Speeding and Speed Limits
One of the most frequent complaints I get about residential neighborhoods has to do with driving at excessive speeds. WHat's excessive? To some people and at some times even 20 miles is too fast. I agree. Current speed limits are set at 30 mph.
Minnesota statues set these limits and we as a city are obligated to follow these laws unless a major state-wide change is made.
Even so, numerous studies have shown that lowering the speed limit will NOT change the speed pattern. (Refer to http://dot.state.mn.us/trafficeng .) Drivers are much more influenced by roadway conditions and so you will notice that we are requiring developers to take steps to narrow streets in their development, add median strips, put curves on straight runs, and take other steps to help keep the road from being a raceway.
Stops signs are equally ineffective as they cause drivers to speed up to "make up" for lost time both before and after the stop sign.
We do have an effective program to help reduce speed in your neighborhood called "Traffic Tamers". Basically this is a program where you and a couple of neighbors can check out a radar gun from Rochester's Crime Prevention Unit, register speeders on a log, turn it in to the police and a "warning" notice will be sent to the offender. This has shown to be especially effective for youngsters using the family car as the letter goes to the registerd owner of the vehicle. For more information on this call the Crime Prevention Unit (507) 281-6045 or call me.
Minnesota statues set these limits and we as a city are obligated to follow these laws unless a major state-wide change is made.
Even so, numerous studies have shown that lowering the speed limit will NOT change the speed pattern. (Refer to http://dot.state.mn.us/trafficeng .) Drivers are much more influenced by roadway conditions and so you will notice that we are requiring developers to take steps to narrow streets in their development, add median strips, put curves on straight runs, and take other steps to help keep the road from being a raceway.
Stops signs are equally ineffective as they cause drivers to speed up to "make up" for lost time both before and after the stop sign.
We do have an effective program to help reduce speed in your neighborhood called "Traffic Tamers". Basically this is a program where you and a couple of neighbors can check out a radar gun from Rochester's Crime Prevention Unit, register speeders on a log, turn it in to the police and a "warning" notice will be sent to the offender. This has shown to be especially effective for youngsters using the family car as the letter goes to the registerd owner of the vehicle. For more information on this call the Crime Prevention Unit (507) 281-6045 or call me.
posted by Bob Nowicki | 3:21 PM
5 Comments:
Is it against the law to add speed bumps or raised crossings on neighborhood streets to force drivers to slow down?
I do not believe it is against the law. In Rochester, in the Bailey Woodlands development, (off of Salem Road), speed bumps are used the length of the entire hill to slow traffic through this residential neighborhood.
Not agaist the law. We had a two year moratorium on speed bumps and speed tables to study their effectiveness. The Fire Dept has raised some concern about damage to their equipment due to speed bumps and the dealy that they might cause in thier response time so we have modified the design somewhat and are planning to install these modified speed tables on Northern Valley Drive NE very shortly.
geeeze. northern valley drive gets them and they hardly have any traffic and northern heights isn't considered? and also thanks for the stub of stop signs while you were at it. hmmmm??? oh, and how do the snow plows like speed bumps/tables? maybe speed enforcement should become a priority for the city? I see it every day and there are no patrol cars ever around. and, while we are at it, running stop signs/lights has become a very common occurance...but there is nothing being done about that either (just sit by a major intersection anywhere and observe for a while). traffic tamers is fine, but we pay taxes to the city to have them enforce the law!
Life isn't fair is it? ??? "Stub of stop signs" has me baffled. There are strict traffic engineering criteria (warrants) that must be met for traffic signals including stop signs and they never seem to meet what you and I may consider the need for them. Snow plows, the fire department and many others do not like speed bumps or tables at all. That is why we are experimenting with the engineering on the one we are planning for Northern Valley Dr. Speed enforcement IS a priority for the city but we have a heck of a lot more speeders and people running red lights on many more streets than we have police officers to do the enforcing. We post officers and do "saturation" programs to catch offenders often but unfortunately even the effect of getting a traffic ticket and paying a fine is a very short term solution for most people and not a deterrent to others. OUr 13 officers on shift just can cover so much. I invite you to ask to go on a "ride-along" to see for yourself just what they do while on shift. Traffic tamers is a way you and your neighbors can be proactive in helping to solve the problem other of your neighbors are creating with traffic.
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