Reacting to resident complaints about dangerous speeding vehicles, the Truesdale Board of Aldermen is discussing the possibility of street zones where the fine for exceeding the speed limit would be doubled.

Aldermen raised the issue during their July 14 public meeting. They said streets in the Dieckman Farm and Heritage Hills subdivisions, along with Pinckney Street by Rebecca Boone Elementary, have been primary areas of complaint.

Especially concerning is any street that’s commonly used by children to walk to and from school, said Alderman Robert Green.

Aldermen and city staff are now wading through a debate over how to define where double fine zones would be placed. If the rule is too broad, it could essentially double traffic fines across the entire city, said Police Chief Casey Doyle. That would be problematic if it causes the city to run afoul of state law that limits how much revenue a town can generate from traffic fines.

Doyle instead suggested that increased traffic fines should be limited to a certain distance from the school, or to bus stops at certain times, or to specific high-traffic walking routes.

“We have all these crossings, and there’s a lot of kids who walk ... you could make that the rule during those times. Or even if there’s a notified school function during a certain time,” Doyle suggested.

The chief added that whatever the rule for double fine zones is, making the rule easy to cite, explain and prosecute would be important for it to be enforceable.

Alderman Green suggested that the simplest solution may be to have lighted signs on key streets that say double fines are in effect when the light is flashing. The signs could be concentrated around the school and Bruer Park, as well as neighborhood streets as necessary.

No decision was made setting specific rules or locations for double fine zones. City staff said they will compile more concrete suggestions for implementing double fine zones and present them to aldermen at a future public meeting.