The residents of the Bishop’s Gate subdivision have addressed the problem of speeding cars on their neighborhood streets by taking to heart the phrase, “neighbors should solve neighborhood problems.” After first speaking at a Town Board meeting about the possibility of putting up stop signs, neighbors instead broke off and formed a neighborhood committee to deal with the issue. To date, the members of the neighbors’ committee have met several times “in order to develop non-confrontational and peaceful ways to bring the community together to ensure safety for all,” says spokesperson Jean Curcio. The committee began by sending letters to all homes in Bishop’s Gate informing each resident of their efforts to work together to improve the quality of life in their area. Next, signs were placed on the lawns of cooperative residents indicating that children are at play or asking cars to slow down. Plans are in the works for a door-to-door visit by neighbors to neighbors. “This is not to accuse or to confront,” says Curcio. “Rather, we want the entire subdivision to work together to modify risky behavior starting with each individual, including ourselves.” At the town level, a stop sign has been installed on Joseph’s Drive, the main road through the neighborhood. The committee members expressed enthusiasm at seeing the immediate response. They report that many cars are slowing down as they drive through the streets of the subdivision. Future plans are still being discussed to demonstrate that, as Curcio says, “peace comes from peaceful behavior. We all have a stake in the quality of life in our neighborhoods.” Perhaps the spirit of cooperativeness on display in this neighborhood will prove instructive for those residents whose dispute over noise levels have spilled over into town business.
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