Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Bump
From: Felipe Castillo <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Date Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2022 9:13:53 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Saturday, September 17, 2022 9:13:58 PM GMT-07:00 Creo que un lugar donde tener en cuanta poner bumps, o 4 stop es la esquina de bryce canyon y A st, muchos coches cruzan muy recio, siempre hay accidentes en sus salidas, hay muchos carros abandonados por los apartamentos que impiden el parking para muchos
1 / 3
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed Bump Residential Streets
From: Rachel Brown <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2022 9:55:43 AM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Saturday, September 17, 2022 10:10:58 AM GMT-07:00 Hello, I am working today and cannot attend but I live on south 3000 block of A St. We have a lot of close calls with speeding cars. We have pick up trucks and speeding cars every day. This street acts like a short cut from C street and saviers up to Channel Islands Blvd. If we can have a traffic survey I am sure you will see the hazards on this street. Maybe a traffic pattern change. The cars coming thru here are not the residents who live here. I have almost gotten run over many times as well as the kids on our block. Safety is a big issue. Paying our property taxes I feel that I should come home to a safe area and instead I am taking extra precaution because of these speeding cars. Something simple as a traffic barrier as this will help keeping out non residents barreling down our streets. Please take a look at this area. I am sure you will be astonished on how many speeding cars run our street. Exact address is 3051 S A St. It is a matter of time before someone is hurt or even killed on this street.
Thank you
Rachel Brown
Sent from my iPhone
2 / 3
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Public comment - 9/17/2022 Sp. PW and Transportation Committee Meeting From: liana campos <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Date Sent: Friday, September 16, 2022 3:08:39 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Friday, September 16, 2022 3:08:44 PM GMT-07:00 City Clerk-
Below are comments for the Public comment - 9/17/2022 Sp. PW and Transporta on Commi ee Mee ng
Mayor, and Members of the City Council –
I would like to speak in support of addi onal speed humps within the City. The addi on of speed humps is only a small piece of a solu on that addresses the pedestrian safety issue within the City. There are other issues within the City that need analyzing such as the pain ng of red curbs and street ligh ng to increase visibility for drivers. Addi onally the safe placement of bus stops for pedestrian access should be evaluated.
In the staff report or within the Police or Fire pros/cons I did not see the considera on of tsunami inunda on zones. A por on of the City is located within these zones and should be considered with addi onal determina ons.
Liana Campos
3 / 3
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed Hump Program
From: 'Laura Araujo' via City Clerk <[email protected]> To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:25:51 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Thursday, September 15, 2022 4:25:57 PM GMT-07:00 To whom it may concern:
I write this email as a resident of the city of Oxnard but most importantly I write this as a concerned parent of two small children.
I reside on the stretch of East Elm Street near two churches, Church of the Nazarene and Embrace Church, also near Elm Elementary School.
There is a stop sign in front of Embrace Church and another stop sign in front of 311 East Elm Street. These stop signs are mostly respected but truly are only treated as a suggestion by drivers traveling through this street. Also the whole stretch of road, E Elm St, up until you reach the traffic light connecting it to Saviers Road is treated like a drag-race track.
Nearly six years ago there was a very unfortunate accident in which a truck ran into and apartment complex on E Elm St and Gisler Ave. Ever since such event there is police presence at that T-intersection. Very rarely will police presence be posted at the T-intersection of Montrose St and E Elm St. When police is available at or near the stop signs, that is the only time drivers will fully respect these stop signs.
I fear one of these days any child including my own or just any person in general crossing this street will be hurt due to drivers speeding. Therefore I believe this street will greatly benefit from having a few speed humps installed. I understand police presence cannot always be available to deter irresponsible drivers but can only hope if these speed humps are installed, conditions will improve. We cannot take the chance at waiting for someone to get hurt by drivers speeding down this street. We must act now.
Thank you for your time.
Laura
1 / 1
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed hump program
From: "faviola.fraire via City Clerk" <[email protected]> To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2022 8:54:44 AM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Thursday, September 15, 2022 8:54:51 AM GMT-07:00 Hello,
Thank you for putting on this important meeting. I live on J street northbound between Bard rd and Yucca st.
This is a one way street with a stop sign at Bard rd and a stop sign at Yucca st.
