Committee backs speed-hump measures for blocks on Vermont, Lower, Newberry and Caveney avenues

The St. Louis City Public Infrastructure and Utilities Committee on Wednesday recommended approval of two board bills to install speed humps on several residential blocks, saying the measures respond to constituent requests to reduce speeding.

The committee gave a do-pass recommendation to board bill 3, authorizing a speed hump on the 6600 block of Vermont Avenue in the First Ward, and to board bill 7, which directs the streets director to install speed humps on multiple blocks including the 400 block of Lower Avenue, the 4500 block of Newberry Terrace, the 5100 block of Caveney Avenue and the 4400 block of Laurel (near Skinker to Bolivar). Both measures advanced by committee vote or by unanimous consent.

Committee members who reviewed the bills said the proposals came at the request of residents on the affected blocks. Sponsors and members described the local petition process commonly used for speed-hump requests: most petitions require signatures from a majority of the block (the sponsors said they seek at least 51 percent support). For some requests, Aldermen reported conducting door‑to‑door outreach instead of formal petitions when blocks are small or sparsely populated.

Board bill 3 advanced on a recorded roll call with five aye votes. Board bill 7 advanced after a motion and no objections on the committee floor. Committee members who spoke during the items expressed general support for traffic calming in areas with speeding concerns and called the petition process a standard way to show resident support.

The bills cited the city's existing traffic‑calming ordinance framework (ordinance 70333, as amended by ordinance 71394) for authority to install speed humps.

The measures will proceed with the committee's do-pass recommendations to the next steps in the council process.