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I always wondered if the logic was not to impede traffic flow during rush hour periods. Blue lights flashing on the side of the road leads to rubbernecking that cause traffic jams.
I've commuted on 540 and I-40 for years, and have NEVER seen cops running radar after 4:00pm. They did sit at the top of the overpass at 70 and 540 for a long time, running radar, but it was always during the middle of the day, never after 4:00pm. I've also seen RPD running radar on 540, after midnight, but never during heavy traffic hours. It is really and truly a free-for-all during rush hour.
I see the state police on 540 between Apex and Morrisville around 7:15am at least 3 times a week. I usually know they are there before I get there because I run WAZE on my smart phone.
This area has an incredibly low level of ongoing speed enforcement. Instead we have highly publicized "crack-downs" on traffic violations. Drivers perceive little risk in getting a ticket, so there's little motivation in obeying the law.
We'll have a school zone speed limit crackdown in a few weeks, and once the cops are gone it will be back to the flagrant disregard for school zones. However, in my experience, RPD has been very responsive to providing school zone enforcement when needed.
Judging by the seemingly odd places I've seen speed enforcement in Raleigh, it makes me wonder if a lot of it isn't complaint-driven.
There is a common speed trap on the bridge (It's old reedy creek road) that goes over 40 between exits 285 and 287, it's where you can see Lake Crabtree.
They have officers with speed guns on the bridge, and 3+ cars on either side of the highway dispatching tickets. I've seen this many many times (as a biker in Umstead and in Crabtree Park, I park on that road a lot, and see the cops out there with their guns.)
Dang, that just gave me a Cranberries Deja Vu:
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying...
Several times I've seen 4!!! police cars ticketing speeders
on Millbrook near Falls of Neuse. There is a big hill downward
in a 35 zone (residential) I have to ride my breaks to stay
under speed.
Millbrook Rd. is the worst at anytime. SUCH a speed trap. I like the fact that the cops stay off the road here by in large during the rush hour crunches except for accidents etc. Everyone is trying to get home or to work and everyone is likely driving faster than they normally would. The way I see it as long as they are driving safely it's all good! You visit Atlanta or DC or LA and tell me everybody isnt driving 75/80 mph whether the speed limit said 65 or not. It's just the way it is. Better for the cops to just stay out of the way until rush hour passes unless something major is indeed going on.
I love the fact that our local PD is more focused on stopping actual CRIME than generating revenue for the state to squander. Random speed traps offer no benefit to the community and no impact on safety whatsoever, they are there for two reasons - to generate revenue, and to populate a quarterly powerpoint that loosely ties traffic enforcement to job (ie resource allocation) justification. I'm very proud of how I see more cops patrolling then sitting and waiting for someone going 10mph over an already low speed limit.
The few times I've seen them on I-40 on my way into RTP, their presence makes everyone in front of me hit the brakes and most of the time they aren't even speeding, I guess it's just a natural reaction, still it's caused a few near misses and traffic slows down.
On a few occasions they've sat at the end of the Page Rd exit right before Miami Blvd. That is quite a dangerous spot for people to slam the brakes. I almost got creamed by a large truck because of it. With 540 merging onto I-40 and people from I-40 trying to get to the Page Road exit at the same time, it's just not good.
Now if you want to see plenty of speed traps. Just head over to the Triangle Expressway toll road. I see them every time I take it (twice a week).
I see the state police on 540 between Apex and Morrisville around 7:15am at least 3 times a week. I usually know they are there before I get there because I run WAZE on my smart phone.
How does WAZE let you know?
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