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Resident raises persistent speeding concerns; council describes STEP enforcement, data tools and traffic-calming steps
Summary
A downtown resident told Fruita City Council he has not seen speeding enforcement in his neighborhood since 2008; councilors and staff described the Strategic Traffic Enforcement Program, speed trailers and traffic tubes, and cited recent enforcement results and engineering changes such as a new crosswalk.
At the Fruita City Council meeting, resident David McKeand told council he and neighbors are concerned about speeding on local streets and asked where residents should take complaints and what can be done to address them.
“I have not seen one person pulled over for speeding since 2008,” McKeand said, and asked whether there is a forum to raise traffic enforcement concerns and how citizens can get results.
Councilors and staff responded with a summary of the city’s traffic response process. Assistant City Manager Dan Karas and council members described the Strategic Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), which begins with data-gathering tools such as a speed trailer and traffic-count tubes. The traffic committee — made up of the public works director, city engineer and police chief — then reviews data to decide whether interventions should be engineering changes, education or increased enforcement.
Councilors cited a recent example on the south side near Adobe Creek and the golf course where enforcement increased: “At first, there were nine additional stops and three actual citations,” one council member said, noting that officers also met with the golf course and the neighborhood HOA to discuss safety and responsible behavior.
Staff and council members also pointed to engineering interventions. Councilors noted a new crosswalk at Maple and McKeown and recent signage changes at Peach and Paver to clarify right-of-way after drivers misunderstood the intersection layout. Councilors said traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps are used only in limited circumstances and that alternative calming measures are considered when appropriate.
Councilors encouraged residents to report concerns to city staff so the STEP process can start with data collection; staff said data sometimes supports lowering speed limits, and sometimes it supports raising them, depending on engineering standards and traffic patterns. The council said further discussion and a fuller briefing on traffic standards and responses is planned at the next council workshop.
