[Added 12-10-1986 by Ord. No. 86-O-6; amended 9-10-1991 by Ord. No. 91-O-22; 12-10-1991 by Ord. No. 91-O-24; 6-13-1995 by Ord. No. 95-O-3; 10-28-1997 by Ord. No. 97-O-18]
The purpose of this article is to promote and
maintain safe vehicular speeds on residential streets and to enhance
the livability of neighborhoods. It is the intent of this chapter
that city staff interact with citizens to identify traffic related
problems and solutions thereto.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
These devices physically reduce the width of the road, thereby
forcing the driver to reduce the vehicle speed to safely travel through
the device.
These markings are used to delineate lane widths, thereby
potentially reducing vehicle speeds. The area between the edge of
the road and the lane marking can be used for parking in selected
situations or as a bike lane.
Changing the intersection by restricting through movements
or raising the pavement height to effectively regulate vehicle speeds.
These changes can also include reducing the corner radius at the intersections.
These devices are generally used with multilane roadways.
They are used to reduce the width of a road which can regulate vehicle
speeds and provide improved pedestrian crossing opportunities.
These devices can range in length, width and architectural
features. They are effective in reducing the width of the street and
reducing the turning radius of intersections.
These devices create tire noise and are used primarily to
alert drivers to a change in road conditions.
These devices are designed to produce an elongated pavement
rise that is designed to allow vehicles to travel over them safely,
at or below the posted speed limit. These devices are typically considered
when the average traffic volumes are greater than 500 vehicles per
day and when 15% of the total volume of the traffic is exceeding the
posted speed limit by five miles per hour or more.
The terminology used to describe various methods of reducing
vehicular speeds and volumes on residential neighborhood streets.
These methods typically require the installation of physical devices
such as traffic circles, rumble strips, edge lines markings and speed
humps that were developed for the purpose of discouraging vehicular
speeding.
These devices are generally installed in intersections. The
roadway alignment is deflected around the center island thereby reducing
vehicle speeds.
In the regulation and supervision of traffic,
the Public Works Director is authorized to place, install and maintain
upon the public highways of the city those traffic calming devices
(also known as "traffic control devices") which the Mayor and Council
may direct at the locations designated by the Mayor and Council.
A request for the installation of a traffic
calming device can be made by petition.
A.Â
Petition request.
(1)Â
Residents of a street can submit a petition to the
City Manager requesting that a traffic calming device be installed
on that street. The petition shall define the portion of the street
for which the request for the installation of a traffic calming device
is being made. The petition must be signed by at least 60% of the
households that are located within 500 feet of the requested installation
site and front the street for which the traffic calming device is
requested.
(2)Â
If a traffic calming device is requested for an intersection,
the petition must be circulated to the residents living on all intersecting
streets within 500 feet of the requested installation site.
(3)Â
The City Clerk shall review the petition to determine
the total number of eligible households residing on the street(s)
and shall compute the percentage of households signing the petition.
If that percentage is 60% or greater, the City Clerk shall validate
the petition, forward it to the Director of Public Works and inform
the Mayor and Council that a petition has been validated for the installation
of a traffic calming device at a particular location.
B.Â
To assist residents in petitioning for traffic calming
devices, the City Clerk is authorized to develop and distribute a
standard petition form to request the installation of a traffic calming
device.
A.Â
Upon receipt of a validated petition, the Department
of Public Works shall evaluate the petition and conduct all necessary
studies. A report shall be issued by the Department of Public Works
within 90 days of receipt of a validated petition, provided that a
traffic study can be conducted in accordance herewith. In the event
that a traffic study cannot be conducted in a timely fashion, this
time frame shall be extended by the Mayor and Council to a date certain.
The report shall, if warranted, contain a recommended traffic calming
method and a recommended installation site. The report shall take
into consideration any hill, curve or street condition that may affect
the placement of the traffic calming device.
