Traffic calming advances
September 24 ,2008
Slower going: 'Traffic-calming' steps on way for
Northampton
By Chad Cain, , Daily Hampshire Gazette
By Chad Cain, , Daily Hampshire Gazette
NORTHAMPTON - Nearly 90 crashes occurred at the
city's busy King Street/Damon Road intersection in
one three-year count, ranking the area as the
fourth-most dangerous stretch of road in the
Valley.
The ranking makes the intersection - and three others in the city that cracked the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission's top 100 high-crash intersections list - a prime candidate for the city's new "traffic-calming" program.
Traffic calming refers to a collection of physical changes that could be made to a road, including narrowing the real or apparent width of the street, introducing slight curves, and installing speed bumps and raised crosswalks.
The measures are designed to induce drivers to slow down and pay more attention to their surroundings.
"These measures physically force cars, not with a sign or regulatory measures, to slow down," said Ward 4 City Councilor David J. Narkewicz, chairman of the Transportation and Planning Commission.
The City Council endorsed the new traffic-calming manual presented by Narkewicz at its meeting last week. The Transportation and Planning Commission spent more than a year creating the document that its members believe will create a safer environment for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
"These are subtle design changes for people to believe they should go slower, and therefore will go slower," said Police Chief Russell Sienkiewicz, a member of the commission.
The engineering techniques blend with other educational and enforcement efforts that city officials have used over the last few years in an attempt to reduce traffic accidents and personal injuries throughout the city.
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death to drivers under 35 years old, and fear of being struck by a car is a key reason people say they don't ride their bikes, said James Lowenthal, a member of the Transportation and Parking Commission.
He told the council that traffic calming is a good investment for many reasons, including reducing traffic and encouraging drivers to walk."It really pays to slow traffic down," he said. "Accommodating autos comes at a huge cost to the city."
The manual does not give regulatory recommendations, such as reducing speed limits or installing stop signs. Instead, traffic-calming measures are designed to be self-enforcing.
The manual also defines a selection process that city officials will use to decide which areas are in most need of attention. Citizens, city boards and departments can make formal requests for traffic calming to the commission. Those requests then goes through preliminary evaluation and public comment, followed by a needs assessment by the DPW.
Neighborhoods that qualify are then ranked on a list based on 10 factors, including road volume, speeding and crashes. Projects could move up the list quickly if the Department of Public Works has planned roadwork in an area, or if alternate funding is available.
Matter of time
Traffic-calming projects will compete for funding as part of the city's Capital Improvement Program process, but also might be paid for through developers' fees and other sources, said Narkewicz.
Sienkiewicz said the city has been trying to implement various traffic-calming measures over the last few years, but the new manual gives the city a "formal bible" to consult when trying to figure out which intersections need help.
While high-profile intersections such as King Street and Damon Road will likely get attention, other sections of the city will also be eligible for improvements.
One resident who lives near the intersection of Florence and Ryan roads told the council last week that a sharp road curve in the area, which she dubbed the "Florence curve," is in dire need of attention. Earlier this month, a suspected drunken driver drove into a home at that corner.
"There have been more accidents and near misses; it's only a matter of time before there is a serious injury or death," said Barbara Rakaska of 571 Florence Road.
Other residents who live near Northampton High School hope improvements can be made to those streets, especially after a teacher walking in the crosswalk on Elm Street in front of the school was hit by a driver who was concentrating more on the heavy traffic in the Elm Street area.
"We know that every neighborhood in Northampton has traffic issues," Narkewicz said at last week's council meeting.
Sienkiewicz said residents often call for improvements to their neighborhood, especially after an accident occurs. Many times, however, the data doesn't reflect the understandable concern.
"The data will drive the need versus perception driving the desire," he said.
Now that the council has endorsed the plan, Narkewicz said that the next step is to develop and test the different traffic-calming measures to figure out which ones work best in the city. The process will involve pilot projects at selected locations that will allow officials to test a device, such as speed bumps, on a trial basis rather than as a permanent installation.
