COLLEGE TOWNSHIP -- Charlie Faris hopes the people in Lemont know bumpy drives aren't the only things they might be in for if traffic-calming speed humps are installed in one neighborhood.

"There are some jerks who, in their own means of protesting, just lay on their horns every time they go over the humps," Faris said.

The Cricklewood Circle resident should know.

In 2000, Patton Township tried to install similar humps on Cricklewood Drive, the street off of which Faris' street branches and one of the main arteries through the Toftrees development.

Initially, Faris said, he was in favor of such measures. People simply ignored the posted
25-mph speed limit as they used Cricklewood Drive as a shortcut to and from Bellefonte. It was getting dangerous, and something had to be done.

Faris thinks the speed humps failed because of poor execution of the plan on the township's part.

"What they did here was put them real close together," Faris said. "I had one, two, three within one city block from me. And, once they got over the three, people just sped up again."

Plans for the Lemont humps have them about every 300 to 600 feet.

For the residents of First and Matilda avenues in Lemont, response to the proposed humps is decidedly mixed.

An outline of one of the proposed speed humps is currently spray-painted about 50 yards from Elaine Houtz's 125 First Ave. home, and she is not pleased.

Houtz said the number suggested by the township is excessive.

"I just do not care for speed bumps," Houtz said Sunday. "They serve their purpose, but nine of them?"

However, at 221 First Ave., resident Robert Kurzinger Jr. couldn't be happier to see a hump proposed just before his driveway.

"I have an 8-year-old daughter," Kurzinger said. "People go way too fast since there are no houses on the right side of the street. They don't even think about it. People even pass cars. I've had police sit in my driveway and catch people."

Kurzinger said he is so worried about his daughter's safety, that he only permits her to ride her bike in the area immediately in front of their house. Any farther, and it is just too risky, he said.

Bob Aumen, who lives at
226 First Ave., thinks the township should just wait and see.

"I don't think the bumps are a bad idea," Aumen said. "I just think, at this point, we should wait and let (Interstate) 99 open up, see what kind of pressure that takes off the street. Because, right now, they're using this to get around the bottleneck by Giant. They could police it a little better, then maybe do another study to see if it's still a problem."

Kathleen Spicher, of 662 Matilda Ave., thinks policing, not speed humps, is the answer.

"I just don't think it should be done," Spicher said as she took her daily walk along First Avenue. "It would interfere with snow removal. What they should do is get more policemen out here, police the area a little more. If enough people get tickets, they'll learn."

A finalized plan will be presented to the Township Council on Nov. 11.

The township needs approval from 70 percent of First Avenue residents to install the humps. If the vote falls below 50 percent, plans will be dropped and no further action will be taken.

Lara Brenckle can be reached at 235-3902.