Neighborhood Traffic Management

Traffic Calming Program

When speeding problems persist along a street, residents may wish to consider the installation of traffic calming treatments. These treatments physically limit the ability of traffic to move at a high rate of speed. Treatments can include re-engineering the streets to have medians and curb extensions that force drivers to alter their path of travel and subsequently reduce their speeds. In other cases, the City may look at deploying treatments like speed humps to inhibit traffic.

Our division evaluates a street for traffic calming based on several factors and prioritizes each street for treatment based on the severity of the problem. These factors include the amount of traffic speeding on the street, how many speed-related accidents have occurred along the street, and the amount of pedestrian activity in the area.

Project List | Application

Speed Limit Reductions

One of the first strategies that can be considered is a reduction in the posted speed limit. Speed limit reductions to 25 mph can be considered on any residential street carrying less than 4,000 vehicles per day. In order to start the process, a petition of support from the residents along a street is required. At least 75% of either the adult residents or the property owners along the street are required to agree to the speed limit reduction. Once a completed petition is received for a street, our staff will prepare the request for the City Council's review. Once the Council approves a request, new signs reflecting the change in the speed limit are posted within seven days.

Multiway Stop Control Evaluations

Transportation Operations Division staff conduct evaluations at intersections throughout the City for possible multiway stop control, also known as three-way and four-way stops. Each
intersection is evaluated against established safety criteria to
determine if a location is appropriate for conversion. These
criteria include:

1. Volumes of traffic (cars, bikes & pedestrians) entering the intersection on each approach
2. The number of accidents that have occurred within the last year at the intersection
3. The adequacy of the sight distance for each leg of the intersection.

Our staff frequently receives requests for multiway stops for the purpose of reducing speeding on a street. While a stop sign is effective for controlling traffic at an intersection, the reality is that drivers often speed up to make up for lost time between intersections and can actually make the problem worse.

Multiway Stop Standards

Objectives

The objectives of our division in dealing with neighborhood traffic issues are:

• Ensure the public safety of streets in residential areas for drivers and for pedestrians;
• Improve multi-modal opportunities within a neighborhood, including enhancements for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit accessibility; and,
• Achieve moderate vehicle speeds on residential streets by a combination of policies, physical measures, and public outreach.

When our staff receives a speeding concern from a resident on a street, our first step is to evaluate the extent of the problem. How many cars are using the street? At what speed is the majority of traffic travelling? Are there specific conflicts with pedestrians?

Program Policies