Cd'A seeks to calm, slow down traffic

COEUR d’ALENE — It’s a perceived problem in virtually every neighborhood in Anytown USA: Speeding traffic.

Coeur d’Alene is no exception.

Every year, Coeur d’Alene’s police and street departments field countless calls from concerned residents who say speedsters are causing safety concerns and disrupting the quiet character of their residential locales throughout the city.

“We get quite a few calls from citizens complaining about speeding on their streets so we’ve come up with a protocol for how to handle it,” said Coeur d’Alene city engineer Chris Bosley.

It’s called traffic calming and it’s an important tool for improving safety and livability for residents.

Through a variety of safety-conscious street measures, the city hopes to curtail potentially hazardous traffic conditions in all areas of town through implementation of a traffic calming plan.

Bosley will present a proposed traffic calming policy to a City Council subcommittee today for consideration. The Public Works Committee will meet at 4 p.m. in the Community Room of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.

The information-only presentation is part of the city’s continuing effort to collect and share information about traffic safety issues, Bosley said.

The answer to creating safer conditions is typically not as simple as reducing the posted speed limit.

“Generally, it’s not a good idea to lower speed limits without doing some sort of measure to reduce the speed,” Bosley said.

The first step may be to erect a flashing speed counter sign that provides officials with a snapshot of traffic at a certain location including average speed, maximum speed what time of day presents the biggest traffic concerns.

“We can use that information to judge how best to move forward,” Bosley said.

Besides lowering the speed limit, the city might consider various other calming options including speed bumps, narrowing streets, raised crosswalks and intersections, rapid-flashing beacons, roundabouts and curb extensions (known as “bulb-outs.”)

The city’s police and fire departments are working closely with engineering to assure calming measures do not impede emergency response.

Working with a relatively small traffic calming budget of $40,000 this fiscal year, Bosley said implementation of calming strategies can be included in other projects, tapping funds associated with those endeavors.

An important part of the calming effort is public participation, Bosley said.

“Several methods of education and enforcement are available to change community behavior to reduce travel speeds,” he said. “Various methods should be used in an attempt to reach the broadest audience.”

Streets near schools are likely candidates for traffic calming, as excess speeds in school zones create an unsafe and unpleasant environment for school children and discourage walking and biking to school.

Bosley said traffic calming measures requested by neighborhoods will require written approval from at least two-thirds of residents within two blocks or 500 feet of the proposed site.

“Buy-in from the neighborhood does not necessitate the implementation of traffic calming, but rather, should serve as a first step in a request to demonstrate community support,” Bosley said.

After receiving feedback from the Public Works Committee, Bosley will make necessary changes to the plan and present an updated report to the full council.

Traffic calming efforts reinforce the city’s commitment to public safety, Bosley said.

“It reduces motor vehicle speeds, offers peace of mind and an added comfort level for all: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and residents,” he said.