Historical November–December 2020 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Cars flying through the neighborhood pose one of the greatest dangers to residents, whether we’re pushing a stroller, walking the dog, or biking to class or work. Our streets have primarily been designed for cars and they dominate the roadways. Before becoming an alderperson, I didn’t know much about traffic, other than I didn’t like it.
After many conversations about speeding and safety, I am convinced that street design is the best way to change the behavior of drivers. Signs can be ignored and while police officers can issue tickets, enforcement is fleeting.
However, a welldesigned street can 1) make it physically impossible for people to speed and 2) influence people to drive slowly, naturally.
The neighborhood plan calls for a comprehensive look at traffic and I often receive requests for traffic humps and speeding enforcement so Alderwoman Clark-Hubbard (26th ward) and I worked with the neighborhood development committee to initiate the Skinker DeBaliviere Traffic Study earlier this year.
We allocated ward capital funds to bring in expertise from WSP to study neighborhood streets and make recommendations to address safety, speed, and connectivity.
The first phase kicked off in February and over 160 people shared over 400 comments using online and paper surveys that asked for detailed information about intersections and trouble spots in the neighborhood. Because of COVID, the public meeting portion of that survey was delayed until this past September, at which point the consultants from WSP shared what they’d heard so far and explained some of the options to deal with the issues raised. Neighbors were invited to a zoom call to share additional feedback and a final report is forthcoming.
The initial survey highlighted that speeding, bike/pedestrian safety, and stop sign compliance were the top three concerns.
The September presentation highlighted how the use of mid-block crossings, enhanced crosswalks, speed humps, and streetscape features, such as trees and bump outs, can help calm traffic.
On the topic of connectivity, several people in the initial survey asked about blocked and one-way streets.
During the zoom presentation, WSP walked through the traffic implications of opening streets and restoring two-way streets.
While they shared examples and options of where changes to street openings and directions have been and could be made, there were no specific recommendations about whether streets should be reopened and further study would be needed before any such changes are made.
The next step is to review the final report, including the neighborhood feedback and the recommendations, with the neighborhood development committee. Any projects would likely be funded out of ward capital so it will be important to prioritize the projects with budgets and a timeline so we can ensure a safer and more pleasant experience for everyone who walks, bikes, drives, and enjoys the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood.
To learn more visit the Board of Public Service website and look for the traffic study under “news.” Thank you to everyone who participated in the study and be safe!
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, November–December 2020.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2020_11.pdf, printed page(s) 6; PDF page(s) 6.
