Readout board tracks driver speeds 1

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--> --> Ashland Police Lt. Mike Bianca shows off the department's new speed-targeting reader board. Ashland Daily Tidings/DENISE BARATTA Readout board tracks driver speeds Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland police hope a new speed-monitoring reader board will help drivers stay within city speed limits. The new reader board replaces one donated to the department years ago, according to APD Lt. Mike Bianca. "The old one was fine - when it worked," Bianca said. "It was fairly delicate and seems to have taken quite a beating. It was out of service often." The older reader board also required a volunteer to operate. The new board is on a trailer which can be pulled to a spot and left unsupervised for up to 30 hours. The device is powered by a bank of batteries charged by a solar panel or just by plugging it in. The $11,000 device monitors the speed of passing drivers and flashes it back to them in large golden lighted numerals. It is hoped the board will remind drivers to watch their speeds. The device does not monitor speeders for the purpose of catching or prosecuting them, Bianca said. The board was set up along Siskiyou Boulevard near the Tidings this morning, with most drivers during a 10-minute period averaging the 30 mph speed limit. It can be set up wherever police perceive a speeding problem, Bianca said. "I can literally see it anywhere in the city," he said. "Even low-volume streets." The machine also can be set to flash red numbers if the speed of a motorist driving by is a great deal higher than the posted limit. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing