Tuesday, March 22, 2011

City of Hoboken: Traffic Calming Measures at 15th Street Actually Work

Here is another update on traffic initiatives from the City of Hoboken:

TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES REDUCE AVERAGE SPEEDS ON 15TH STREET BELOW 20MPH
Community Meeting Rescheduled For March 29

The City of Hoboken announced today that it has successfully piloted the "Your Speed Is" radar sign system as the latest addition to its "Traffic Calming Toolkit," which is planned for introduction to the community at a public meeting. The meeting will be hosted by Mayor Dawn Zimmer and Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs on March 29th from 7-9pm in the basement floor conference room of City Hall, 94 Washington Street.

The signs are the latest in a series of measures implemented at this location, resulting in average vehicle speeds of less than 20 mph. Installed on 15th Street between Garden and Park Streets, the sign was positioned to address resident concerns about eastbound speeding along this corridor. The signs are the next step in a series of proof-of-concept measures that have been piloted along 15th Street and subsequently added to the Toolkit.

Note: February 16, 2011 omitted from data reduction due to roadway construction

"This location is the so-called demonstration area for our graduated approach to addressing speeding concerns, where we use solutions that escalate in cost and effort until we find an appropriate balance," said Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs. "On average, drivers are operating their cars at less than 20 miles per hour here; it's great!"

In July of last year, the Department of Transportation and Parking updated pavement markings at intersections and narrowed travel lanes along 15th Street, resulting in nearly all drivers on this corridor driving at speeds below the 25mph speed limit. Continued concerns allowed the testing of additional measures including "Stop for Pedestrians in Crosswalk" signage and most recently the "Your Speed Is" radar signs. The signs are installed for a period of several weeks and then relocated elsewhere as part of the educational and self-enforcement components of the City's soon-to-be-released Traffic Calming Toolkit.

The new Toolkit is designed to clarify and formalize the process by which pedestrian safety concerns will continue to be systematically addressed. Residents are invited to the community meeting on March 29 to discuss pedestrian safety and other transportation issues.

Link: http://www.hobokennj.org/news/traffic-calming-measures-reduce-average-speeds-on-15th-street-below-20mph/
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