[Added 5-14-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-8; amended 11-13-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-19; 6-14-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-4]
This article is adopted to establish criteria, construction standards, and procedures for the construction or installation of traffic calming structures or portable speed bumps to reduce speed along a roadway in accordance with transportation engineering principles. This article outlines the procedure for citizen initiative requests. The Town, on its own initiative, and without a petition to the Town Clerk or Town Council, may install a speed calming device, if it deems necessary for public safety.
For purposes of this article the following definitions shall apply:
PORTABLE SPEED BUMP
A bump constructed of durable polyurethane used to reduce vehicle speed and volume on residential streets.
SPEED HUMP
A rounded traffic calming device constructed of macadam used to reduce vehicle speed and volume on residential streets.
Speed humps are permanent calming devices that shall only be removed in accordance with § 220-22 of this article. Whereas, portable speed bumps are temporary and immediate calming devices that shall be deployed for no less than 90 days during the months of April through November or at the discretion of the Director of Public Works.
Construction shall conform to the standards established by the Town Engineer and approved by the Director of Public Works. The Department of Public Works reserves the right to change, modify or adopt different standards, provided the Town Council is informed of the changes prior to its implementation.
Prior to considering any installation of a speed hump or portable speed bump, the Town Engineer must prepare a warrant to certify that the proposed roadway and or location meets the criteria set forth herein, as follows:
A. 
Streets that are classified or could be classified as "collector" or "arterial" are not eligible for speed humps.
B. 
The street shall provide access (via a driveway or on-street parking) to abutting residential properties. Residential properties include multiple dwellings such as apartment complexes.
C. 
The street shall not have more than one traffic lane in each direction.
D. 
The street shall have a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less.
E. 
The eighty-fifth-percentile speed on the street section must be at least 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit as determined by the Chief of Police.
F. 
The speed humps or portable speed bumps should not be located within 200 feet of intersections, in a horizontal curve, on vertical curves where visibility of the hump is restricted, or on approaches to these curves.
G. 
The street should have curb and gutter. Consideration may be given to streets without curb and gutter. In such case, special care should be used to accommodate drainage and prevent vehicle runarounds.
H. 
The Johnston Fire Department, Johnston Police Department, and Department of Public Works must approve the street for installation of speed humps or portable speed bumps.
I. 
Speed humps or portable speed bumps will not be installed on a portion of any street with a grade in excess of 8%.
J. 
Speed humps or portable speed bumps will not be installed on any street that is a primary access route for emergency vehicles and would cause, in the judgment of the Town's emergency response providers, unacceptable delay in response time to emergencies.
K. 
Storm drainage in the area will be considered for location and design of possible speed hump.
A. 
Neighborhood-funded installation. The Public Works Department will process requests for speed hump or portable speed bumps installation in the order received. There is no guarantee that there will be sufficient money budgeted for all of the speed hump or portable speed bumps requests that are processed and approved. Approved projects for speed humps or portable speed bumps will be funded in the order that they are received when funding becomes available, unless the Johnston Town Council determines that conditions on a particular street, as demonstrated by speed or accident statistics, require that the street be given greater priority. Petitioners of approved but unfunded locations may choose to retain a contractor and privately finance the speed hump or portable speed bump installation, pursuant to the Town of Johnston's requirements and specifications. Once a location has been approved, and only after the petitioners have committed in writing to privately fund the installation, the Town will prepare a drawing indicating the number and locations of speed humps, portable speed bumps and warning signs. Construction may begin immediately after the Town's written approval has been received.
B. 
Speed hump and portable speed bump petition and installation procedures.
(1) 
The Johnston Town Council's adopted policies and procedures for the installation of speed humps and portable speed bumps will be made available to all interested parties. A representative of a local residential street, who believes the residents on his or her street will support the installation of speed humps or portable speed bumps, may submit a petition in writing to the Johnston Town Clerk's Office. The petition shall include signatures of 100% of the residences immediately adjacent to the proposed speed humps or portable speed bumps and 80% of the occupants of the residences on the street requesting the speed hump or portable speed bump. Only one vote will be counted per ownership and per dwelling unit. The sponsor of the petition shall contact every resident of the abutting properties on the subject street. If a resident is against the speed hump or portable speed bump, the word "opposed" will be noted on the petition signature space. If the sponsor is unable to contact a resident, "no contact" will be noted on the petition signature space, with the days and times that contact was attempted. The sponsor must make at least two attempts on separate days to contact a resident.
(2) 
The Town Clerk (or his/her designee), upon receipt of a completed petition, shall forward the request to the Town Council. The Town Council, upon a vote of its majority, may forward the request to the Police Department, Fire Department and Public Works Department for the purpose of making a determination as to whether the street in question is eligible for further consideration for the installation of speed humps or portable speed bumps based on the criteria in this speed hump/bump policy. The Police Department and Fire Department will forward their recommendations to the Town Engineer. The Town Engineer shall prepare a warrant according to this policy.
C. 
Determination of eligibility and appeal. If the Town Engineer's report warrants the installation of a speed hump or portable speed bump (or other speed calming device) and upon availability of funds, it shall be scheduled for installation. If it is determined that a street is not eligible for speed humps, the Town Engineer shall notify the Town Clerk, who shall notify the representative(s) of the street in writing of the reason why the street is not eligible. The representative(s) of the street will have 15 days to appeal the decision to the Johnston Town Council. Appeals must be delivered timely, in writing, to the Town Clerk and set forth the basis for the appeal. The Johnston Town Council will consider the appellants' appeal in light of the speed hump/portable speed bump policy and either affirm, reverse or modify the Department's decision. The decision of the Town Council shall be final.
Speed hump and portable speed bump requests will be funded in the order received and approved, unless the Town determines that conditions on a particular street, as demonstrated by speed or accident statistics, require greater priority. There is no guarantee that public funding will be available. Approved projects may be privately funded through advance payment for the cost as determined by the Department of Public Works. The work shall be done under Department of Public Works supervision.
Speed humps installed by resident petition pursuant to this policy may be removed either by the Town, upon a determination that the removal is required for public safety reasons, or by petition of 51% (or more) of occupants of residences within the same geographic area as petitioned for the humps, requested. If removal is by petition, the residents shall pay the cost of removal, which sum shall be deposited with the Town prior to the removal.
Portable speed bumps installed by resident petition pursuant to this policy may be removed either by the Town, upon a determination that the removal is required for public safety reasons, or by petition of 51% or more of occupants of residences within the same geographic area as petitioned for the installation of the speed humps. All portable speed bumps will be removed prior to inclement weather, but no later than the month of November.
This article shall be administered by the Town Clerk, who shall establish all required forms and keep records of same.