BY ANDY GARDNER

North Country This Week

MASSENA -- The state Department of Transportation will have the final say in a speed limit reduction on North Raquette River Road, east of the village limits.

At Wednesday's Town Council meeting, concerned residents from the area spoke and said they believe the speed limit should be reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph. They say because of dips and curves, it's dangerous going in and out of driveways, and there have been accidents.

Town Clerk Pam Catanzerite said she lives on that stretch and has seen cars crash in her front yard.

"People are speeding up, 60-70 (mph), just to go around somebody and put the brakes on when they go around that corner," she said. "I've seen accidents on my yard, on my neighbor's yard. I've seen accidents in the winter."

"There's no shoulder. The minute your car hits the edge of the road, it pulls you right off the road," she said.

"Pulling into our driveway or backing out of our driveway is very difficult and dangerous," Allen Rowledge, who lives in that area, told the board.

"We're on your side. It's not up to us to get hat reduced, it's up to the New York State Department of Transportation," Councilor Sam Carbone told the North Raquette residents.

The board unanimously passed a motion urging the DOT to reduce the speed limit.

"This is probably our third attempt to try and reduce the speed limit. Visibility's horrible," said Todd Mullin, who lives on the road in the dangerous area. "When you're going over top of the curve right across from Final Touch Detailing, you lose visibility."

Mullin said late at night, Amish buggies travel down the road, some of which are not marked with orange caution triangles on the back. He said the lights they mount on the front of the buggies can look like an automobile from a distance.

"I know there's some farm equipment out there as well," Carbone said.

Todd Brown, who owns Final Touch Detailing, said his customer base is expanding throughout Northern New York, and that means more traffic in that spot.

"We're pulling in more people to town, but it also means more traffic on that road," Brown said. "We've seen many, many close calls."

Carbone filmed a video of the troublesome stretch of road. It can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHmiPjzoND0