By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The town will appeal to the state to consider a speed change on North Raquette River Road from Bayley Road to O’Neil Road, the Town Council decided Wednesday.

Allen Rowledge told the board he lives near where the speed limit goes from 30 mph to 55 mph and it causes a hazard from people going in and out of driveways.

“Since moving there I have been close to rear ended by cars coming out of the village,” he said. “They’re eager to get out of town and accelerate.”

The board’s motion said they would wait to make their request to the state until Rowledge gets a petition in favor of the change with signatures from his neighbors.

Town officials said they don’t believe the state will make the change.

“We need to it submit to county, the county submits it to the state and the state will likely say no … the town will not make that call on their own, the state will make that call. They’ll send the state police out there,” Highway Superintendent Frank Diagostino said.

He noted that the town has asked for several speed reductions in recent years, one of which was near the area now in question.

“We’ve had several requests to reduce that speed limit and they said ‘no,’” Councilman Albert Nicola said.

Rowledge originally asked the town to move for a 30 mph limit instead of 45.

Councilman John Macaulay said he wasn’t comfortable with that because it could result in more tickets, which means more unnecessary work for the town court.