Speed bumps in high demand, but do they work?
It’s a common complaint: Speeders charging through residential neighborhoods with little thought for people on morning walks, youngsters going to school or their beloved pets exploring the neighborhood.
One of the common responses is to install “speed humps” to force motorists to slow down, but that can be tricky. A city rule requires that 100% of residents on a block agree before putting in the bumps. That’s more complicated because it’s a tradeoff between speed bumps year round and snow removal in the winter – the plows can’t clear streets with bumps.
“The 100% is to keep the peace,” Public Works Director Robert Hamblen said during a city council meeting on Aug. 23. Adjusting the percentage is on the table, but City Manager Maryann Ustick said, “It’s typically 75%. Fifty percent would be war.”
The rule has kept Box Canyon Avenue bump-free so far. Although residents circulated a petition (technically two, since residents are only allowed to gather speed hump signatures on their own side of the street), one homeowner has held out because she doesn’t want to lose snow removal. Neighbors have offered to shovel her driveway, but to no avail.
“This woman has done research that shows speed bumps are not as effective as we think,” Councilor Fran Palochak, Dist. 4, said. “Her reasons make a lot of sense after she provided them to me. Some people don’t sign because they have a good reason.”
Meanwhile, parents are concerned about their children’s safety as they walk to and from Tobe Turpen Elementary School and Hadden Park.
Carlos Juarez lives at the corner of Box Canyon and Klagetoh Street. “The four-way stop is not a stop. It’s more of a suggestion,” he told the council at an earlier meeting. “The majority of the people that pass by, especially on the way to school, they do not stop.”
Residents have asked for more police enforcement, but say the problem comes back as soon as patrols decrease. The city plans to look into what traffic controls are effective in similar cities before making any big changes.
The debate comes as pedestrian traffic fatalities – and traffic fatalities in general – are on the rise.
In May the Governors Highway Safety Association released a report showing traffic fatalities started to rise during the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued to increase.
Nationwide, GHSA projects 7,485 pedestrians were killed in traffic incidents in 2021, compared to 6,711 in 2020. In New Mexico, pedestrian fatalities were up a whopping 24.7%, from 81 in 2020 to 101 in 2021.
Speeding in residential neighborhoods is a citywide problem, and speed bumps are the most requested solution from residents.
“Since I got elected, the biggest thing I hear is people wanting speed bumps. I never thought in my life that speed bumps would be the biggest thing,” Councilor Sarah Piano, Dist. 3, said. “I tell them ‘you are not going to get a snowplow in the winter.’ Usually they don’t care. Maybe when the snow comes they’ll care more.”
But fellow councilors and city staff pointed out that sometimes they cause more trouble than good.
“Speed humps have done a tremendous amount of damage to our spreaders that snowplows carry on the back,” Hamblen said. “If you get a new hire who doesn’t know exactly where the speed humps are, they’re not being vigilant where the signs are, sometimes we get a big snowfall and you can’t even see the speed humps.”
The problems aren’t only for the city, Hamblen noted.
“I’ve done some research, speed humps in front of your house actually lower your property value because it’s showing you have an issue with speeders,” he said. “If you put [bumps] on one street, you’re just pushing [speeders] to another street.”
Piano suggested mobile radar units as an alternative. Such systems were found unconstitutional for criminal enforcement, but have been allowed for civil infractions.
Palochak said her district tried radar with electronic roadside displays that show how fast motorists are going, but it backfired.
“To be honest, it’s making the issue worse,” Hamblen said. “People are trying to see how fast they can get that radar to pick up. Councilor Piano and I were up on Burke on a speeding complaint [and] right there at the residence there is a radar sign. I witnessed multiple vehicles in a 25 mph zone hitting 35, all the way up to 45 mph within a 30 minute conversation.”
He said lane narrowing or installing medians could help, but both options are costly. Police presence is the most effective deterrent, but it ties up officers in court instead of keeping them on the streets. The city has even had to return grant money to cover traffic enforcement overtime, because officers don’t have enough time to do it.
Councilor Linda Garcia, Dist. 1, said that contributes to burnout. “Officers are in court all the time. It’s hurting my force in terms of people wanting to stay with the department,” she said.
Hamblen is going to check with Flagstaff, Ariz., Santa Fe and other cities about their policies and bring suggestions back to the council for action. But he’s still against lowering the 100% buy-in requirement.
“If we do lower it, we are going to be getting tons of phone calls from folks that are against them,” he said.
By Holly J. Wagner
Sun Correspondent