The distance between both stop sings is far too much which gives cars apple time to speed all the way through.
Cars definitely take advantage of the distance to drive at excessive speed limits through this residential area. I have lived on this street for 8 years now and the issue has just gotten far worse. I do not feel safe being outside with my kids knowing drivers always go above the speed limit.
I truly feel that a speed bump is very much needed on this street to reduce the speed of cars driving by. People should not be driving by like it’s a freeway. We must keep our kids safe. I am looking forward to listing to the meeting and I hope change is implemented. Thank you for your time.
Best ,
Faviola Navarro
1 / 1
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed Humps
From: Marcus Weise <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Monday, September 12, 2022 1:02:42 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Monday, September 12, 2022 1:02:58 PM GMT-07:00 Marcus Weise
5246 Driftwood St. #11
Oxnard CA 93035
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Please add me to the list of those in favor of installi9ng speed humps on local streets.
Thank you
Marcus Weise
Marcus Weise
1 / 2
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed Humps
From: D S <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Date Sent: Monday, September 12, 2022 12:08:42 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Monday, September 12, 2022 12:08:45 PM GMT-07:00 City Council Members:
We are writing in support of speed humps at the corner of Ironbark and Lantana near Sierra Linda Park and School.
It is becoming even more evident these are needed, as anyone can see the tire marks left from cars doing "donuts" in the intersections.
Thankyou for your consideration,
Residents,
Debbie S
Alice T
2 / 2
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed hump
From: MJ C <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Monday, September 12, 2022 9:28:55 AM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Monday, September 12, 2022 9:29:11 AM GMT-07:00 How can I request to add a proposal for speed bump on Ash St Oxnard CA 93033 cars pass by here so fast and have crashed several times here is highly dangerous. They use this street like a short cut to avoid 5 points and cross to Oxnard Blvd they speed through here
1 / 3
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Concerned neighbor
From: christian willis <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Sunday, September 11, 2022 9:03:06 AM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Sunday, September 11, 2022 9:03:22 AM GMT-07:00 Good morning I hope this email finds you well,I reside in the area of Indigo Place at Lantana St.close to the 4 way stop sign.I can sit on my porch and watch as the majorty of the cars do not stop on a daily basis,a.lot of neighbors know when crossing to be extra careful due to this reason.Police will sit in plain view and they have no choice but to stop,but once there not in site its back to normal,no stopping.The lighting is not its best and certain stop signs are harder to view.We have also started to have a recent problem where people come to do burnouts in the same intersection day and night.They also tend to open up there engines down Indigo.Im all for speedbumps in the neighborhood,aswell as better lighting at the intersection of Indigo at Lantana 4 way stop,or solar powered blinking stop signs,just as the city of Port Hueneme has them.Thank you for considering. 2 / 3
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed Bump Program
From: 'Diana Cortez' via City Clerk <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Date Sent: Friday, September 9, 2022 10:22:54 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Friday, September 9, 2022 10:23:04 PM GMT-07:00 Hello,
I have been waiting for residential speed bumps in neighborhoods of Oxnard for quite some time now and I'm excited to see/hear of it finally happening. I propose speed bumps to be placed on Yucca Street, either between C Street and Saviors Road or between Saviors Road and J Street. The reason why I feel some are needed here is because this neighborhood/street is in the vicinity of a school. Therefore, there are many children of all ages that walk these streets. When cars are going 40 mph and up it does not feel safe.
It is a constant occurrence having driver's speeding on this street. Since there is a light signal on Yucca and Saviors driver's speed up to try and make the green light. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, they always speed up to get to the light signal. In placing speed bumps on this street I feel it would deter driver's from driving fast and the possibility of causing harm to others.
Thank you.
