Neighborhood traffic management: Dade County, Florida's street closure experience

Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal, Jan 1998 by Castellone, Anthony J, Hasan, Muhammed M

GOVERNMENTAL AND PUBLIC TRAFFIC CONCERNS

Through extensive literature research, review of county files and aforementioned questionnaire survey, consultants identified the following governmental (institutional) and public traffic concerns relative to street closure or traffic flow modification of local streets.

Institutional Concerns

A number of issues from both municipal officials and local neighborhood representatives regarding the benefits and consequences of street closures were identified. Listed below are those common macroscopic issues public officials are faced with when addressing street closure requests:

* Diverted traffic volumes resulting in degraded Levels of Service (LOS) on adjoining neighborhood streets;

* Diverted traffic volumes resulting in degraded LOS on the adjoining arterial or collector roadway system;

* Degradation of emergency services access and response times; and

* Degradation of other services such as school buses, public transit, mail delivery and trash collection.

Often, as a result of inadequate or lack of before-studies, these issues are identified after a particular street closure has been implemented rather than during the planning or proposal stage.

Public Concerns

The general public is more concerned about microscopic problems that they perceive to adversely affect the neighborhoods' quality of life. These problems may include:

* Excessive vehicle speeds within residential neighborhoods;

* "Cut-through" tc or traffic or traffic intrusion;

* Excessive amounts of traffic;

* Increase in accidents;

* Safety of pedestrians and bicyclists;

* Perception of increasing crime and drug sales;

* High truck traffic as a result of traffic intrusion;

* Increase in noise levels as a result of high traffic volumes;

* Increase in emergency services' response time; and

* Impact on property valuation as a result of street closures.

Unfortunately, the negative consequences resulting from street closures often have been overlooked. As an alternative, a number of traffic calming devices to mitigate these consequences were presented to the project steering committee for further review and approval.

THE TRAFFIC CALMING ALTERNATIVE

Traffic calming frequently involves implementing geometric changes to streets to regulate vehicle speeds while decreasing the propensity of the non-local driver's intrusion into residential neighborhoods.3 The traffic calming devices recommended to the project steering committee would be designed and installed at strategic locations to discourage cut-through routing or speeding, increase travel time on local neighborhood streets and keep through traffic on arterial roads.4 A neighborhood desiring to address specific traffic control problems would find that a strategic plan that utilizes these devices in combination with each other and supported by all affected parties will be effective. Some of the more common physical techniques currently being utilized to calm local residential streets are:

* Education;

* Law enforcement;

* Border landscaping;