Michael Sims wants members of the Coeur d’Alene City Council to come to his home for a late afternoon barbecue. 

Sure, the food will be good, he promised, and the company as well. But there’s another reason for the invitation. 

Only then, he said, will they truly understand just how loud and how constant the traffic noise is on Atlas Road, just 13 yards from his property line.

“I can’t tell you how bad it is,” Sims said.  

Sims called for the City Council to lower the speed limit on Atlas Road between Prairie and Hanley avenues, a flat, 1-mile arterial stretch, to 25 mph from 35 mph. 

He said about 200 adults and children who live in 100 homes on both sides of the busy north/south road are being adversely affected by “loud and continuous noise from autos.” He said in his estimation, drivers are usually well beyond the 35 mph speed limit.

He turned in a petition with 45 signatures backing him up, and cited studies that show lowering a speed limit is the “best and cheapest way to abate noise from autos.”  

“I ask you, please, do something about it and do it quickly so we can have some peace of mind,” he said Tuesday. 

City Councilor Christie Wood said Wednesday she would consider Sims’ requests. 

Wood said she was not opposed to lowering the speed limit on Atlas Road.

“I think he made a good case,” Wood said. 

Sims moved into his Thorndale Loop home just off Atlas Road 11 years ago. He said he and his wife didn’t worry too much about the vehicles passing by just beyond his backyard.

“When we bought it, traffic was one of the things we looked at,” Sims said. “It wasn’t bad.” 

A lot has changed.

Traffic noise today is terrible, Sims said. Almost nonstop. And life changing. He said there are no crosswalks or lights to slow traffic, so the crescendo rises. 

“It's horrendous,” he said. “It has changed exponentially. It is unbelievable. A wide-open speedway is what it is.” 

Sims said it starts about 5:30 a.m. and continues all morning, followed by an early afternoon lull. But closer to when people begin to leave work, it starts up again, fast and furious, and extends into the evening. Late night, the roar of engines still disturbs the calm.  

The Simses keep windows and doors closed even on hot days to try to keep the noise out. Come summer, they don’t bother to try and use their patio until late in the evening. 

“The only chance to have any peace of mind is to lower the speed limit to 25,” Sims said. 

Sims said he spoke to police about his concerns a few weeks ago, and patrols did increase in the area. He said he also met with Todd Feusier, director of the Streets and Engineering Department. 

He said he appreciated the responses and knows city officials work hard. But he worries action will take months.

He asked the council to “take a humanitarian look at this situation.” 

“Something’s got to be done,” Sims said. 

City Administrator Troy Tymesen said the city is analyzing traffic patterns on Atlas between Prairie and Hanley. Once it has reviewed that data, a recommendation may go to the City Council regarding Sims' request. 

Tymesen said the city faces the challenge of trying to efficiently move vehicles through the area. Lowering the speed limit could have a negative effect on that effort. 

He said traffic calming measures could be considered, such as placing a mobile radar unit with a digital reader board that indicates a vehicle’s speed in the area. 

“We may try things that are less costly on the front end,” Tymesen said. “But we still want to move traffic."

Another route is increasing police presence. 

Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar previously told The Press when they receive reports of frequent speeders on a certain street, they will do their best to patrol that area. 

Sims, who is retired, said 35 mph is usually fine, “except when it adversely affects this many people.” 

He said the difference in travel time on Atlas Road between Prairie and Hanley at 25 mph compared to 35 mph is less than a minute. 

“The slower you go, the less noise the engines make,” he said. 

He urged the City Council to act quickly.

“Get it done and don’t wait six months,” Sims said. “Two hundred people are suffering from this. This is an atrocious situation.”

    A truck pulling a trailer moves along Atlas Road on Wednesday.