In mid-September, 5-year-old A’saan Harvey was struck by a car while standing outside his grandfather’s home on Second Street near North Lake Avenue.

“I was kneeling down next to him, saying, ‘A’saan talk to me! A’saan talk to me!’ He was like, 'grandpa, hurt!’” says George Jackson.

The family rushed Harvey to the hospital to find that he suffered a mild skull fracture.


What You Need To Know

  • After trying other measures to control speeding, Albany plans to install speed humps throughout the city

  • Each speed hump will cost $9,000 to $15,000

  • Construction will begin in spring 2022

“It took me out of my whole character when my grandson got hit,” says Jackson. “I almost lost him. That’s the scariest feeling of my life. I mean, I never want to go through that feeling again.”

Harvey is going to be OK, but Jackson doesn’t want anyone else to go through that feeling. He believes the driver of the car that hit his grandson was speeding.

“You don’t see nothing but speeding coming through here,” Jackson said. “Speed bumps will eliminate all that.”

It’s a concern the city of Albany says touches every neighborhood in the area. Mayor Kathy Sheehan says speeding has long been a frustration of hers.

“Just today, I was allowing a pedestrian who had the right of way to cross the street, and a car took that opportunity to make a left-hand turn, nearly striking the pedestrian, who was in the walk way,” said Sheehan.

The city plans to start a pilot program planned for the spring in which asphalt speed humps will be installed throughout the city with an initial focus on West Hill and the South End.

“It’s something that we were trying to avoid,” Sheehan said. “We were trying to use compliance and signage getting people to slow down, but we’ve heard it loud and clear. We continue to see these challenges.”

It’s not a small investment. Each speed hump will cost between $9,000 and $15,000.

“It seems to me that having to invest tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars, in speed-hump infrastructure because there isn’t a neighborhood in the city that hasn't asked for speed bumps, is really a reflection on people's inability to really care about their neighbors,” says Sheehan.

With many other young children and pedestrians on Second Street, Jackson is anxious for the project to begin.

“We need these speed bumps over here, speed traps, anything that’ll get the attention of the driver that you can’t come through here speeding, doing 45 miles per hour, not on a one-way street, where you’ve got people outside with their kids. That’s what we’re getting at,” Jackson said.