Coeur d'Alene man says speeding drivers have him on edge

Jim Korver has traveled the world. He has lived in several cities in the United States. He has always looked forward to family visits.

Now, in a new home in Coeur d’Alene and with summer around the corner, he’s not so sure. 

A few weeks ago, Korver and his wife left their longtime Post Falls home and settled in a house on Seventh Street north of Harrison Avenue. They love its coziness and like their neighbors.  

There’s just one problem, and it caught them by surprise. 

“I’ve never had a place where I feared for my grandchildren,” Korver said. “This scares me and I don’t scare easily.” 

What has him rattled is the traffic zipping by north and south outside his home. While it’s a 25-mph street, Korver guesses the average speed of most vehicles traveling on Seventh between Harrison and Locust avenues is about 40 mph. 

“It’s a straight shot. They don’t have to slow down for anything,” Korver said. “I’m not going to put up with that. I can’t. It's too important to me.” 

With no speed limit or stop signs, and no crosswalks, Korver worries the situation will only get worse unless the city steps in. 

Until that happens, when any of his 36 grandkids visit, he won't let them play in the front yard for fear they might forget his warnings and chase a ball into the street.

“I can’t let them be out there,” Korver said. “I can’t take the chance. I’d put their life on the line.” 

The 86-year-old brought his case to the City Council on Tuesday. 

He said he called police and was told Seventh Street drivers going too fast has been an ongoing problem. 

Korver said both Fifth and Sixth streets have intersections with stop signs, but not nearly the traffic Seventh Street sees. 

“I just hope we’ll find an answer,” Korver said. 

Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar said when they receive reports of frequent speeders on a certain street, they will do their best to have patrol cars visit that area and have a stronger presence. But as police have a limited number of officers on duty, that can be a challenge. 

He said police have not received complaints about drivers on Seventh Street. He said concerns about fast-moving vehicles on Third Street approaching downtown are more common. 

Korver said a Coeur d’Alene police vehicle parked on Seventh Street near his home the other day and it wasn't long before they pulled over a vehicle. 

“That was nice to see,” he said. 

Todd Feusier, Streets and Engineering Department director, said he and his staff will be looking into the situation on Seventh Street and speaking with Korver. 

Feusier said his department receives a few requests for street signage each year.

He said a study would need to be done to determine the extent of the problem on Seventh.

“You can't randomly put up stop signs,” he said. 

City Councilor Christie Wood assured Korver the city has often addressed the issue of speeding vehicles on residential streets and continues to do so. 

“There has been enforcement,” she said. “I don’t want you to believe that it hasn’t been addressed."

Bill Miller, a longtime resident and neighbor of Korver’s, said Seventh Street could use speed limit signs.

“We all know it’s 25 but people that don’t see a sign going ripping through here way too fast,” he said.  

Miller said with schools just a few blocks away, he often sees students crossing the street and worries about them.

“It scares me to death because the kids all walk through here all the time,” Miller said. 

Korver said as Coeur d’Alene continues to grow, he expects to see more cars on Seventh Street. He’s sadly confident most will be speeding. 

"Folks, we gotta do something about it or a tragedy is going to happen,” he said. 

    Jim Korver takes a walk on Seventh Street on Thursday.