(a) A “Speed Hump” is defined as a raised area in the roadway pavement surface extending across the roadway which creates a gentle vehicular rocking motion that causes most vehicles to slow to approximately 15 m.p.h. or less at each hump, and for applications of more than one speed hump, to approximately 25 m.p.h. to 30 m.p.h. between properly spaced humps.
(b) Speed Humps should only be installed in locations where all of the following conditions are met: (i) there is a demonstrated traffic or speeding problem and alternate measures have not sufficiently addressed the problem; (ii) it is not anticipated that the installation of the Speed Hump will cause the diversion of significant amounts of traffic to another local or residential street; (iii) the road slope and curvature allow for safe installation; (iv) the current posted speed limit on the street where the Speed Hump is to be placed is no greater than 30 m.p.h.; (v) the average daily traffic (ADT) on the street where the Speed Hump is to be placed is no greater than 3,000 vehicles per day (VPD) and no less than 200 VPD; and, (vi) the installation of the Speed Hump is deemed advisable by the City Engineer or his designee, based upon sound engineering judgment. When more than one Speed Hump is to be installed on a street, the Speed Humps should be spaced between 250 and 600 feet apart, and should not be placed on City blocks or cul-de-sac streets that are less than 500 feet in length.
(c) In addition, Speed Humps should only be considered for installation in neighborhoods or subdivisions where 75% or more of the homeowners in the affected neighborhood or subdivision have indicated in writing that they are in favor of Speed Hump installation, except in instances where the Common Council, with the concurrence of the City Engineer, determines that a Speed Hump may nevertheless be appropriate in an area where such homeowner support has not been demonstrated. For purposes of this section, the requesting neighborhood's Home Owners Association ("HOA") shall be responsible for circulating the petition and obtaining the requisite signatures requesting the installation of a Speed Hump. In neighborhoods that do not have an active HOA, the petition requesting the installation of a Speed Hump may be circulated by any property owner located within 2000 feet of the proposed Speed Hump. The petition in a non-HOA neighborhood must be signed by 75% of property owners located within a 2000 foot radius from the proposed Speed Hump. Petitions containing less than 20 signatures of property owners will not be considered for approval. In any neighborhood or subdivision where the installation of a Speed Hump is being considered, the following Point System shall be used to determine whether the installation of a Speed Hump is justified. In this regard, to be considered by the Common Council, a proposed Speed Hump installation location must be awarded a minimum cumulative total 25 points under the criteria listed below, and otherwise meet the requirements contained herein for Speed Hump installation:
(1) Accident History: The number of reported vehicular accidents that have occurred during the previous 36 calendar months within 2,000 feet of the area being considered for a Speed Hump shall be tabulated. The proposed location shall receive four points per reported accident per 1,000 feet of the street segment being considered. Any accidents occurring at the intersection of an exiting street and a major arterial or collector street shall not be considered in this point assignment.
• Example: 2 accidents on the 1,500 foot street segment being considered for a Speed Hump = 2 x 4 x 1000/1500 = 5.3 points.
(2) School Zones: The number of public and private schools located within 2,000 feet of the area being considered for a Speed Hump shall be tabulated. The proposed location shall receive three points for each such school.
• Example: 3 schools located in the area being considered for a Speed Hump = 9 points.
(3) Average Daily Traffic Volume: The number of vehicles traveling on a given day (24-hour period) through the area being considered for a Speed Hump shall be tabulated. The total number of such vehicles shall be divided by 100. The resulting number shall be the points awarded for traffic volume.
• Example: 900 vehicles travel in the area being considered for a Speed Hump. 900÷100 = 9 points.
(4) Vehicle Speed: The speed of each vehicle traveling on a given day (24-hour period) through the area being considered for a Speed Hump
shall be tabulated. The posted speed limit at the proposed location shall be subtracted from the 85th percentile speed of such vehicles. The resulting number shall be the points awarded for vehicle speed.
• Example: 85th percentile of the speed of vehicles traveling in the area being considered for a Speed Hump is 34 mph. Posted speed limit is 30 mph. 34-30 = 4 points.
(5) Pedestrian Served Facilities: If the area being considered for a Speed Hump lies within a 1,000-foot radius of a pedestrian served facility, such as, but not limited to, a park, church, shopping center, elderly or group housing facility, the proposed location shall receive three points for each such facility, up to a total of six points.
• Example: 2 churches and 1 park are located within 1,000 feet of the area being considered for a Speed Hump. 3 x 3 = 9 points, reduced to a maximum of six points.
(d) All Speed Humps installed in the City after the effective date of this section shall be established by ordinance.
(e) All Speed Humps installed in the City after the effective date of this section shall be designed and/or approved by the City Engineer, or his designee, using current, locally- accepted standards.
(f) All Speed Humps installed in the City after the effective date of this section shall be constructed and maintained by the City Street Department or its designee, using current, locally accepted standards.
(g) The City Street Department, or its designee, shall post appropriate signs and markings on all public streets on which Speed Humps have been installed, clearly indicating thereon the existence of same.
(h) The cost of Speed Humps installed pursuant to this section shall be the responsibility of the City. If 75% of the property owners in the neighborhood request its removal within five years of installation, the property owners who signed the petition requesting the Speed Hump shall bear the costs of removal. By signing the petition requesting the Speed Hump, property owners agree to be bound to share equally in the cost of removal of the Speed Hump if it is removed within five years of its installation. The City Engineer shall keep all petitions that result in the installation of a speed hump on file for five years. The City shall bear the cost of removal of the Speed Hump if it has been in place for longer than five years. Removal of Speed Humps shall be performed by the City. The obligation of the requesting neighborhood to pay for the removal of a Speed Hump shall only apply to Speed Humps approved subsequent to the adoption of Ordinance D-2306-16. Unless the Common Council directs otherwise, all approved Speed Hump installations shall be constructed in the order which they are approved, contingent upon available funding.
(i) The Common Council, after consultation with the City Engineer, may cause to be removed an existing Speed Hump when it has been determined by the Common Council that the Speed Hump: (i) has proven ineffective in resolving the speeding or traffic problem in the area; (ii) has caused the diversion of significant amounts of traffic to neighboring streets, thereby creating a traffic or speeding problem thereon; (iii) has been requested to be removed by the written petition of 75% or more of the homeowners in the affected neighborhood or subdivision; and/or, (iv) has otherwise become an inappropriate or unsafe means of calming traffic.
(`91 Code, § 8-38) (Ord. D-1408-99, 5-17-99; Ord. D-2207- 15, 2-16-15; Ord. D-2306-16, § 3, 8-1-16)