Title
Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy
Action
Action:
Approve the Transportation and Planning Committee’s recommendation to accept the proposed Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy updates.
Body
Committee Chair:
Greg Phipps, Transportation and Planning
Staff Resource(s):
Liz Babson, Transportation
Kathy Dennis, Transportation
Tamara Blue, Transportation
Current Policy
§ The Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy was adopted in 1997, with the last update occurring in 2006.
§ The City’s existing policy requires high thresholds and a cumbersome petition process for neighborhoods to receive traffic calming tools. Moderating travel speeds through neighborhoods supports the City’s Vision Zero efforts. The existing requirements include:
- Speed humps: 1,000 vehicles per day plus a successful petition,
- Multi-way stops: 600 vehicles per day on main street and petition encompassing 1,200-foot radius around intersection,
- Speed humps plus multi-way stops: 2,500 vehicles per day and petition,
- Petition requirements: Original signatures of all parcel owners and 60 percent support required for successful petition.
§ The director of the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) is authorized by ordinance to change speed limits on City streets. While the current policy provides the opportunity to request speed limit reduction via petition, CDOT routinely reduces speeds on neighborhood streets when requested without a petition.
Proposed Changes
§ Staff reviewed traffic calming policies from peer cities. The proposed changes to the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy will modernize and better align Charlotte’s policy with other cities.
- Speed humps: Reduce threshold to 600 vehicles per day,
- Multi-way stops: Combine volume on main and intersecting street traffic to meet 600 vehicles per day and reduce the petition-required impact area to 1,200 linear feet from intersection,
- Speed humps plus multi-way stops: 1,500 vehicles per day and postcard in lieu of second petition within five years of first mechanism installation,
- Petition requirements: Original signature of only one parcel owner and petition packet for homeowners’ associations in lieu of 60 percent signed petition,
- In addition, Housing and Neighborhood Services has agreed to assist distressed neighborhoods with the petition process.
§ CDOT will continue to change the posted speed limit on local residential streets to 25 miles per hour as requested without requiring a petition.
Committee Discussion
§ The Transportation and Planning Committee received information and discussed proposed changes to the policy at the meetings on June 24, September 22, and October 26, 2018.
§ On October 26, 2018, the Committee voted unanimously in favor of advancing the proposed Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy to the full Council (Phipps, Eiselt, Egleston, and Winston voted in favor; Ajmera was absent).
§ Full Council received a presentation highlighting the current policy with proposed changes at the City Council Strategy Session on November 5, 2018.
Attachments
Attachment(s)
Draft Neighborhood Traffic Calming Policy