Homeowners concerned about speeding caused by street closure

Residents of a Colorado Springs neighborhood are concerned about speeding in their area, caused by a nearby street closure.

The speeding is taking place in the Holland Park neighborhood on the northwest side of Colorado Springs. Last summer, a massive sinkhole opened on nearby Chestnut Street. Since then, traffic has been detoured through Vondelpark Drive.

“Now that people who are trying to get from Fillmore to Garden of the Gods don’t have another option, all of those people are now using the road,” Katherine Ryan said.

She and her neighbors agree, drivers go by too fast.

“It’s pretty bad,” Shermila Thapa said. “People speed really pretty badly.”

The city installed multiple stop signs in the area last year, but not all drivers are following them. While KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 was in the neighborhood, multiple cars did “rolling” stops or drove right through the intersection.

“(The other day) we watched a cop pull over six people for skipping the stop sign in under 45 minutes,” Ryan said. “The stop signs are great, if people use them.”

Residents are attending a community meeting Tuesday to discuss the issue. City Transportation Manager Kathleen Krager and Colorado Springs Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Brent Ambuehl are expected to be there. It’s at 6:30 p.m. at the Springs Journey Church on Vondelpark Drive.