3 / 3
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Sierra Linda Neighborhood / Humps
From: 'Sergio Garcia' via City Clerk <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>,Gabe Teran <[email protected]> Cc: Art Padilla <[email protected]>, "D. G." <[email protected]>, James Rosier <[email protected]>, GRUMPY SEGOVIA Manuel <[email protected]>, Herbert Smith <[email protected]>, Federico Rodriguez <[email protected]>, A T <[email protected]>, Debbie Skupien <[email protected]>, Shirley Brown <[email protected]>, Dan Lechleiter <[email protected]>, Robert Valenzuela <[email protected]>, Abel / Lupe Tallez <[email protected]>, Edward Ramon <[email protected]>, mike Oakley <[email protected]>, Gabe Teran <[email protected]> Date Sent: Thursday, September 8, 2022 4:46:25 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Thursday, September 8, 2022 4:47:24 PM GMT-07:00 Sierra Linda Neighborhood
2114 Ironbark Dr.
Oxnard, Ca, 93036
(805) 415-6648
[email protected]
8th September 2022
Oxnard City Clerk
Rose Chaparro
300 w. Third st.
Oxnard
Speed Hump Program,
Sierra Linda neighborhood welcomes the Idea of Speed humps in our community. This has been a topic for decades in our neighborhood meetings. The Sierra Linda elementary school is the biggest concern located in our neighborhood at the corner of Ironbark Dr. and Gladiola st.
Lantana st. and Ironbark dr. are the main longest streets where vehicles speed beyond the limit of 25mp because they stretch at least ¼ mile before any stop sign. Any neighborhood that has a City Park or an Elementary School in their neighborhood should have speed humps to protect the public and slow down speeders 24/7
Sincerely,
Sergio Garcia Sr.
Sierra Linda Chair
1 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Public comment
From: Chris Holden <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 6:49:05 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 6:49:17 PM GMT-07:00 I did not realize I needed to get permission to call in. I would like the opportunity to address the dangerous speeds I witness on Glenwood Drive between F street and C street along with the 4 way stop on C street and Glenwood intersection.
Looking forward to hearing from you
Christopher Holden
This is a staff email account managed by Oxnard Union High School District. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender. 2 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed hump program comment
From: Heather D'Anna <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 5:51:49 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 5:54:04 PM GMT-07:00 Hi
I highly support the speed hump program. I am really excited to see this program being proposed. I hope that the large speed humps 8-12” tall and narrow are installed. Cars must really go slow over these. Traditional speed humps such as those in Silver Strand still allow cars to drive over them at a decent speed and are only slightly effective.
Thank you
Heather
3 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: speed hump program workshop
From: Chris Holden <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 3:21:38 PM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Tuesday, September 6, 2022 3:21:50 PM GMT-07:00 Hello, I am a lifetime citizen of Oxnard and I currently reside at 417 Glenwood Drive in oxnard. I have been in contact with my city for the past several months because I feel there is a major traffic issue with cars speeding down Glenwood Drive between F street and C street.
I honestly feel the only way that this problem can be mitigated is by installing speed humps on Glenwood. This street is long, straight, and wide and people drive upwards of 40-45 miles an hour on this residential road all day and night.
I am unable to attend the in person meeting on these issues at city hall but I hope that my input will be heard. I am scared that one of the many young children that now live on Glenwood will be injured one day by one of these speeding cars.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Christopher Holden
This is a staff email account managed by Oxnard Union High School District. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender. 4 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Speed bump
From: PS <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date Sent: Sunday, September 4, 2022 12:10:16 AM GMT-07:00 Date Received: Sunday, September 4, 2022 12:10:31 AM GMT-07:00 I live at a corner house of F Street next to curren school. I see the traffic passing though there should be a speed bump or a stop sign.
5 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Subject: Public Comment: Speed Hump ProgramFrom: Eric <[email protected]>To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, September 2, 2022 8:36:44 AM GMT-07:00Date Received: Friday, September 2, 2022 8:37:16 AM GMT-07:00 Hi,
Just wanted to add my 2 cents to the speed hump program. We moved here from L.A. last year. Our last neighborhood was horrible withspeeders, so I first asked for more stop signs and the City refused. I then applied for and got speed humps. What a nightmare.
1. The speed humps did not stop people from speeding, once they were installed, the cars just flew over the top of them making loudimpact noises. Trucks loaded with equipment were even worse. We had a speed hump adjacent to our house and when trucks would goover it at high speeds, it made our whole house shake like an earthquake. I have video of the cars speeding right over the tops of thehumps if you need to see it.
2. I don’t know what height Oxnard has approved for speed humps, but the ones L.A. puts in are not high enough to deter speeders. Theyalso were not marked clearly enough with paint on the street and with enough signs on the road to warn people that they were there.
