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

CONCLUSIONS

The recommended guidelines presented to Metropolitan Dade County address traffic issues in an incremental fashion8 with the least restrictive measures applicable to a particular situation tested first, then monitored and supplemented, modified or replaced with more stringent measures if previously implemented measures are found to be ineffective. When non-traffic issues enter into the decision process, the procedures weigh fully both the traffic and non-traffic implications of a street closure or traffic flow modification. The application process described herein shall apply equally to any residential traffic control situation and provide government officials a pragmatic tool to address neighborhood traffic control issues. An 18-month trial period for Metro-Dade County's initial Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) was recently approved by the Dade County Commission. The goal of this trial period will be to refine the street closure/traffic flow modification application and implementation process described herein. As of this writing, 20 TFM applications are pending.

References

1. Federal Highway Administration. Improving the Residential Street Environment. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation, Report No. FHWA/RD-81/031, May 1981, pp. 28-32.

2. Elizer, R. Marshall, and Nazir Lalani. "Facing Up to a Street Closure Epidemic.' ITE Journal(October 1994): 24-28.

3. Walter, C. Edward. "Suburban Residential Traffic Calming." ITE Journal (September 1995): 4448.

4. Wallwork, Michael J. "Traffic Calming." The Traffic Safety Toolbox. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Transportation Engineers, 1993, pp. 235-245.

5. Gonzalez, Karen L. "Neighborhood Traffic Control: Bellevue's Approach." ITE Journal (May 1993): 4345.

6. City Council of San Buenaventura, Calif., USA. "Policy of the City of San Buenaventura Relative to Closure or Modification of Traffic Flow." Resolution 93-130, December 1993. 7. Spitz, Salem. "How Much is Too Much (Traffic)." ITE Journal (May 1982): 44-45. 8. Ref. 1, pp. 4344.

ANTHONY J. CASTELLONE, P.E., is a Senior Transportation Engineer with Frederic R. Harris Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA. He received his B.S. CE. from the University of New Hampshire at Durham and M.B.A. from the University of Rhode Island. Castellone is a Member of ITE.

MUHAMMED M. HASAN is a Florida Registered Professional Engineer. Currently he is the head of the Traffic Operation and Design Unit of the Metropolitan Dade County Public Works Department. He has 22 years of experience with the county and four years' prior experience with

consulting engineers. He received his B.S. and B.E. degrees from the University of Karachi, Pakistan.