DISCUSSION
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: October 21, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Lynn Merrill, Director of Public Works.
Department: Public Works
Subject: Proposed Draft Speed Hump Policy
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council:
1. Receive and file the presentation regarding the proposed City of San Bernardino draft Speed Hump Policy; and
2. Discuss the proposed policy and provide direction to staff regarding the policy framework, eligibility criteria, evaluation process, prioritization of approved requests, funding and maintenance responsibility, planning-level cost ranges, and implementation procedures; and
3. Direct staff to incorporate the Mayor and City Council's comments and return at a future meeting with a finalized Speed Hump Policy and Resolution for formal consideration and adoption.
City Manager’s Comments
The City Manager is seeking City Council direction regarding the proposed speed hump policy.
Executive Summary
The Public Works Department has prepared a draft Speed Hump Policy to establish a consistent, objective, and transparent process for evaluating requests for speed humps on residential streets throughout the City. The proposed policy provides standardized eligibility criteria, engineering warrants, petition requirements, design standards, installation procedures, and a prioritization framework for approved requests. The revised framework also identifies potential funding sources, assigns responsibility for ongoing maintenance, and provides planning-level cost ranges for engineering evaluation, design, installation, and post-installation monitoring. This item is presented for discussion and policy direction from the Mayor and City Council. Staff will incorporate the Council's feedback and return at a future meeting with a final Speed Hump Policy and Resolution for formal consideration and adoption.
Background
Residents throughout the City have expressed concerns regarding excessive vehicle speeds, cut-through traffic, and pedestrian safety on residential streets. While speed humps can be an effective traffic calming measure, they are not appropriate for every roadway and must be evaluated using objective engineering criteria to ensure they improve public safety without creating unintended impacts.
Currently, the City does not have a formally adopted policy establishing a consistent process for evaluating requests for speed humps. Speed Hump Policy establishes a comprehensive framework for evaluating requests and identifies the engineering, operational, and community support requirements necessary before speed humps may be considered for installation. The policy also provides procedures for petition requirements, engineering studies, agency coordination, public notification, City Council approval, installation standards, and post-installation evaluations.
Discussion
The proposed policy is intended to provide a fair, transparent, and technically sound process for evaluating requests for speed humps while maintaining consistency with accepted traffic engineering practices.
Major components of the proposed policy include:
• Establishing standardized eligibility requirements for residential streets. • Requiring formal petitions demonstrating neighborhood support. • Requiring engineering studies evaluating traffic volumes, vehicle speeds, roadway geometry, safety, and operational conditions.
• Establishing minimum traffic warrants before installation may be recommended. • Requiring review and coordination with Police, Fire, emergency medical providers, school districts, transit agencies, utilities, and refuse service providers. • Requiring public notification and City Council approval prior to installation. • Establishing uniform design standards consistent with the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) and City Standards. • Requiring post-installation monitoring to evaluate effectiveness and determine whether modifications or removal are warranted.
The policy establishes objective minimum criteria including, but not limited to:
• Local residential street classification.
• Posted speed limit of 25 mph or less.
• Adequate roadway geometry and sight distance.
• Appropriate roadway width and grades.
• Minimum traffic volume and speeding warrants.
• Community support of at least 67 percent of affected residents. • Consideration of emergency response routes, transit operations, drainage, lighting, and planned capital improvement projects.
Prioritization of Approved Requests. Requests that satisfy the policy's eligibility criteria, petition requirement, engineering warrants, and agency review would be placed on an approved project list rather than installed strictly on a first-come, firstserved basis. When available funding is insufficient to construct all approved locations, staff would prioritize projects using objective factors, including: (1) severity and extent of documented speeding; (2) traffic volume and cut-through activity; (3) collision history and documented pedestrian/bicycle safety concerns; (4) proximity to schools, parks, senior facilities, transit stops, and other pedestrian generators; (5) roadway conditions and feasibility, including drainage, emergency response, and utility constraints; and (6) opportunities to coordinate with an already programmed paving or capital improvement project. Requests with similar priority would be ranked by the date the completed petition and supporting request were received. The prioritized list would be reviewed periodically and would remain subject to available funding and Council-approved appropriations.
Funding and Maintenance Responsibility. Potential funding sources include Measure I local street funds, Gas Tax, Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA/SB 1) funds, traffic-safety funds, and other eligible street rehabilitation allocations. Finance and Public Works would confirm eligibility for each proposed expenditure, including construction and maintenance, under the applicable program requirements before programming funds. No single fund is designated as the exclusive source. Public Works would maintain City-installed asphalt humps, pavement markings, and associated signs through eligible street maintenance operating appropriations. Major reconstruction, relocation, or removal would be included in the CIP or operating budget as appropriate.
Annual CIP Programming. Staff proposes establishing a recurring Neighborhood Traffic Calming allocation during the annual CIP and operating-budget process beginning with FY 2027–28. Public Works would submit the prioritized eligible project list, expected annual request volume, estimated staff workload, installation costs, and maintenance needs with its annual budget request. Finance and Public Works would identify eligible funding and recommend reallocations from proposed street-project appropriations as needed, with coordinated delivery through paving projects wherever feasible. Council would approve a specific annual dollar allocation based on available founding sources such as Measure I local street funds, Gas Tax, Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA/SB 1) funds, traffic-safety funds, and other eligible street rehabilitation allocations. The annual request would separately identify capital installation funding and recurring maintenance funding; the funded work plan and deferred projects would be reported each year.