3. You need to consider American’s with Disabilities problems. People with many disabilities including spinal column issues, have areal problem with speed humps. Even normal back issues are problematic for people going over speed humps sometimes. Speed humpsalso can cause delays for ambulances, police and fire trucks. Response times are increased 10-15 seconds per hump.
4. Speed humps have been know to damage cars especially cars like Corvettes.
5. Speed humps often lower the speed limit to less than the posted neighborhood speed. If a neighborhood is rated for 25 mph, why is itnecessary to slow them down to 15 mph over a speed hump? After the speed humps were installed and we proved they didn’t stop speeders, the City of L.A. THEN decided to change the stop signs,which was a bigger deterrent to the speeding. Sure, people still run stop signs, but we found that more people at least approximated a stopthan slowed down for a speed hump. I’m enclosing an article below with more information.
Speed humps don’t really work. What scientifically WORKS are roundabouts, but when I wrote in and asked about that option, Oxnardshot me down.
Eric Andrist155 S G Street
Why Municipalities are Moving Away from Speed Humps
as a Traffic Calming Solution
TRAFFIC-CALMING TRENDS: Antiquated, Knee-Jerk Response to Speeding Drivers Now Being Rejected Around the World
Every day, municipalities, HOAs and school districtsacross the nation face problems with speeding drivers.For decades, speed humps were the only traffic-calming solution available. Today, the antiquatedspeed hump—a traditionally popular solution tospeeding drivers—has become a controversiallightning rod in conversations involving traffic-calmingsolutions coast-to-coast and around the world. 6 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
Contemporary wisdom now recognizes the shortcomings of and frustrationsassociated with speed humps. Media report that speed humps:
Are expensive to install and expensive to maintain—Speed humps can cost$4,500 to $7,500. [Source: The Washington Post, Sept. 9, 2008]Interfere with response times of emergency vehicles—Each speed hump costsfire trucks ten seconds in response time. [Source: ABC Orlando/WFTV, Jan.28, 2010; and Fire Capt. Jeffrey Martin, St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 2, 2008;and the Tampa Tribune, Sept. 20, 2008]Reduce property values—Prospective homebuyers reject home sites nearspeed humps. [Source: Tampa Bay Online, Sept. 30, 2009]Increase noise levels—Speed humps usher in a constant barrage of scrapingcars and engines revving over the humps. [Source: Tampa Bay Online, Aug.12, 2009] Increase wear and tear on residential and commercial vehicles—Speedhumps are a source of excessive wear on tires, brakes, suspension systems,shock absorbers and rattle dashboards. [Source: The Natchez Democrat, Oct.28, 2009] Expensive to remove—Municipalities, under pressure by citizens and enforcedby the courts, have been forced to remove speed humps at great expense totax payers. [Source: Tampa Bay Online, Sept. 30, 2009]Increase air pollution—On roads with speed humps, carbon monoxideemissions increase by 82 percent, carbon dioxide emissions double andnitrogen oxide increases by 37 percent. [Source: BBC.com, April 22, 2009] Reduce fuel efficiency and increase gas consumption—By forcing drivers tobrake and accelerate repeatedly, speed humps will cause a car that normallythat gets 58.15 mpg travelling at a steady 30mph to deliver only 30.85 mpg.[Source: BBC.com, April 22, 2009] Additionally, some have observed that speed humps do not change driver behaviorand encourage other dangerous driving behaviors, such as going “off road” toavoid the humps.
