death underscored the need for even more measures to prevent speeding. He welcomes the new speed humps that the city will install.
“Anything that would improve safety on Venicean, we’re all for,” he said. “I’m glad we’re doing something to improve safety on the street.”
Collins was one of the people who signed the Masons’ petition. He knows Terry and JoAnne Mason because they are members of the yacht club. Collins said he was also heartbroken over the death of their dog and paid the Masons a visit afterward to express his sympathy.
