Impact
WARD: City Wide
COMMITTEE: Public Works
$ IMPACT: None
Title
Approval of the City of Smyrna Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program
Body
ISSUE:
Consideration of the City of Smyrna Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program to address the encroachment of external traffic through neighborhood and residential areas which is an issue of concern to the residents of Smyrna.
BACKGROUND:
Smyrna residents have expressed concern about speeding and cut-through traffic in residential neighborhoods. In response to public interest, the City of Smyrna has developed a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program.
The Institute of Transportation Engineers defines “traffic calming” as “the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behavior, and improve conditions for non-motorized street users.” The City of Smyrna also expands this definition to include non-physical measures such as educational programs and enhanced enforcement.
This new program creates a process for determining whether a neighborhood should undergo traffic calming measures and to what extent the City of Smyrna, in combination with the affected neighborhood or residents, should or should not contribute to the funding of those measures.
In an effort to be transparent, it has been written as an explanatory and instructional document so that all residents can understand the requirements and options, the process for initiating a request, and the subsequent analysis and decision making process.
RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION:
Staff recommends approval.