Revenue and Fee Offsets. This item offers no application fee, assessment, or resident cost-sharing requirement; therefore, no new revenue is assumed to offset processing, installation, or maintenance costs. The proposed program would be supported by Council-approved allocations of eligible transportation revenues. Staff recommend retaining a publicly funded request process because the improvements serve neighborhood traffic safety. If Council directs staff to consider fees or resident contributions, staff will return with a cost-recovery proposal, applicable legal review, and an evaluation of affordability and equitable access before any charge is implemented.
Planning-Level Cost Ranges. Planning-Level Cost Ranges. Preliminary installation costs for a typical asphalt speed hump, pavement markings, and warning signs are approximately $1,000–$2,000 per hump. For a street requiring two to three humps, the installation allowance is approximately $3,000–$6,000. Initial request processing is estimated separately under the staffing budget. Costs vary with roadway width, pavement condition, traffic control, and whether delivery is combined with other City work. These conceptual estimates would be refined before project approval. Staff are seeking policy direction from the Mayor and City Council regarding the proposed eligibility criteria, engineering warrants, petition requirements, approval process, prioritization of approved requests, funding approach, maintenance responsibility, cost framework, and installation standards. Following Council discussion and feedback, staff will revise the draft policy as appropriate and return at a future meeting with a final Speed Hump Policy and accompanying resolution for formal adoption.
Adoption of the policy would provide residents with a predictable process while ensuring that speed humps are installed only where engineering analysis demonstrates that they are appropriate and beneficial.
City staff presented the first workshop to the Public Safety and Human Relations Commission (PS&HRC) on May 11, 2026, and received positive feedback from the Commission and the community. A second workshop is planned for fall 2026. Staff will incorporate workshop and Council feedback before returning with the final policy and resolution for adoption.
Staffing Budget. If the policy is adopted and implemented, Public Works would incur staff costs as requests are received and evaluated. The preliminary estimate is eight combined staff hours per request, allocated as follows:
Position and assigned work Hours Burdened rate Cost
Traffic Engineer — engineering oversight,
agency coordination, and
recommendation review
2 $193.00/hr $386.00
Traffic Engineering Associate — intake,
petition screening, preliminary data
review, field evaluation, and
documentation
6 $174.00/hr $1,044.00
Total per request $1,430.00
Annual requests Combined staff hours Annual processing cost 10 80 $14,300.00
On average the City will receive 10 requests per year. Annual processing cost equals the number of requests multiplied by $1,430.00.
Installation Costs and Annual Program Estimates. Preliminary installation costs for a typical pre-fab speed hump, including pavement markings and warning signs, range from $1,000 to $2,000 per hump. Installation of 30 speed humps annually would therefore cost approximately $30,000–$60,000
Annual program component Estimated annual cost
Initial processing of 10 requests $14,300
Installation of 30 speed humps $30,000–$60,000
Total initial processing and installation $44,300–$74,300 These planning estimates assume that all 10 requests qualify and proceed to installation, with three humps per street. Actual costs would depend on the number of approved requests, engineering recommendations, roadway width, pavement condition, traffic control requirements, and opportunities to coordinate installation with programmed paving projects. The annual estimate excludes additional traffic studies, detailed design, construction management, post-installation monitoring, drainage or utility modifications, pavement reconstruction, and ongoing maintenance. Any required additional work and maintenance allowance would be identified separately and included in the annual budget request. Beginning with FY 2027–28, Public Works and Finance would recommend a Neighborhood Traffic Calming allocation through the annual CIP and operating-budget process. The request would identify eligible funding sources, installation funding, staff workload, and recurring maintenance needs. No application fees or resident contributions are proposed. Implementation would remain subject to Council-approved appropriations, and adoption of the policy would not guarantee installation of every qualifying request. 2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
This project is consistent with Key Target No 3C: Improved quality of Life-Evaluate and enhance the quality of public safety services. Installation of the speed Humps will deter speeds in residential neighborhood and enhance safety.
Fiscal Impact
There is no immediate fiscal impact associated with receiving the presentation and providing policy direction. If the policy is adopted and implemented, installation costs are estimated at $1,000 - $2,000 per speed hump, or approximately $30,000 to $60,000 annually based on 30 installations. Personnel expenses are estimated at $1,430 per request, or approximately $14,300 annually based on 10 requests, bringing total annual costs to an estimated $44,300 to $74,300.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council:
1. Receive and file the presentation regarding the proposed City of San Bernardino draft Speed Hump Policy; and
2. Discuss the proposed policy and provide direction to staff regarding the policy framework, eligibility criteria, evaluation process, prioritization of approved requests, funding and maintenance responsibility, planning-level cost ranges, and implementation procedures; and
3. Direct staff to incorporate the Mayor and City Council's comments and return at a future meeting with a finalized Speed Hump Policy and Resolution for formal consideration and adoption.
Attachments
Attachment 1 Draft City of San Bernardino Speed Hump Policy Attachment 2 Speed Hump Eligibility Check list
Attachment 3 Speed Hump Warrants Check list
Attachment 4 Speed Hump Detail
Ward: All
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
None
CC: Eric Levit, City Manager