Eastside residents frustrated with speeders, traffic control measures

Residents on El Paso’s east side are having problems with speeders.

Neighbors on Leroy Bonse Drive said the most dangerous stretch is between Vista Del Sol Drive and Bob Mitchell Drive.

The city is now looking for solutions to slow down drivers, but residents told ABC-7 that previous attempts by the city have actually made the road more dangerous.

“This is a freeway between Montwood and Vista Del Sol, and that’s the way everybody treats it,” said Burt Harkness, who has lived on Leroy Bonse for 19 years. He told ABC-7 that he believed the city would install speed bumps to curb speeders.

“This is a major thoroughfare for fire department and ambulance (crews), so they didn’t want to put speed humps,” Harkness said.

The city’s street and maintenance department installed traffic islands as a speed control measure.

“It didn’t slow down the speeders at all. People are still speeding up and down Leroy Bonse. But it also made a major safety concern for anyone who lives in the neighborhood,” Harkness said.

Another resident said traffic signs have been knocked down numerous times by speeders, and blames the islands for damage to his neighbors’ cars, which have been hit by other drivers.

“One, two, three. I’d say about four or five,” Hernandez said.

Residents have had issues with their mailboxes being hit, too.

“It’s a safety concern because drivers don’t have room to get around someone parked in the street,” Harkness told ABC-7.

City officials from the streets and maintenance department held a meeting for residents Wednesday evening.

“In this case, we found that some speeding trends were occurring,” said Justin Bass, from the streets and maintenance department.

Bass says they are now considering installing speed bumps down the street.

“We found that the center medians were slowing traffic, but not to the best that we think it can happen. That’s why we want to add the speed cushions
to help slow the traffic further,” Bass said.

Residents are content that the city is installing the speed cushions, but wished the islands would be removed.

Bass said while drivers need to be responsible, the city will likely have more public meetings to address neighbors’ concerns.