Situation Analysis:
In 2008, in Hillsborough County, Florida some of the Carrollwood community facedsignificant traffic-calming dilemmas. Dangerous driver speeds had caused theroads to become unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers. In response,the county invested $2 million in hundreds of speed humps, cushions and otherdevices. Within a short period of time, complaints about the speed humps began topour in from residents, tourists and emergency responders who demanded a bettersolution. 7 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
As documented in the final “Neighborhood Traffic Calming Arbitration” report,Carrollwood Village residents expressed specific concerns and requests related tothe speed humps:
“Traffic calming could have been better controlled in a more cost-effectivemanner through the use of speed limit flashing signs that note the speed inwhich the car is approaching. The speed bumps are excessive; promoteunnecessary cost for continued maintenance and, over time, cause wear andtear on car alignment and shocks.” T.B.“… (the speed hump) creates an unacceptable delay in emergencyresponse…” K.K.“Speed humps cause damage to automobiles and increased noise from.” M.F.“Safety, fire hazards—Noise pollution. Horrendous disfigurement of theneighborhood. Get rid of all of them. Use electronic feedback signs.” N.K. “My brother’s death could have been the result of four speed bumps.” W.C.“Speed bumps are irritating and upsetting and painful. It’s the same as goingover chuck holes. Speed bumps make traffic speed unpredictable as somevehicles don’t slow down.” D.C.“Numerous speed humps and tables slow down response time to emergencyvehicles[and subject automobiles to]obstacles which contribute the excessivewear and tear to my vehicles.” L.B.
The controversy was settled legally in 2009 when arbitrators ruled that about one-third of the newly installed speed humps should be removed. The result:Hillsborough county has spent at least $200,000 to remove the speed humps inCarrollwood Village alone.
Resolution:
Time and technology have eclipsed the traditional fix. Residents and communityleaders—armed with online access to information and vendors—expect anddemand an improved solution that could accommodate a broad range of needs.
In addition to speed hump removal, the arbitration report also recommended theinstallation of additional driver feedback signs—a solution that had been part of theoriginal plan but delayed due to the controversy. With some 40 driver feedbacksigns to be installed within a beautiful residential setting, cost and aesthetic appealbecame primary considerations. Local community leaders Libbie Jae and JenniferFritch spearheaded the search for a cost-effective and attractive solution. “Driver feedback signs are subtle but very effective reminders to drivers without allthe noise and disruption of speed humps, which have been quite divisive,” saysLibbie Jae. “Radarsign offers a great solution that answered all of our needs: Notonly are the signs silent and attractive, they are also very affordable and the solar 8 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
power option makes them a green solution. I just see Radarsign as a win-win allthe way around.” Related Stories:
April 2010, Columbia News Service: Millburn Township in New Jersey is forcedto remove five of eight speed humps. Taxpayers estimated to foot the loss of$8,000 in installation costs plus removal fees. https://www.radarsign.com/why-municipalities-are-moving-away-from-speed-humps/ Speed Humps Face a Roadblock
BY CHRISTIAN YARNELL April 13, 2010
After a 19-year-old died last October in a single-car crash in the wealthy suburbantownship of Millburn, N.J., many of the town’s 20,000 residents demanded action toreduce speeding on local roads. A few weeks after the accident, the township’spublic safety committee met and quickly decided on a solution. Traffic-slowingspeed humps were installed at eight different intersections around town, includingon Glen Avenue, home to Millburn’s busy train station, which is wheremany commuters to New York City begin their trip.
While town officials claim the decision was in the works for a while, it seemedmeant to satisfy residents alarmed by the accident. But it also triggered vocalopposition, leading to a tense public debate about traffic problems.
Around the country, cities and towns worried about pedestrian safety and fed upwith speeding cars on residential streets have increasingly turned to speedhumps. Speed humps are like speed bumps at malls and in parking lots, but theyare lower and therefore have a little less oomph. They are raised areas ofpavement typically 12 to 14 feet in length and 3 to 4 inches high.
The humps are just one type of traffic-calming measure, which include trafficcircles and electronic signs that display the speed of passing cars. Studies showthat the humps do help lower traffic speeds. “We don’t have anything elseas effective,” said Scott Batson, an engineer for the city of Portland, Ore., whichhas some 1,100 humps. 9 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
But as much as the humps please safety advocates, many residents in townswhere they have been installed are equally frustrated by their unintendedconsequences, which range from inconvenience to increased noise to slowing theresponse time of fire trucks and ambulances.
Studies show that speed humps lower car speeds by 20 to 25 percent, accordingto the Institute of Transportation Engineers. The ITE also says that streets wherespeed humps have been added experience 13 percent fewer collisions and anaverage of 18 percent less traffic, depending on the alternative routes available.While research shows that lowering speeds generally reduces traffic fatalities, saidLisa Fontana Tierney, traffic engineering senior director at the ITE, there is no goodevidence that speed humps actually save lives, because they are used on localroads, not highways, where fatalities are more common.
