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City presents traffic-calming pilot for four neighborhoods; proposes tiered toolbox and neighborhood petition process
Summary
City engineering staff and Banks Engineering presented a traffic-calming program on Feb. 24 proposing a three-tiered set of measures — signage/education, spot treatments and corridor redesigns — for four Georgetown neighborhoods.
Georgetown city staff and consulting engineers presented a traffic-calming study and a proposed program on Feb. 24 that would give the city a standardized, tiered approach to address speeding and neighborhood safety.
The consulting team, selected after an RFP process, studied four pilot areas: Pleasant Valley, Payne/Gano Avenues, Indian Hills and Showalter Drive. Engineers reported varied crash histories across the areas; Payne/Gano and Showalter had higher crash counts and some injury crashes. Pleasant Valley showed comparatively low crash frequency, which the team attributed to narrower, curvilinear streets and existing traffic controls. Common crash types in several neighborhoods were vehicle backing crashes from driveways; in the wider collector streets, the team noted higher speeds and the potential for future injury crashes if speeds persist.
Banks Engineering proposed a three-tiered toolbox: tier 1 (low-cost measures such as signage, striping and public education), tier 2 (light construction such as speed humps or speed tables) and tier 3 (more significant corridor changes such as chicanes, bump-outs, narrowing travel lanes and re-striping). Authority to approve tier-1 actions would remain with the city's traffic committee; tier-2 and tier-3 items would be recommended by the committee and brought to council for approval.
The plan includes a process for neighborhood requests: complaints come to the traffic committee, technical assessment and speed/crash data are gathered, then recommendations are made. For retrofit measures (areas predating modern subdivision standards), engineers recommended systemic countermeasures rather than site-specific fixes and recommended HOA support or resident petitions to ensure majority support before spending city resources.
Council asked whether enforcement alone would suffice; engineers said targeted enforcement and education can change some driver behavior, but where speed is consistently 8–10 mph over the posted limit or there is an injury-crash trend, physical countermeasures are more likely to be warranted. Councilmember Michie asked about public education timing; staff proposed outreach through HOAs, business associations, the city website and open meetings, and noted striping improvements can help vehicles with modern lane-assist technology slow down.
No action was requested or taken; staff said they will return with an implementation schedule and cost estimates if council is comfortable with the general approach.
