City seeks traffic calming projects

Thu., Dec. 6, 2012

By Pia Hallenberg piah@spokesman.com (509) 459-5427

Traffic calming measures
cost estimates

The city of Spokane created the Traffic Calming Toolbox pamphlet to help neighborhoods get ideas for traffic calming measures. Here’s a look at the approximate cost of some of the projects.

Call (509) 625-6733 for a copy of the pamphlet.

• Modern roundabout (raised center) used on arterials: $550,000

• Traffic circle, smaller installation for neighborhood streets: $15,000-$25,000

• Curb extensions or bulb outs: $15,000 apiece

• Traffic islands and medians: $30 per linear foot (concrete), plus cost of landscaping

• Landscaping: Trees, $300 each; 5-gallon shrubs, $55 each; sod, $10 per square yard

• Speed feedback signs: $5,300 for solar powered permanent sign; $7,000 for mobile signs.

• Signs and stencils on roadway, like “yield”: $175 each

• Turn restriction sign: $300

• In-fill sidewalk: $160 per linear foot for separated sidewalks (Spokane standard); $50 per linear foot for single sidewalks: add $1,600 for each driveway and $1,200 for each ADA ramp.

• Bike lanes: $12 per linear foot painted on roadway; add $300 per street sign (a minimum two signs per eight blocks). Bike lanes must be on the City of Spokane Master Bike Plan.

• Crosswalks: $2,000 each, plus $1,200 for each ADA ramp. New crosswalks must have ADA ramps.

To view examples and diagrams of each measure go to: www.trafficcalming.org

Source: City of Spokane

The office of Neighborhood Services and Code Enforcement hosted a workshop and training session at City Hall on Monday evening to explain how neighborhoods may apply for the next round of funding for traffic calming measures.

The evening’s presenter was Jackie Caro of the Office of Neighborhood Services and Code Enforcement. Caro has compiled a Traffic Calming Toolbox, a guideline which shows examples of the different traffic calming and speed control measures, as well as a detailed description of the application process and how competing projects are scored against each other.

“Not every measure works for everybody,” Caro said at the beginning of her presentation. “Keep that in mind when you file your applications.”

About 25 neighborhood council representatives were there, half of whom indicated they went through the application process seeking funding for crosswalks, sidewalks and other traffic calming measures in 2012.

The money comes from the city’s red-light enforcement program, and $140,000 has been made available for each City Council district in 2013.

Each neighborhood council may submit an application for one arterial and one residential street traffic calming project. A project’s estimated cost cannot be more than $40,000.

“And you have to rate your projects,” said Heather Trautman, director Office of Neighborhood Services and Code Enforcement. “If we only have money to fund one project, we need to know which one has the highest priority.”

Last year, neighborhoods submitted 74 traffic calming projects for consideration and 21 were approved.

The 53 projects that were not funded are rolled into 2013’s application pool for reconsideration.

Some neighborhood council representatives wanted to know why they couldn’t submit two projects in the residential category if their neighborhood is predominantly residential.

Trautman explained that some of last year’s applications were very elaborate and expensive, that’s why tighter guidelines were adopted this year.

Senior Traffic Engineer Bob Turner encouraged the neighborhoods to work together when choosing projects.

“If you coordinate what you apply for you may get more done,” said Turner.

A traffic calming project will need a traffic study or a warrant analysis. A major rerouting of traffic – such as an arterial roundabout – requires an in-depth traffic study, but installation of colored pavement may be approved based on a warrant analysis.

“It all depends on how complicated the project is,” Turner said.

Neighborhoods have been frustrated in the past because they’ve gotten traffic calming projects approved, only to find that the required traffic study would take a year to complete.

Turner said they always look at four things: traffic volume, travel speed, pedestrian activity and number of collisions.

“Collisions must be reported to the police to count,” Turner said.

This year, neighborhoods will be encouraged to participate in simple traffic data gathering such as counting the number of pedestrians at a certain intersection.

“You may think there are 600 pedestrians crossing a street at a certain intersection, but when we count them it turns out to be 6,” Turner said. “I need as much information as I can get to find out which project is the biggest problem.”

Applications will be available online at www.spokane neighborhoods.com by Jan. 2. The application deadline is March 1.