B.Â
Upon completion of the report, Public Works shall
forward the report to the City Clerk. Upon receipt of the report,
the City Clerk shall notify the Mayor and Council that a report has
been received and request that a public hearing be scheduled regarding
the petition.
A.Â
Conduct of public hearing.
(1)Â
After having been notified by the City Clerk that
a report from the Department of Public Works pertaining to a petition
for the installation of a traffic calming device has been received,
the Mayor and Council shall schedule a public hearing to solicit the
opinions of the entire neighborhood and the city at large.
(2)Â
The City Clerk shall send notice of the public hearing
to all residents of the street for which a traffic calming device
is requested, to the local neighborhood citizen association and to
the adjoining neighborhood citizen associations. The public hearing
shall be advertised in a paper of general circulation in the city.
(3)Â
After conducting the public hearing and declaring
the hearing record closed, the Mayor and Council shall announce its
decision within 45 days of the close of the hearing record. This time
may be extended by majority vote of the Council.
(4)Â
The Mayor and Council may approve, approve with modifications
or deny the request for the installation of a traffic calming device.
(5)Â
The City Clerk shall notify the petitioners and their
neighborhood or civic association of the Mayor and Council's decision,
which shall also be published in a newspaper of general circulation
in the city.
B.Â
Guidelines for evaluating a request for the installation
of a traffic calming device. Petitions requesting the installation
of a traffic calming device shall be evaluated in accordance with
the standards established by the State Highway Administration and
the Institute of Traffic Engineering Guidelines. The following criteria
are intended to further guide the Mayor and Council in determining
whether a request for a traffic calming device is reasonable and justified.
These shall not be considered exclusive criteria:
(1)Â
The street proposed for a traffic calming device has
an identified speeding problem which cannot be alleviated any other
way than by a traffic calming device. Such a problem can be identified
through a combination of resident complaints, police radar surveillance
and ticketing practices, accident statistics and the history of the
previous efforts to control speeding on the street. Traffic calming
devices will only be installed to address documented safety or traffic
concerns supported by traffic engineering studies. Devices can be
implemented individually or in conjunction with other traffic calming
measures depending upon area conditions and characteristics.
(2)Â
The street carries a higher volume of nonresidential
traffic than would normally be expected. Streets considered for traffic
calming must be primarily residential with a majority of residential
homes and driveways fronting on the street.
(3)Â
The installation of traffic calming devices shall
be assessed for their potential impact on public transportation and
fire and rescue operations.
(4)Â
The potential impact of traffic calming devices on
adjacent neighborhoods shall be assessed.
(5)Â
If a problem is determined during the engineering
study, the Department of Public Works will consult with the residents
of the particular street and develop a plan for the type and location
of traffic calming devices.
A.Â
Upon request of 60% of the households of the street
containing a traffic calming device and after six months have elapsed
from the initial installation of the traffic calming device, the Mayor
and Council shall consider removing or altering the traffic calming
device.
B.Â
In the event that no request for a study is made pursuant to Subsection A above, the Department of Public Works, not less than one year after implementation, shall perform a follow up, evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the implemented plan. This will include an evaluation of both traffic data and resident sentiment.
C.Â
The request for removal or alteration must be made
by petition subject to the procedures set forth in this chapter.
A.Â
Upon recommendation of the City Manager, the Mayor
and Council may initiate the installation of traffic calming devices
on streets adjacent to neighborhood parks, playgrounds and schools.
B.Â
Authority of city over traffic calming devices. Nothing
in this article shall be construed as preempting the city, at its
initiative, from installing, altering, maintaining or removing a traffic
calming device. The City Manager will notify the appropriate neighborhood
association and the affected residents of any proposed change to a
traffic calming device. The residents and the association will have
an opportunity to discuss the proposed change with the Mayor and Council
before the change is adopted and implemented.
C.Â
If, by decision of the Mayor and Council, a traffic
calming device is deemed inappropriate for the petitioned instance,
other physical speed control devices may be substituted.
