Approval Given to 2012-13 Traffic-Calming Projects

FYI in our MCAC - - the section of Glascock Street bt Wake Forest and Brookside has already been approved, speed humps let out to bid, and construction to begin in the near future. The section of Glascock Street bt Brookside and Raleigh Blvd is still on the drawing board and should be approved soon. Both of these sections are considered to be minor traffic calming projects. Brookside South bt Glascock and Watauga is considered to be a major traffic calming project and it was just approved. It is considered to be major bc more will be done to the street that just speed humps. Brookside North did not get enough signatures in the petition process but in the meantime it has been re-evaluated at a higher score which means that when we re-petition it will have higher priority and hopefully the residents will be able to see how good Brookside South looks and it will qualify for traffic calming.

Info from City Press Release on September 18, 2012:

The Raleigh City Council today unanimously approved the next round of traffic-calming projects for the Capital City. Council members adopted the project priority list and authorized City staff to move forward with the top-ranked major and minor traffic-calming projects for the current fiscal year.

Traffic-calming projects, driven by the citizen petition process, are designed to reduce speeding on neighborhood streets. They include a combination of public education, police enforcement and changes to the roadway in order to reduce speeding by motorists traveling through neighborhoods. The roadway changes may include a reduction in the posted speed limit and/or the installation of curb extensions, bulb-outs, median islands, speed humps or traffic tables.

Every year, the City’s Public Works Department staff evaluates or re-evaluates residential streets for traffic-calming projects. A rank is assigned to each street based on engineering criteria. The City Council’s adopted 10-year Capital Improvement Program allocates a total of $2.7 million to traffic-calming efforts.

Here are the top major traffic-calming projects for Fiscal Year 2012-13 (FY13):

• Cross Link Road (North) from Dandridge Drive to Rock Quarry Road;

• Cross Link Road (South) from Garner Road to Dandridge Drive;

• Crest Road from Avent Ferry Road to Varsity Drive;

• Varsity Drive from Avent Ferry Road to Marcom Street;

• Quail Ridge Road from Falls of Neuse Road to Spring Forest Road;

• Harps Mill Road (Middle) from Haymarket Way to Litchford Road;

• Falls River Avenue (South) from Durant Road to Southwalk Traffic Circle;

• Bridgeport Road (West) from Creedmoor Road to Abbottsbury Court;

• Wycliff Road from Lake Boone Trail to Morningside Drive; and,

• Brookside Drive (North) from Glascock Street to Atlantic Avenue.

The top minor traffic-calming projects for FY13 are:

• Delany Drive from Milburnie Road to Glascock Street;

• Johnsdale Road at both of its intersections with Litchford Road;

• Carlton Drive from Fox Road to Bentley Circle;

• North King Charles Road (South) from New Bern Avenue to Milburnie Road;

• Dandridge Drive from South State Street to Cross Link Road;

• Edwards Mill Road (North) from Parklake Avenue to Crabtree Valley Avenue;

• Oak Park Road (East) from Connell Drive to Glenwood Avenue;

• Cardinal Grove Boulevard (North) from the Cardinal Grove Homeowners Association property to Kyle Drive;

• Mars Street from Trawick Road to Starmount Drive; and,

• Cranbrook Drive from Shelley Road to Six Forks Road.

Major traffic-calming projects would entail significant modification to a street, including installing curb extensions, median islands, bulb-outs or traffic circles. Minor traffic-calming projects would typically include speed humps or speed tables.

For more information about the City of Raleigh’s traffic-calming efforts, including the citizen petition process, contact Traffic Calming Coordinator Thomas Fiorello at 919-996-4066 or Thomas.Fiorello@raleighnc.gov; or visit the City’s website at www.raleighnc.gov.