Forest Hills Chief Warns about Greensburg Pike Speeding

It's hard not to speed on Greensburg Pike.

A portion of the four-lane road that runs through Forest Hills, Churchill and Wilkins is relatively straight and level and, with no traffic lights or stop signs, an easy place to build up speed.

On Sept. 29, Forest Hills police were informed about two cars racing in the vicinity of Marion Avenue. The caller said one car was a black SUV and the other a gray sedan—and that they had pulled into the parking lot adjacent to the Plaza Lounge.

By the time police arrived, the cars were gone.

Forest Hills police Chief Chuck Williams said officers conducted a traffic detail along Greensburg Pike recently and give out "a fair amount of tickets." He said the three municipalities often conduct the speed traps together since the road is the division between the muncipalities.

This time of year, school buses and wet leaves that fall on the roadway add to the danger, Williams said. Any distraction is a problem—and the faster a car is traveling, the less time there is to react.

"Sometimes (police) just being out there awhile—the lights and cars remind people to look at their speed," the chief said. "For every car stopped, 10 get a wakeup call. It's an educational thing, if nothing else."

There are times the traffic stops yield more than speeders. Police officers sometimes find people with pending arrest warrants, driving under the influence or with drugs in the car.