To read the manual and learn how to make a traffic-calming request, visit www.northamptonma.gov/tpc/trafficcalming/ [1].
The ranking makes the intersection - and three others in the city that cracked the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission's top 100 high-crash intersections list - a prime candidate for the city's new "traffic-calming" program.
Traffic calming refers to a collection of physical changes that could be made to a road, including narrowing the real or apparent width of the street, introducing slight curves, and installing speed bumps and raised crosswalks.
The measures are designed to induce drivers to slow down and pay more attention to their surroundings.
"These measures physically force cars, not with a sign or regulatory measures, to slow down," said Ward 4 City Councilor David J. Narkewicz, chairman of the Transportation and Planning Commission.
The City Council endorsed the new traffic-calming manual presented by Narkewicz at its meeting last week. The Transportation and Planning Commission spent more than a year creating the document that its members believe will create a safer environment for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
"These are subtle design changes for people to believe they should go slower, and therefore will go slower," said Police Chief Russell Sienkiewicz, a member of the commission.
The engineering techniques blend with other educational and enforcement efforts that city officials have used over the last few years in an attempt to reduce traffic accidents and personal injuries throughout the city.
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death to drivers under 35 years old, and fear of being struck by a car is a key reason people say they don't ride their bikes, said James Lowenthal, a member of the Transportation and Parking Commission.
He told the council that traffic calming is a good investment for many reasons, including reducing traffic and encouraging drivers to walk."It really pays to slow traffic down," he said. "Accommodating autos comes at a huge cost to the city."
The manual does not give regulatory recommendations, such as reducing speed limits or installing stop signs. Instead, traffic-calming measures are designed to be self-enforcing.
The manual also defines a selection process that city officials will use to decide which areas are in most need of attention. Citizens, city boards and departments can make formal requests for traffic calming to the commission. Those requests then goes through preliminary evaluation and public comment, followed by a needs assessment by the DPW.
Neighborhoods that qualify are then ranked on a list based on 10 factors, including road volume, speeding and crashes. Projects could move up the list quickly if the Department of Public Works has planned roadwork in an area, or if alternate funding is available.
Matter of time
Traffic-calming projects will compete for funding as part of the city's Capital Improvement Program process, but also might be paid for through developers' fees and other sources, said Narkewicz.
Sienkiewicz said the city has been trying to implement various traffic-calming measures over the last few years, but the new manual gives the city a "formal bible" to consult when trying to figure out which intersections need help.
While high-profile intersections such as King Street and Damon Road will likely get attention, other sections of the city will also be eligible for improvements.
One resident who lives near the intersection of Florence and Ryan roads told the council last week that a sharp road curve in the area, which she dubbed the "Florence curve," is in dire need of attention. Earlier this month, a suspected drunken driver drove into a home at that corner.
"There have been more accidents and near misses; it's only a matter of time before there is a serious injury or death," said Barbara Rakaska of 571 Florence Road.
Other residents who live near Northampton High School hope improvements can be made to those streets, especially after a teacher walking in the crosswalk on Elm Street in front of the school was hit by a driver who was concentrating more on the heavy traffic in the Elm Street area.
"We know that every neighborhood in Northampton has traffic issues," Narkewicz said at last week's council meeting.
Sienkiewicz said residents often call for improvements to their neighborhood, especially after an accident occurs. Many times, however, the data doesn't reflect the understandable concern.
"The data will drive the need versus perception driving the desire," he said.
Now that the council has endorsed the plan, Narkewicz said that the next step is to develop and test the different traffic-calming measures to figure out which ones work best in the city. The process will involve pilot projects at selected locations that will allow officials to test a device, such as speed bumps, on a trial basis rather than as a permanent installation.
To read the manual and learn how to make a traffic-calming request, visit www.northamptonma.gov/tpc/trafficcalming/ [1].