Title
Resolution to Adopt an Improved Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program
Staff
Reviewed by: Raymond Hess, Transportation Manager
Brian Steglitz, Public Services Area Administrator
Body
Whereas, The purpose of the neighborhood traffic calming program is to slow vehicle traffic to improve conditions for people living, walking, and bicycling in or through a neighborhood;
Whereas, City Council adopted an improved neighborhood traffic calming program in 2018 that lowered the barriers to qualification, increased the program budget, and raised awareness of the program;
Whereas, There are currently 17 active petitions in the existing Traffic Calming Program queue, and staff has engaged a consultant to expedite the review process so an anticipated 10, rather than 3 petitions, can be processed annually;
Whereas, Improving the comfort of people walking and biking on city streets addresses key elements of Ann Arbor’s A2Zero carbon neutrality plan and comprehensive transportation plan, both adopted after the last evaluation of the neighborhood traffic calming program;
Whereas, The A2Zero carbon neutrality plan calls for reducing vehicle miles traveled by 50% by 2030, which will require significant mode shift to walking, biking, and transit use;
Whereas, The Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Transportation Plan calls for addressing dangerous driving behavior and improving the safety and comfort of people walking;
Whereas, The Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Transportation Plan calls for creating an All Ages and Abilities Bike network and asserts that consideration for traffic calming treatments should factor in building this network;
Whereas, The Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Transportation Plan calls for the development of standardized school traffic calming toolkit within three years of plan adoption;
Whereas, The neighborhood traffic calming program is popular, demonstrating high demand for slowing vehicle speeds on local streets;
Whereas, City Council maintains oversight over the traffic calming program updates and approval, requiring City Council action to change any aspect of the program;
Whereas, City Council currently maintains authority over the approval of individual traffic calming project plans before construction, even though such plans are an implementation of Council-approved policy;
Whereas, Simplifying the approval process will allow for more comprehensive, holistic, evaluation of capital improvement projects, thus resulting in information that could save time, money, increase safety, and inform project prioritization; and
Whereas, Vertical traffic calming tools such as speed humps and raised crosswalks are deployed exclusively as part of the neighborhood traffic calming program and are, hence, limited by the traffic calming budget and not considered as options in capital improvement projects;
RESOLVED, City Council hereby directs the City Administrator to manage and maintain the neighborhood traffic calming program and removes the requirement of City Council approval for individual calming project plans;
RESOLVED, City Council directs the City Administrator to utilize a collaborative model of public engagement for traffic calming;
RESOLVED, City Council directs the City Administrator to evaluate opportunities to incorporate traffic calming elements into capital projects which significantly disturb the existing road surface, particularly those that are a part of the All Ages All Abilities network identified in the transportation plan, in a school walk zone, where a record of crashes, speeding, and/or resident complaints exists, or otherwise suggest a need for calming to enhance comfort and safety for non-motorized uses, regardless of petition status;
RESOLVED, City Council directs the City Administrator to consider the full range of established speed control elements as identified by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) or Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), or tools identified in the Traffic Calming Program and the Speed Management Program, including vertical devices such as raised crosswalks, speed humps, and speed cushions, as well as bump-outs, chicanes, narrowing etc. in all capital improvements projects that disturb the road surface;
RESOLVED, City Council directs the City Administrator to develop a school traffic calming toolkit by December 31, 2024; and
RESOLVED, City Council directs the Transportation Commission’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming Committee to continue to work with staff to further define the updates to these programs.
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Akmon, Briggs, Ghazi Edwin, Watson, Harrison, and Cornell