By Karen Chaney

The once quiet, dead end street of Moonlight Drive in Skyline Acres has become a convenient cut through road for people in surrounding neighborhoods. Along with the increase of traffic has come the increase of speed used by these short cut commuters. Moonlight Drive residents have noted cars going up to 45 MPH by the time they reach the end of their street.

The neighbors have complained to the city of Murphy which resulted in the Murphy Police department stepping up the amount of patrols they provide to Moonlight Drive. However, the police are only effective when they are there and once they are gone the speeding resumes. 

Another obstacle to law enforcement in this issue is that there is not a concealed place for police to hide, so they are not getting a true representation of what is occurring on a day to day basis. The police have monitored the speed and quantity of traffic on Moonlight Drive. Residents on Moonlight Drive are not opposed to speed bumps being added as a deterrent to this ongoing problem.

Custom ordered, 25 MPH speed limit signs were put in the front yards on Moonlight Drive on the weekend of April 9th.  Moonlight Drive residents request that drivers respect their neighborhood, and the law, and drive the speed limit. They are fed up with the speeders, many repeat offenders. Murphy citizens on Moonlight Drive have noticed more people slowing down since they have had the signs posted in their yards.

Moonlight Drive was once a coveted place to live because it was a quiet, dead end road. Today, neighbors feel that the value of their homes has lessened because of the traffic. Some residents are fearful that someone will be killed or injured on their street if something is not done.