Portland sets up radar speed signs

Slow down.

That’s the message Portland Police Department hopes to get across with the new radar speed signs mounted this week on Blaine Pike and Seventh Street.

The radars display drivers’ speeds as they’re driving into the city.

“I’ve seen them in other communities,” said Portland Police Chief Dustin Mock. “(This is) something that I have been wanting to do for a while.”

Portland Police Department shared a post about the new signs on Facebook.

Drivers having a reminder in real-time helps them to self-correct, the post says, avoiding stops and fines. Data from the signs will help police focus their resources to prevent future crashes and injuries.

The equipment comes from Radarsign of Marietta, Georgia. Portland Police Department’s two radar speed signs, priced at $3,000 each, include an 11-inch LED display that logs traffic volume, average speeds and other information.

The devices are also portable, meaning city employees can move them around Portland as needed. 

As of Thursday,Seventh Street’s radar sits just west of Green Park Cemetery, and Blaine Pike’s sits just northeast of county road 150 South.

“We’ve watched the area since we’ve installed them,” Mock said. “We’ve seen a drastic reduction in speed already.”

Portland Street and Parks Department superintendent Matt Shauver said he would like to see the signs rotated on a few different streets, pointing out that if radars are placed in one spot too long, drivers may start ignoring them. Other locations could include along Boundary Pike, Wayne Street, Union Street and Charles Street, among others.

Comparing the cost and toll of injuries and crashes to the cost of the signs, Mock said he felt the signs were worth the investment.

“Traffic safety is one of our core responsibilities,” Mock said. “Smart tools like these radar street signs are what help us determine where we can patrol, where we can make scheduled adjustments if needed.”