By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
After 6 p.m. in downtown Okarche on most days, much of the traffic along Oklahoma Avenue is from people coming into town or from nearby for Eischen’s famous chicken.
But going north and south along U.S. 81, there may be a few lulls between the stream of vehicles. Large tractor-trailers, maybe a truck with a trailer full of bales of hay, and some people in smaller cars may be in a hurry. A green light at the intersection may mean speeding vehicles quickly filling the intersection and lanes of traffic. Oklahoma Avenue is the Canadian and Kingfisher counties border, running east and west and intersecting with U.S. 81.
Police Chief Forrest Smith said Okarche’s officers are working diligently to enforce traffic laws with school back in session for the fall. Police have written more than 580 citations and 270 verbal warnings to those who drive too fast or break other traffic laws.
Officers are active in town, Smith said.
“This month alone we have made over 150 contacts just this month. And the majority of those are speeding and school zone violations,” Smith told Okarche town trustees at a regular meeting Monday, Aug. 30.
He said officers will continue to work at U.S. 81 and Oklahoma Oklahoma Avenue as much as they can.
“That should tell you that we’re out there doing these numbers and people are still going to speed. No matter how many numbers we produce or how many traffic stops we make people are still going to speed, still be in a hurry, still go from point A to point B in the quickest way possible,” Smith said.
Last year, a project was completed to rebuild the intersection with push-button crossing signal lights for pedestrians, new lighting, sidewalk, curbs and pavement from U.S. 81 east to the Union Pacific railroad tracks.
Town public works crews are planning to repaint school crossing zones nearby with enamel, reflective paint.
Mayor Jeff Sadler said some people have asked if another stoplight could be installed along U.S. 81, but the town officials do not have the authority to add one on the U.S. highway, he said.
Smith said children should have adult supervision when crossing U.S. 81 in town.
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