REGION — “It’s not just the increased traffic, but the speed at which they drive,” the commenter wrote about the Yulan-Barryville road. “We have pedestrians, dog walkers, cyclists, etc. During one of my walks, I was almost struck by a speedster; I had to jump into the brush/drain to avoid being hit.”

Another person’s dog was hit by a truck that didn’t bother to stop. The pet is still recovering.

Is it just a matter of time before there’s a death?

A complex problem

It isn’t just cars and pedestrians. It’s ATVs driven illegally on streets. Law-abiding drivers report coming around a curve, only to see a car in their lane, heading straight for them.

It isn’t just speeding. It’s distraction, and country roads that aren’t really made for walkers or bikers, plus those vehicles.

It isn’t just passenger vehicles. What about heavy traffic from some businesses, and the dangers posed by the big trucks on small roads?

And it’s everywhere—in Wayne, Pike and Sullivan.

There’s widespread concern

The River Reporter asked for comments about our roads, reckless drivers and the impact they’re having on our lives.

Responses poured in.

The reasons for the problem go beyond people with a lead foot. One writer pointed out that when roads were widened decades ago, front-yard space was lost, and homeowners’ doors now open very close to the road. Shoulders have disappeared, leaving no space.

Changes to roads made in the 1950s and ‘60s allotted for traffic that moved far slower. Blind curves that were perhaps less dangerous then could be hazardous now.

Are we sure that all our residents can move out of the way quickly enough?

Interviews with town supervisors, county leaders and law enforcement will shed light on what can and can’t be done. Those stories will run in future issues of the River Reporter.

People weigh in

“As late as 1:30 a.m., [noisy vehicles] fly past, waking my household and I am sure anyone else who is in listening distance,” wrote one person. “It is my opinion that there needs to be a noise ordinance that is enforced as well as increased patrols to catch these speeders before someone is killed.”

On Harris Road and Holmes Road in Monticello, it “is getting more unsafe every year. It’s a narrow country road with a good amount of traffic… It’s all blind hills and absolutely no shoulder for a pedestrian,” one commenter wrote, adding that during the summer, pedestrians and cyclists are a problem too, given the lack of a shoulder. “But it’s a year-round issue for driving, with too many drivers wanting to be too far over into the center of the road.”

Many respondents pointed out that it shouldn’t take a death to stop speeders or to force drivers to focus. And would that death even be remembered a couple years in the future?

“Nothing terrible has happened,” one person wrote, “but sometimes I think that it’s only a matter of time.” And in the meantime, “if I want to take a walk, I have to walk on [Route] 52 or drive somewhere else, which is a bit ironic for living in the country.”

 Click here to read the comments—names and identifying details about commenters have been removed—and the list of roads people consider dangerous.