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What Are Speed Humps?
Speed humps (undulations) are raised "bumps" placed
across residential streets. They are designed to
calm traffic in residential areas, near parks and
schools. The city of Sacramento began constructing
speed humps in 1980 in response to neighborhood
speeding problems.
Which Streets Should Have Them?
Unless chronic speeding problems exist on your
street, speed humps are not warranted. Traffic
control, such as police enforcement, is usually
a better alternative. Speed humps are used for
streets where traditional methods of slowing traffic
have not been effective. A residential street will
qualify for the city's speed hump program based
on the following criteria:
- The two-lane street must be mainly residential
or else have a park or school on the street.
- The residential street (or the part being considered)
must be at least 750 feet long with no four-way
intersections.
- There can be no other traffic control devices
on the street segment such as four-way stop signs,
traffic signals, etc.
- The speed limit must be 30 miles per hour or
less.
- There may not be any Regional Transit bus routes
on the street.
- The street cannot be a designated emergency
response route.
What Are The Drawbacks Of Speed Humps?
Aside from the inconvenience of construction,
some people prefer not to have speed humps placed
near their driveways. Some worry that motorists
will steer onto sidewalks or yards to avoid the
humps. Others fear that those speeding over the
humps will be noisy or the humps will devalue their
homes.
Due to engineering studies that must be completed
for each street, speed humps are expensive and
only installed once each year. Although this system
saves money, some neighborhoods which qualify for
speed humps must wait a long time.
How Do I Get Them Put On My Street?
To initiate a study, a petition requesting
speed humps must be submitted to the Department
of Transportation signed by at least 10 residents
from separate households. Traffic engineers will
then collect the necessary information to determine
if your street qualifies. If your street qualifies,
it will be ranked and placed on a speed hump priority
list.
How Are Streets Selected?
To ensure that every neighborhood gets fair
and consistent consideration, three speed hump
priority lists are maintained for residential streets,
bypass streets and streets with parks or schools.
Traffic engineers rank the streets on each list
according to the following criteria:
- Average number of vehicles that use the street
per day.
- Speed at which vehicles travel on the street.
- Number of residences, parks or schools facing
the street.
Although a street may be near the top of one of
these priority lists, installation of speed humps
is not guaranteed. In order to be considered, there
must be enough funding in the program budget to
build speed humps and affected residents must demonstrate
overwhelming support. Typically, the program budget
allows for speed humps construction on 10 to 12
streets each year.
A voting ballot is mailed to all residents living
on the street under consideration. One vote is
allocated per household and two-thirds of the ballots
returned to the city must be in favor of the speed
humps to authorize construction.
What If I Want To Pay For Speed Humps Myself?
If your street qualifies for speed humps, but
has not been funded by the city, you may pay for
installation yourself. The cost will include design,
construction and inspection of the speed humps.
Your street must meet all qualifications including
two-thirds majority approval through the ballot
process. Your neighborhood must have the funding
and obtain approval from the Department of Transportation
before speed humps may be installed.
What Are the Guidelines for Speed Humps?
Take a look at this document (you
need to have Acrobat Reader to view this file).
PLEASE DRIVE CAREFULLY!
Public safety is our highest priority, but
we all need to cooperate in keeping our streets
safe for everyone. Annually, the Traffic Engineering
Services Team investigates over 1,200 requests,
suggestions and complaints as quickly as possible.
We value your input and appreciate your patience
and understanding while addressing your concerns
and answering your questions. We are proud to serve
the citizens of Sacramento and help make our city
a safer place to live and work.
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