- April 24, 2024
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A group of women are standing up for traffic safety on John Anderson Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea in light of recent accidents and an increase in speeding along the residential road.
They are known as the Women of Waterfront.
The movement was spearheaded by Ormond-by-the-Sea resident Melanie Moser, whose dog Shiemi was hit by a car on July 30. The driver did not stop. Moser said the accident sounded like someone's ladder falling from a truck and hitting the pavement.
“I was upset and angry at the same time because I knew it was a result of somebody speeding down the road," Moser said. "Every time I walk out there I feel a threat of getting hit by a car.”
Shiemi survived, but others have not been so lucky. Teresa Levine lives on John Anderson in Ormond-by-the-Sea, and someone was hit by a car in front of her home. She came home to see people washing the blood off of her driveway.
Two weeks ago, Moser contacted Jon Cheney, the county's director of traffic engineering, for help. He said he would put in an order for a traffic study, but Moser hasn't heard from him since.
“It just feels like that stretch of John Anderson is being completely neglected."
Melanie Moser, Women of Waterfront
The Women of Waterfront would like traffic to be slowed down on John Anderson Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea. The speed limit is 30 mph, Moser said, but that doesn't mean much.
“Everybody on John Anderson is guilty of speeding,” said Moser, who has lived on the road for the past two years. “I don’t think that there is anybody that has just gone 30 [mph] while they’re living there, but I just think because of all the accidents and what’s been happening, we’re really just going to have to bear down as a community.”
They want a more visible law enforcement presence, stop signs or even speed bumps, if possible. But Moser said she has found it all boils down to budget. Moser said she was told by a Volusia County Sheriff's deputy that speeding tickets don't make the agency much money.
The Women of Waterfront believe the speed limit should be enforced regardless, as Moser said accidents could have been avoided had cars been driving slower. They will be hosting a public crime watch meeting for beachside residents to rally together on public safety in late September.
“It just feels like that stretch of John Anderson is being completely neglected," Moser said.