But advocates argue that the humps are ideal for local roads near highways, wherethere is a need to get drivers to slow down. “Speed humps are a great way to takepeople out of the highway mode that they’re in,” said Wiley Norvell, a spokesmanfor Transportation Alternatives, an organization in New York City that advocates forpedestrians and cyclists.
Local officials from places as disparate as New York City and Cobb County, Ga.,have used speed humps to control traffic. Some cities, like Modesto, Calif., have aformal speed hump policy that allows residents to request humps by collecting acertain number of signatures. Paying for installation and upkeep can sometimes bea challenge. Memphis, Tenn., announced in December that it would allowneighborhoods that want speed humps to pay for them themselves because thecity does not have enough money to keep up with demand.
But in many places, there has been a strong backlash against the installation of thehumps. “It is an issue with emergency responders,” said H. Gene Hawkins, aprofessor of civil engineering at Texas A&M University and an expert ontraffic control devices. The ITE estimates that each hump costs fire trucks up to 5seconds, and ambulances up to 10 seconds. Hawkins said that manufacturerswere trying to create specialized speed humps with grooves that wouldallow wider-wheeled emergency vehicles, but not cars, to avoid the hump’simpact.
Some residents also complain that speed humps increase noise and are just plainugly. Craig Ott, 63, who has lived in Millburn for 28 years, said he was concernedabout speeding cars near his house but thought putting in speed humps was thewrong solution. He has campaigned against them and believes that electronicradar signs would make more sense. “You come down that road at night, and it 10 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
looks like you’re pulling into a hazardous waste place with all the warningsand colors,” he said.
Lezette Proud, 82, who has lived in part of Millburn Township since 1955, said thenoise bothered her. “When you’re lying in your bed at night and the cars go overthem, they go ‘kathunk,’” Proud said.
And of course many drivers do not like speed humps because they do preciselywhat is intended: force cars to slow down. Driving over them too fast can damagevehicles. Avoiding them lengthens drives and is inconvenient. “Generally, we’re opposed to traffic calming measures,” said James Baxter,president of the National Motorists Association, which advocates for drivers andgot its start in the 1980s in the fight against the 55-mph national speed limit. Baxtercomplained that drivers most affected by speed humps are often the leastorganized, since they frequently do not live in the communities where the humpsare installed. “It’s a case where the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” he said. Andtoo often, community residents are effectively just “trying to divert traffic tosomeone else’s street,” he added.
Opponents have pushed back in many communities. Bowling Green, Ky., decidedin December to stop building speed humps in the wake of the public outcry againstthem. Officials in Hillsborough County, Fla., had to bring in anindependent arbitrator last year to referee the argument between pro-hump andanti-hump residents in a Tampa suburb. An editorial in the St. Petersburg Times inDecember argued against the growing use of traffic calming measures, saying,“Our public streets, built to provide access and easy movement of traffic, are beingturned into obstacle courses.” Experts agree that speed humps are not a panacea and need to be designed byexperts to be effective. “Where you get someone who’s not a traffic engineersaying, ‘Let’s put in something that will slow the traffic down,’ that’s when youget into trouble,” said Hawkins, the Texas A&M professor.
In fact, local residents are usually the driving force behind the installation of speedhumps. “These are always reactive kinds of projects,” said Batson, the Portlandengineer. While some residents push for the humps, a minority is usually opposed,Batson said. Portland addresses the potential conflict by requiring residents to votebefore they are installed.
Such a vote might have saved Millburn a lot of trouble and expense. On March 16,after much public opposition to the humps and an investigation that found they 11 / 12
Exported using Save Emails to PDF by cloudHQ
violated the state’s design recommendations, Millburn’s townshipcommittee decided to remove five of the eight new humps. The $8,000 installationcost was lost. “There needs to be community input beforehand,” said Timothy Gordon, Millburn’sbusiness administrator, when asked what advice he would give to other townsconsidering speed humps. “If we made one mistake, that was probably it.” https://www.radarsign.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/4-13-2010.Speed-Humps-Face-a-Roadblock.Columbia-News-Service.RS-1.pdf 12 / 12